by Larry Lucas
Three thousand years ago, a king named Solomon ruled in a land east of the Mediterranean Sea. That was 30 centuries ago. Since then, kingdoms large and small have regularly risen, flourished, and disappeared—and their rulers with them. Of all those kings, few are widely remembered, but Solomon is one of them. The curious thing though, is why he is remembered. Other names endure because of what they accomplished—they conquered, they built, they fended off. Not Solomon: he is remembered for a quality he possessed, and because he possessed more of it than any one before him or anyone since. That quality was wisdom.
This post isn’t about Solomon. It’s about Jesus. However, the way you think about Jesus, what He said, what He did, or whether you’ll even give Him a hearing, has everything to do with wisdom—the very quality Solomon owned above all others.
Wisdom is not the same as knowledge. The distinction is important, especially in an age when the process of acquiring knowledge (i.e., education) is revered. Fools can be knowledgeable. So let me offer this simple test to help you recognize the real thing: wisdom loves correction. The impulse to resent correction comes from folly. Fools hate being corrected.
So what does this have to do with Jesus? Just this: most of us already have some ideas about Jesus, and those ideas may need correcting. Consider all the things that could have gone into shaping our ideas over the years. Consider sources. Add up all the times we have let our ideas be shaped by what is simply untrue or have misunderstood even what was true. Wisdom says, “Let Jesus speak for Himself.” Folly says, “Shut up!”
What does this have to do with Solomon? Well, it was something he said: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips” (Proverbs 24:26). You see, in Solomon’s day (just like today) men weren’t always truthful. If there was something they wanted to hide because it might make them look bad, like jealousy or unfairness or greed, they’d cover it up, sometimes by spinning the truth, sometimes by shading it, sometimes by telling only half of it. They’d deny, change the subject, cloud the discussion, accuse. This went on all the time. It was part of life. That was the world Solomon saw when he looked around him: people ready to be dishonest if they thought an advantage could be gained or a loss avoided. And seeing all this, Solomon said, “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”
So let me perhaps save you some time—this message will be just another pile of words if you’re unwilling to listen to what Jesus said about Himself. And if you’re unwilling to let Him present his own case, that’s your decision; but don’t lie and pretend you know about Jesus if you don’t. What you know is hearsay. And while it may be embarrassing, be straight up enough to give the honest answer that’s like a kiss on the lips: “My views have been formed by listening to others, not Jesus. I’ve decided not to check him out for myself.”
Jesus has always been controversial, even divisive. Religious people hate Him as much as sinners, because He exposes their hypocrisy. And there’s a good chance that you’ll decide against Him. But if you do, let it be after you’ve given Him a fair hearing. Base your decision on what He said about Himself, not on the things that have been said or done in His name. There’s plenty to hate about Jesus without dragging up the despicable things done by those who claim to be His followers.
You may conclude He’s not who He claimed to be. You may conclude things aren’t going to happen the way He describes, or that you don’t need the help He offers, or that you have too much to lose, or that you’re capable of making changes on your own (should you even want to). You may conclude you’re beyond hope; I can’t predict. But this I can tell you: Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). And if your honest answer is, “Yes, this describes me,” then you’re going to discover that He keeps His word.
If you’d like this openness to describe you, but it doesn’t, take it up with Him. Something along this line: “Jesus, I don’t even know if you exist, but if you do, I’m asking you to make this seeking, knocking, and asking true about me.” I don’t want to be a fool.
Sources
In the New Testament, there are four books called gospels which recount Jesus’ birth and then the last three years of His life, up through His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. Those three years comprise the period of His ministry, and in them is recorded what He said and did. These four accounts are either true or make-believe. You’ll have to decide on your own whether or not to believe them. No one can do this for you. But again, it’s premature to dismiss them before actually reading them.
These four accounts have been with us for about 2,000 years. They were all written within fifty years of Jesus’ life, which means they were written while many of the eyewitnesses were still living, and while many of His followers were being put to death for believing what these accounts said. Since that time, various other accounts have been written, but none of them survived the scrutiny of Jesus’ early followers; they were found to lack the authenticity of the four gospels.
You can pick up a copy of the New Testament easily. It’s published in all common languages, either in a whole Bible or as a separate publication. It’s also available on many Bible apps. There are several translations in English, the most common of which is the King James. It’s a splendid translation, but you might find a 20th century translation easier to understand. The New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV) are both good alternatives.
What Follows
You’ll need to investigate the things Jesus did on your own, because what follows will concentrate on what He said; and even then it will consider only a small part of the whole. Of course, both what He said and what He did are important for drawing your conclusions, but what He said, especially about Himself, is the focus of this post and the ones that follow.
However, this much you should know now about what He did: He spent His time healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and teaching. He welcomed outcasts, shared meals with sinners, forgave and taught. He repudiated the religious leaders, chastened them for their hard-heartedness, and gave truth to the common, simple people. In every way, His actions lived up to his words.
To be continued on Wednesday…
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