The Story Week 23: Jesus is Scary………………..Good

This week week as we seek to understand Jesus more fully we move from the birth of Christ to the beginning of his ministry, beginning with his baptism by John.  The questions that I want to engage this week are first: ‘What are you afraid of, what scares you?”  and second; “Why is Jesus scary and should we be scared?”

This week we will explore why Jesus struck fear into the Pharisees, and the religious scholars of his day.  Why because he made them uncomfortable by his actions, by the people he chose to hang out with by the customary laws he chose to turn upside down, by how he challenged the religious establishment of his day and does to the same for us today.   He chose to eat with sinners, with known thieves, with drug addicts and the dregs of society.  Reminding all of us that they are beloved by God and thus should be loved by those who claim Christ as their Lord and savior.

As you read chapter 23 consider how modern versions of these same stories might play out in your daily life, and how they might upset not just our faith communities but your very lives as well.    Then just maybe we will have a glimpse of why Jesus was and is SCARY and oh so very Good as well.

Till next week, grace and peace be with you.