Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Royal Treatment

I've been thinking about Jesus a lot lately...I mean, I think of Him everyday, but specifically thinking about His life and ministry and what His day to day activities were like. What His true reactions were to crowds of thousands that followed Him. How He acted before and after He would perform miracles, like what His face looked like: cocky, if He'd stop and smile for the crowd, flashing his pearly whites, thanking them for their support, sign a few autographs, or if He'd simply carry on because there were actually important things to do with His life, like, say, telling people about eternal life and God's unconditional love for them..you know, like changing the world kind of stuff...

What really made me ponder this was glancing around at the televisions in the gym and seeing blurbs on shows about famous people, absurdly wealthy hedonists, politicians, big events, award shows...bright lights, cameras galore, red carpets, pomp and pageantry...glitz and glamour, name dropping...attention, attention, attention! And that's just on TV. How does it translate into our lives? Do we truly care about all that stuff? Why do you care if Sarah Doodlebop marries Johnny Dingleberry, but he secretly has 12 kids with 25 different women ($%^&), but he's so rich that he's paying gazillions of dollars in alimony and child support, so it should all work itself out and Sarah will still get her new Prada shoe collection that is due out next Spring and the dozen or so kids will all go to the best schools, and shrinks, so it'll all be swell!? Do we think that by associating with certain circles, reading certain magazines, buying our clothes, food, furniture, cars at certain stores, that makes us: important, special, unique? Famous?

I was trying to make sense of it all. I am not bashing you if you are a fan of a certain actor, band, fashionista, please understand. Everyone here knows I think U2 is a fabulous band, but I don't obsess about them, memorize trivial facts about them, and hang outside their homes hoping for a paparazzi moment. I live my life in pursuit of more eternal things. I'm not blowing my horn, here, but I'm also not blowing sunshine at you if you think that is any sort of life...a vicarious life through famous people or the person next door!? An exciting life on earth does not come to you through osmosis! It comes from being at the feet of Jesus, being led through this life by His Spirit, in hot pursuit of eternity.

If it were the way to live life Jesus would have modeled it, knowing it was important for His followers by leading by example. He would have bowed down to the leaders of the time, read every magazine to see "Who is Who in Jerusalem" and worn the latest cloak by Ralph Lipschitz. He would have pursued hanging around Pontius Pilate, Herod, all the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He would have expected, as the King of the Universe, oh, I don't know, only 800-thread count sheets upon His arrival to certain towns, only green M&M's on hand with seven bottles of Japanese lava water at each speaking engagement, His matzoh balls only pan seared and herb-crusted and for the paparazzi to only get shots of him from the waist up since He was a short Jewish guy.

Maybe people have a hard time following Jesus because His red carpet was palm fronds. He wasn't tall, dark and handsome and didn't do anything about the kink in his nose. He dined on salty fish and bread. He drank well water instead of bottled water. His pimped ride was a young ass that had cloaks on its back. His tiara did not hold its weight in gold, rather it held the weight of the world, our sins. Maybe, since you can't see God's majestic throne with your physical eyes, it's easier for you to worship created things you see, or your own life? Or the beautiful people on the covers of magazines, or on TV, or on the silver screen...

I mean, I guess it was a little flashy to leave earth in the clouds, leaving hundreds behind gawking and waiting for Him to return, and then, of course, sending the angels to help the people snap out of it and get to work sharing the good news...but seriously, I think raising from the dead after You just endured torture and crucifixion, and have gone to hell to get the keys to life merits some clouds and angels, don't you?

The truth is this: no matter how hard we try, Jesus just doesn't fit into our ideal of what a hero or savior should look like. He didn't wear a badge and didn't look a thing like Hollywood, New York, London, Paris, (U2 song lyrics...FYI) nor did He live like it. He lived like a guy who was confident in who He was, who knew His purpose, and was not about to be wooed or swayed by any one's opinion of Him, regardless of the treatments He received on earth, regardless of whether He understood all of His Father's will. Well, One opinion mattered...and it was for His opinion that He lived and died.

I guarantee, with all of my being, which may not mean squat to you, but I guarantee that God's word and a life led by His Spirit is a gazillion, trillion, billion times infinity, more interesting, exciting, and rewarding than the pursuit the 'Jones'' are on.

Whose opinion do you seek? All these things can bring you attention and recognition, but is it the right kind of attention? Seriously, what matters?! And then, live like that. Yes, we will all mess up, but God knows our hearts, since there is no such thing as a secret.

21 comments:

  1. Hi Adrienne,
    Im just logging in to leave you another blog builder I stumbled upon. I think youll realllllly like her.

    enjoy!
    Shannon in Austin

    http://ritassweetshop.blogspot.com/

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  2. Wow,thank you for leaving me with a gob of things to ponder!! I've never thought of Jesus in that way... and I love the down to earth Savior you portrayed. I think Christians often forget or overlook the fact that we are royalty! No need to be ashamed of that:) and no need to read about earthly royalty...too boring anyway:)

    GREAT POST

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  3. Beautiful, truthful post, thank you!

