Jesus: Changing without notice
With
the Westgate Siege still fresh in the minds of many Kenyans, most would love to
believe that this was, in common diction, “an inside job”.
Man
is a social being, finding pleasure in association with others. However, just
how long does it take for one to claim knowledge of the other? “I thought I
knew you… What came over you… Oh! So you did that!?” express shock when a
confidant does something so unexpected. This is normally by revealing some
“new” aspect of their character.
That
time spent together may not necessarily translate into knowing the other party
is a truth so conspicuous for all and sundry to see. In fact, the famed
Kiswahili proverb “Kikulacho ki nguoni mwako” alludes to this fact. That your best
of friends could be your “worst” enemy is a thing we vehemently wish away.
The
Judas reality
It
is interesting that Judas betrayed Jesus. This he did not just do but rather
cemented it with a kiss. Apparently, he led a great multitude composed of even
the chief priests, scribes and elders, people who had all this time interacted
with Jesus.
“Whomsoever
I shall kiss, that same is He…” were Judas’ words.
Did
he have to give them a token as outlined? Are not these the same people that
Jesus was talking to in the temple in Mark
11:27-12? How comes that they had a full day engagement with Jesus but
now needed Judas to help them identify Him?
Irrespective
of the interaction that these people had with Jesus, they still did not know
Him and thus the need for assistance. Many a Christians today have been in
communion with God since their Sunday/Church School days. Some have even
climbed the ladder of religiosity by being baptized, partaking in the
Holy Communion among other Christian practices. The big question however is how
many of these actually know Jesus!!!
A
glance at the church today will show a clear shift from the Jesus of the Bible.
Whereas He advocates for holiness, total surrender, righteousness, and treading
in His path, many a Christians have today forsaken most if not all these.
This
is not just limited to the shift from praise to performance, fasting to
feasting, fellowshipping to church going but goes even deeper. Where are the
martyrs of the day, a people ready to put their lives to the line when none
else is on God’s side? Where is the Joseph of our generation who will flee at
the heat of sin and see this as
an opportunity to preach to the Mrs. Potiphar of the day? Where is the Daniel
of our day who will ignore the king’s delicacies for water and vegetables?
Seek and ye shall find
Scriptures
tell us to seek Him and we shall find Him. But in Ps119:2, God advocates for
more than a mere search. He proposes a search with ones whole heart. How many are
diligent in searching the rock of our salvation; the creator of the universe;
the King of kings and Lord of lords; the Great I AM in the contemporary society?
Knowing God is not a
walk in the park. It calls for effort and the willingness to religiously stick
to His standards. It is taking up ones cross daily and following Him. It is the
willingness to even be persecuted for the sake of the Son of God. It is the
willingness to take His word as His revealed will and run with it against every
barrier.
How
many of us today fall into the bracket of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time
who needed Judas as the bridge to identifying Him? Can you tell the real Jesus
upon sight? Can you pick Him from a crowd?
Shifting the beacons
Peter
is an amazing character in the bible. He is the only one who dared Jesus to
call him to walk on water; dared to define Jesus; rebuked His own master after receiving
a pat on his back; could not allow Jesus to wash His feet.
Towards
the end of Mark14, he again introduces another drama. When those present at the
Chief Priest’s palace declare him one of Jesus’ disciples he vehemently denies
it. This is not to forget the debate of whether or not he could leave Jesus.
It is sad that whereas Judas’
kiss was needed to identify Jesus, Peter was picked from the crowd by at least three
people. He, Peter, was so determined to appear neutral, ignoring his promise to
glue himself to his master though everyone else leaves Him.
His
speech sells him out, reason he now switches to cursing and swearing so as to
manipulate their view. Though the bible is silent about the curses, Peter was
cunningly trying to become like the rest. He was trying to fit in to the
patterns of those he was not like.
Unlike
Jesus who we find choosing silence over defense when accused before Pilate,
Peter is ready to even spell out curses. Defense is manipulative, reason Jesus
gives Himself over silently like a sheep before its shearers.
In the NAYNET Conference 2013, it was disheartening to explore the
state of the so called gospel music. Sad enough is that secular music is now
being “Christianized”! Since when did Jesus and Beelzebub share a house? Since
when did Baal and God share an altar? Has God suddenly and without warning
lowered His standards? Can replacing the names Mohammed and Allah in the Quran
with Jesus and God respectively make it the Holy Bible or vice versa?
It
was even sadder hearing DJ Moz defending his likes, their ungodly mannerisms
and pointing a finger at those who felt offended.
“We
need content that we can identify with, not one that just connects us with God,”
he said.
For
him, relevance precedes Godliness. God is less concerned with content and
context as long as His name is thrown in one or two lines to appease the
“religious” and win the hearts of the clergy.
Jesus has all of a sudden become a homeboy, less
concerned with our character and godliness. He is so worn out by sin that He is
luring many into following Him. He is so
unlike the Jesus in Luke 14 who needs one to hate his very own, renounce all he
has, and carry his cross daily to be called a disciple.
Where did the Jesus of scripture go to, leaving us
with that of the musicians? Is there one out there who can help many a Christians identify the real Jesus? How many can
confidently act as links to Jesus?
How
many, unlike Peter, remain true to their identity in Jesus? How many are ready to
stick to Him through thick and thin? While everyone else is busy watering down
the truth, who is ready to hold crane their neck and like the martyrs of old
bear the pain of the truth they know?
A
people who like Stephen will earn a standing ovation from Jesus Himself! A
people who like Paul will choose a revolution in their identity and pursue
Jesus as the only treasure on this side of eternity!
