I have a confession to make.
I hate pictures of Jesus.
All except a few--like this one.
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| Head of Christ by Richard Hook |
This one seems to show a Jesus I can touch. One who doesn’t
mind laughing, getting his hands dirty, and who is strong enough to deal with
my stuff.
Beautiful Outlaw focuses on this version of Jesus. Not the
one of Renaissance paintings. Not the one who always has a clean robe and
perfectly coiffed hair. The one who would never be angry. Or if he did manage
to work up that emotion, he’d be too weak to do anything about it.
John Eldredge introduces us to a playful, determined,
fierce, human Jesus. One who had to learn to walk.
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| Walking with God by Morgan Weistling |
That’s the kind of Jesus I want on my side. One who refuses
to let anyone stand in the way of His mission to redeem the world. Not the
Pharisees. Not criticism. Not even his friends and family. This Jesus will
refuse to let anyone stand in the way of His mission to make me like Him. Not
my past. Not the enemy of my soul. Not even me. Thanks be to God!
This non-fiction book has changed the way I see Jesus. It’s
changed the way I read the Word. I used to ask, “What does this passage tell me
to do?” Now I also ask, “What does this passage tell me about who Jesus IS?”
There’s a world of difference between those two questions. Both are necessary.
What does this have to do with the Christmas Season?
Simply put: Christmas is all about Jesus.
Just Jesus.
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| Kissing the Face of God by Morgan Weistling |
I love to think of Jesus as a tiny baby and how his mother must have loved him as only a mother does.
ReplyDeletemauback55 at gmail dot com
Me too, Melanie. That's why I love those two pictures by Morgan Weistling. It helps me to remember that Jesus wasn't just pretending to be a man. He *was* a man. Fully man and fully God. My puny mind cannot wrap itself around that fact, but that doesn't make it any less true.
DeleteI often picture myself walking along the Sea of Galilee with Jesus, listening to Him teach. I love the photos of Jesus laughing. And I'd like to read this book! Thanks for telling us about it.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome, Patricia. I'm on my second time through this book, reading it as a devotion. (One chapter a day.) I need the time to process what I just read. Hope you become better acquainted with Jesus. One thing is certain. We can never know him too well. :)
DeleteI've heard of that book, Susie. I'll have to read it. We went to see The Christmas Candle movie right before Thanksgiving. (I'm normally a never-do-anything-Christmas-before-Thanksgiving kind of gal, but I wasn't sure how long this one would be in theaters. I recommend it. We enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteFull disclosure; I'm Lora's husband. I enjoy reading her posts very much in that they allow me to better know the woman I married as she exists today. Like many "experienced couples," we often fail to get or make time for serious conversation. Reading her blog entries is an enforced way for me to listen to her heart, that of a daughter who truly loves her Father.
ReplyDelete