Don't you wish everyone liked you? Come on, you may not be a classic people pleaser, but of course you do. I sure do. I wish everyone's reaction to me as a person, a pastor, a preacher, a leader was a strong attraction. But it never has been.
I remember thinking when a few of us planted a new church - everyone will like it. But they didn't. I remember wishing (especially after finishing my D.Min. with an emphasis on preaching) that everyone loved my preaching. But they didn't. Over the years as I led churches and staff, I wished everyone's reaction would be "isn't he great". But it wasn't.
When we stop to think about it, this variety of reactions should be expected. First of course, I am far from perfect; I am a sinner, I make mistakes, I fail to be who I should be. (And that may be true of you also.) Then there is the fact that a variety of people have a variety of personal tastes - in the personality types we enjoy; the kind of preaching we enjoy; the leadership style we most like to follow, etc. The very things that attract some people to my personality, my preaching, my leadership style will be the very things that may irritate or be unattractive to others. So I have had to reconcile myself to the variety of reactions people have to me. I hope you're working that through in your life as well. Not everyone will react to you in the way you would like.
Now let's take it up a huge notch or two. Have you ever thought about the wide variety of reactions to Jesus recorded in the Gospels? For some reason as I was reading familiar chapters in Mark today, I was impacted by the vast differences in the reactions to our Lord, the perfect God-man, the perfect teacher, the perfect miracle worker. In His case, the reactions were not due to any failing on his part. Rather the reactions revealed something about those reacting. Let me give you a classic example here and expand on this in my next blog.
Jesus and the apostles sail to the far, eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. As they get out of the boat they are confronted by a man possessed by many demons. They, through the man, cry out for mercy to the One they recognize as "Son of the Most High God". (Mark 5:1 - 20; see also Matthew and Luke) Jesus at their request sends the demons into a herd of pigs who immediately run into the lake and drown. The "pig tenders" race into town and report what has happened. A crowd of people rush out to where Jesus, the apostles and the well known, wild, weird, uncontrollable man calmly sit, talking together.
Shocked is too mild a word. They are overwhelmed by two things - first the wild man has been utterly changed! Second, the pigs (at great financial loss) are all gone. Their reaction? They were afraid! What kind of power does Jesus have to be able to tame an untameable man; to drive out demons (if they understood he was controlled by demons); to move what was in that man and put it (them) into the herd of pigs.
If He can do that kind of thing, then Jesus cannot be explained or controlled. Who knows what He will do next? And so they make the biggest mistake a town could make. Their reaction: they "began to plead with Jesus to leave their region." What a huge opportunity missed. What a tragic loss.
In absolute contrast, Mark and Luke record the reaction of the newly liberated, fully rational man. As Jesus prepared to depart as requested, as He was getting into the boat, the man "begged to go with Him."
Same miracle power; same Jesus. The crowd reacts and begs Jesus to leave. The man reacts and begs to be allowed to stay near Jesus.
Fascinating the variety of reactions to Jesus. Back then. And today. (To be continued.)
No comments:
Post a Comment