Encountering Jesus
If something doesn’t change did we ever really meet?
Welcome to my first post of what I hope will be many. As a long time believer and even longer sinner I often find myself questioning a great many things. A list of said questions would take up hours of your time, and mine, so let’s start with one. A big one. What does encountering Jesus actually look like?
Does it look like a well programmed and planned Church service?
Does it look like a faithful life or prayer?
Does it look like generosity?
The answer to all of the above is maybe. Maybe. Just maybe.
The only definitive thing I know about God’s presence is that when you are in it you don’t leave it the same. A natural response to experiencing God is that you cannot and will not be the same. Let’s look at a piece of scripture from Luke 24:
The Walk to Emmaus
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[a] from Jerusalem.14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces.18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on,29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[b] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[c]”
If you attend Church regularly you know this story. Followers of Christ were told what would happen, but the realization of what was foretold was still life changing. Simply put, God was dead. Their God. The God that walked with them. Knew them. Loved them.
Like many of His followers, the two depicted in this account are leaving a life they truly believed in to escape for safety. Distancing themselves from danger, they encounter Jesus in disguise. The main point I want to focus on happens in verses 32 through 34. Their hearts burned within them. Even before they knew they were speaking to Jesus, the encounter had stirred them and ignited something in them. If we read this dialogue, and believe it to be entirely accurate, this very short conversation left them changed. So changed, in fact, that they turned around and walked right back into danger’s way.
So what? It’s a neat story. Cool Josh, cool cool.
Let me be really honest with you. We love to focus on God’s grace and mercy and love and I do find myself in awe of these aspects of his character. Thing is, God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit are more complex than we give them credit for. The Jesus of this story interrupted an escape plan. He offends. He is abrasive. He is dangerous. Much time is spent reflecting on how light his Yoke is, but at the expense of how hard he is to follow.
Now, imagine some dramatic, “bum bum bums” as you read what I am about to say…
There is something wrong with the Church, and I am the problem.
You are the problem.
Lukewarm
Let’s move to that scary last book of the Bible we either obsess over or ignore completely. One of my favorite parts of Revelation is the message to the church of Laodicea, especially this snippet from chapter 3, verses 15-16:
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
Escaping danger after what you perceive as the death of your savior may not perfectly line up with being cold, but it does address why Jesus tells the church of Laodicea it would be better to hot or cold. Most simply put, cold means you know there is a problem. If you are cold in bed you know you need to address the issue of temperature by getting a blanket or adjusting the thermostat. It is to know there is something more you can do.
I think we all get the hot part. In the example from Luke, within an hour they were heading back. Both hot and cold administer a change or invite one.
Lukewarm is a dangerous middle ground. To be lukewarm, which I suspect you know, means to be complacent and complacency is not only hurting this world, it is slowly killing us.
With multiple churches in almost every city in this country how is the nation not changed? It is a very difficult question to process and answer but it’s a question that needs to be asked. For most of us, we sit in church every Sunday. We sing some songs, we listen intently as the holy man speaks, we drink some juice and eat some bread, and then we go out and heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons…
No, wait. We get lunch and prepare for work or school. We watch some football. I hope this isn’t true for you, but for me, I don’t leave changed. This isn’t a pastor’s fault. This isn’t a church’s fault. This is what happens when we accept lukewarm and lie to ourselves enough to call it hot.
Church is awesome. The church isn’t Jesus, however. Only Jesus is Jesus and if we aren’t wholeheartedly engaged in a game of spiritual hide-and-seek with him daily, there is no chance we will ever know what it is to be changed to the extent of our hearts burning within us.
I wish I had some real answers to the question I raised. Sadly, I don’t. What I do have is a desire to do better. I hope you do as well. My encouragement to you is to spend sometime and meditate on where your heart is. Spend some time asking the Lord where you should be and what you could be doing. Also, be encouraged if you discover you are more lukewarm than you thought you were. Movement towards hot is always ideal, but movement towards cold is the beginning of understanding you need more of him.