WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN? – PART III

I ended my last posting with: So, if a Christian is one who freely chooses to follow Jesus the Christ what is it that one is choosing – what is the ‘reality’ not the illusion? What is a Christian?

Jesus was not always ‘direct’ when it came to helping us understand what one who chooses to follow is actually choosing; BUT he was always ‘clear!’ For those who are searchers and seekers in order to understand what they are choosing Jesus clearly offers us the ‘what’ (as in ‘what are we choosing’). In order to keep it simple I invite us to spend many hours with the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and pay attention to what Jesus is quoted as saying; your searching and seeking clarity via Jesus’ words will suffice to answer the question: ‘What is a Christian?’ (Note: if you, gentle reader desire complexity then read the writings of any number of Christian theologians).

Given our limited space here I will share but a few of the implications for one who freely chooses to follow Jesus the Christ.

Love God first and love your neighbor as yourself. This is enough to stop some folks in their tracks. Go sell all that you have, give the money to the poor and then ‘come follow.’ Yeah, right! – as if this is going to happen. Visit the sick, feed the poor, visit the imprisoned; now we are getting closer to what is ‘realistic’ (oh, by the by, Jesus did not say ‘give money to others and they will feed the poor’). Luckily Jesus was not clear about how often I am to do these things. . .I have done each one at least once in my life so I guess I can check this trio off. Don’t become rich for most of us will not fit through the eye of a needle (I am stunned by the number of ministers who preach that having a lot money is great and I am stunned by how many ministers seek to have a lot of money). Jesus was not a capitalist; I am not sure what he was but he was not a capitalist.

Pick up your cross and follow. . .another big ‘yikes’ for me. Be a servant, first (we in our culture are enamored with being a ‘leader’). How about this one: if you marry and divorce and remarry you commit adultery (Jesus is both ‘direct’ and ‘clear’ with this one). Jesus also blesses the following folks:
• Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
• Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.
• Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
• Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
• Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

These eight alone generally cause me to stop and stare (I do not think I am alone when it comes to this stopping to stare).
If you are without sin you get to cast the first stone – how many professed Christians these past two thousand years have ignored this requirement (and continue to ignore it)?

Luckily, for those of us who are imperfect, Jesus offers us the parable of the Prodigal Son (actually, upon reflection I have during my lifetime played all three major roles: the father, the good son and the prodigal son). All sins, Jesus says, can be forgiven – save one: The sin against the Holy Spirit (I don’t believe I have committed this sin and given Jesus ‘directness’ and ‘clarity’ regarding this sin I don’t think I will choose to commit this one).

Thankfully, Jesus does not expect me to be perfect; he did not invite one perfect person to come follow. So, even though I am imperfect (perhaps perfectly imperfect) I can still freely choose to accept Jesus’ invitation to ‘come follow me.’

So I conclude these postings with more clarity and I also continue to hold the question: ‘What is a Christian?’