Is the Jesus that you worship the same Jesus that the Church worships?
[PAUSE]
"Of course He is!" you say heartily and you will recite the Nicene creed by heart, quote Holy Scripture and bless the Holy Name. Is that enough?
There are many people who would do the same thing and then say that their Jesus loves them so much that He accepts their lifestyle no matter what they do, just so long as they are true to themselves.
This is a Jesus who approves of their rich and luxuriant life and understands why they can't support the poor. This is a Jesus who condones a divorce because, well, the marriage just isn't really working out. This is a Jesus Who just wants you to be happy with a series of partners just as long as you're nice to them. This is a Jesus who wants you to be a revolutionary so that you can tear down governments that won't let you be free to do what you want because that's what He stands for.
Is that Jesus? How do you know?
[PAUSE]
Our Blessed Lord challenges everyone because everyone is broken and in need of His salvation. Even in prison, St John the Baptist is surprised by the reports of what Our Lord is doing. He has to send messengers to check.
And the Lord says,
"Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
[PAUSE]
The Lord makes Himself quite clear: He has come to repair humanity, not to indulge our brokenness. The deaf hear, the blind see and the lame walk.
And the poor are made rich?
No.
Not with money or power or possessions.
Our Lord is clear: true poverty is not knowing Him. True poverty is being without the promise of eternal life bathing in the light of God's smile in Heaven. Material riches are nothing. Material relationships are nothing. Material power is nothing. What matters is God. What matters is our neighbour.
[PAUSE]
There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance. God accepts us as His children but tolerates our sinfulness only as far as is necessary for us to repent and accept Him for Who He is.
Those who want God to accept them for who they are often don't want to accept Him for Who He is. They never return the favour. God goes to great lengths to show us that we are loved and in need of that love to the extent that He is made Man. By showing us Who He is, He gives us the opportunity to be made like Him.
[PAUSE]
"If ye love me," says the real Jesus, "keep my commandments."
Our salvation isn't something that goes one way. God saves us through His Incarnation, yes, but we have to play a part - we have to accept the salvation that we are given.
It won't be the salvation we want. It will be better than that because we will be better in the real Jesus.
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