Oh no! Jesus is at it again....

One of the important truths of the biblical story about Jesus is this:  very religious people often - frequently - rejected Jesus and the vision he brought of the future in God.  It was nothing personal, they simply couldn't conceive that God's work in this world would take such a radical and unexpected direction. Religious people today often feel the same way

The Jesus who upset the balance 2000 years ago continues to upset the status quo today as well.  We have a resurrection God and that means that what we see as a dead end, God sees as a place for new life, new possibilities, a new creation.  This means that all those clear answers and considered opinions we have held for so long might have to be chucked out the window to make room for God's new thing to happen.

The Spirit continues to move into new corners and bring about new life for the sake of the whole world.  The Spirit continues to form new communities around the God actions of mercy and compassion and serving others. 

We have to get out ahead of the curve to keep up with this creating Spirit.  Remember learning how to ride a bicycle?  If you peddle too slowly you simply can't find your balance - you have to keep moving with what feels like crazy aplomb  in order for it to work at all.  They say you never forget how to ride a bike once you've learned.  Let's pray that the same is true about working with the Spirit of God.

The Well of Resentment

The first frame of the comic strip would picture a woman (who on most days was a joyous mother and wife) seated at the bottom of a well.  She called it her 'Well of Resentment.'  No one could reach her to pull her out; she needed to stand up and let go of the resentment which kept her isolated and angry.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the Elder Brother has his own Well of Resentment.  If he refuses to stand up and leave the anger and resentment behind he's going to miss the party.  The Father invites him.  Which way will he turn?  To the Father or into himself?

Oh no, he's going to speak the truth?

How annoying and inconvenient and seriously embarrassing!  What's s/he trying to do?  Guilt us into changing?  Really, the truth is overrated.

If you've ever tried to gently, with love but conviction, speak the truth to another you've come up against this reaction.  Really?  I have to listen to this?  Jack Nicholson wasn't so far off when he said, "You can't handle the truth."

The truth forces us to face ourselves without blinders or soft lights or Alanis Morissette playing in the background.  No place to hide.  Adam and Eve figured this out when God confronted them in the garden.  Jean Valjean figured this out in Les Mis.  You've figured this out at some family gathering or other when 'do you remember when' stories are being told.

John tells us "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free."  (8.32)  But that isn't our usual reaction to the truth.  We want to squash the embarrassing, guilty, foolish stuff about ourselves.
(Although once you admit the truth, what more can be said?  Once it is out there, there is no threat anymore.  Of course, you have to learn to live with the real you.  A thought for another day.)

The people in Nazareth had the same reaction to Jesus.  I think they were expecting either a pat on the back or an insider's path to acceptance or maybe even a step up with God when their hometown boy came back and taught with authority.  They just didn't want the authority turned on them.

It was the beginning of a long road to the cross where Jesus was in his body the truth about God's love for all creation.  Hold your truth up to that truth and you will begin to learn the power of God's love for you.

Too much praise

At first glance it is hard to consider 'too much praise' as a problem.  Perhaps it is even hard to imagine getting 'too much' praise. 

But if we think about it a bit, we will recognize that when everyone thinks you are a genius two things are at work:  #1 there is a wide range of definition of genius among the members of the crowd and #2 you've got no where to go but down.

In a nanosecond, someone, somewhere will be disappointed in your work.  Praise will turn to critique, snarkiness and in time, anger.

Just as with Jesus.  When he returned home to Nazareth and began teaching in the synagogue, the hometown folks were "amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, 'Is not this Josephe's son?'"  and it was all downhill from there.

One second you're God's gift to the community and the next they are trying to throw you off a cliff.
If Jesus teaches you anything, it's that there is such a thing as 'too much praise.'