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  4. Hey there dear Adrienne :)

    I think this could be an article in a magazine!!! It made me think, and it was also very funny...reading your ficticious thoughts of Jesus and his special mazzo balls and cloaks by the latest designer in Bethlehem. It is fun to speculate and ponder all of those things, isn't it? But truly, you are so real...and so right on...and I appreciate that very much today and every other day that I read your blog.

    Blessings to you sister,
    Melody

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  5. Dear Aderienne,

    Your blog reminds me of your words about Jesus. You want it to be not so "plain", but it contains deep, deep truth about The Shepherd. Just for me now, I would rather the appearance remain the same, if you would also continue to strive to present Him as accurately and courageously as you do. You bless me, sister!

    Gratefully,

    Milt

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  6. Adrienne,
    Wow! We are currently in a marriage workshop at our church and then we are starting a 40-day outreach crusade to reach the community. I would like to print this post for my small group if that is ok with you. I think it is something that is common in most of us and would be a great topic.
    Debbie

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  7. What a beautiful perspective, I love how you always challenge my thoughts on Jesus himself!

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  8. love it! love it! Love it!
    God is showing me in so many ways lately that He wants to draw my attention to the people and things in life that are not so glamorous. Oh, but how rewarding it is!
    How beautiful it is!

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  9. Adrienne, I've always thought that Jesus had to exit this Earth with all of the clouds and bells and whistles and ancient pyrotechnics because so few people believed what He had to say in his lifetime. It was, so to speak, His last chance for ignorant people to see just what they'd missed.
    What really worries me if He came to Earth today, would I have the brains to recognize Him?

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  10. great entry...

    it's amazing how God aligns all my bloggie 'friends''s hearts & mine. I've been thinking of this same topic. we are starting a series at church entitled, "American idols".

    thanks as alawys for ur words :)

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  11. I think He actually preferred Figi water :) You are so laughing!

    -Coco :)

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  12. Preach it ADE!

    I feel the same. I look at all these woman in the shopping centres dressed to the nines and I will be honest once up a time I wished I looked as beautiful as they did, (Beautiful make up, Perfect hair, expensive clothes)I wanted everything that they had.

    Since finding God I look at these woman and think to myself, That some of them are missing something so HUGE in their lives (GOD) that they have to fill themselves up with all this material, junk. They are trying to look like the latest stars from the biggest magazines instead of themselves. It is really really sad.

    Jesus is heaps better than a pair of Prada's!

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  13. Wonderful! I loved this post, it really made me stop and think. Have you read the book The Shack by William Young? I read it and it was alot to take in.

    Always in my prayers, LaJena

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  14. Hi Adrienne,
    This was a great thought-provoking post. I don't know why, because I totally don't think it's your intent at all, but I get this talking-down-to-us vibe sometimes. Is it just because I'm reading words instead of hearing you speak? I don't know you, but I don't think this is an accurate representation of you at all. Maybe it's because you write very directly and ask very pointed questions? Maybe some things you say hit close to home? I don't know. And you shouldn't apologize for it, I'm just pointing it out.

    "Maybe, since YOU can't see God's majestic throne with YOUR physical eyes, it's easier for YOU to worship created things YOU see, or YOUR own life?"

    I kind of thought maybe you were even directing this towards a certain person! Maybe it's a question you are including yourself in as well.

    Feel free to email me if you want to reply to this. And I don't mean to offend you at all, I'm just being honest!

    Jennifer

    rockabye26@hotmail.com

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  15. Amen! You speak the truth! I love your portrayal of Jesus. Isn't He just the best??

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  16. Fantastic post. I was just watching TV today and saw a promo for the Real Housewives of Atlanta. One of the women said something to the effect of: I could die tomorrow, but I'm going to die in Dior. This just made me sad for so many reasons!

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  17. This is definitely a post to think and ponder. This is a must-read.

    Toia

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  18. WOW! Thank you for this! I needed to come across it today! I am praying for you!

    Love,
    Kristy

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  19. Anonymous10:41 AM

    Adrienne, Mel pointed out that Christians are royalty ..and they are supposed to be because of their association with God as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. One thing God has been laying on my heart lately is that Jesus came as a "Servant King"...He is looking for His bride....she will be a "Servant Bride"....not one who is in it for the house or car or "stuff" of the world....but one who is in it just because "she" loves Him.

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  21. I had to sign up for a google account just to say that I have been a little too into blogs lately. Like checking them out before checking God's word out. I can easily get amazed by other people and their stories and how they write and how smart they are and cool they are...and in a way..live vicariously through them. I felt like this blog post was a reminder/smack in the face that my life in Christ can be even more thrilling than all the fun, exciting stories I read on blogs. May I find my daily excitement in Him!
    Carmen of Lee's Summit, MO (a friend of Shelly Poppen, who introduced me to your blog a long time ago and I've been a regular checker)

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