The Mind of Christ
Photo by Alicia Quan on Unsplash
Lately, I have concluded that if it weren't for Jesus and the cross I would probably abandon the whole notion of Christianity. Sounds extreme, I know, but it's the truth: I just can't get past Jesus, can't get past the cross. Jesus is, well, Jesus. I consistently come up short on words when I try to describe what it is about him that compels me, settling finally on the fact that he is safe.
To call someone "safe" is a pretty big deal - not a description I assign to just anyone; it is a high honor.
Jesus is safe, this one who is the fullness of all that God is - righteous, holy, faithful, long suffering, merciful, compassionate, abounding in steadfast love. And yet he came to us, walked amongst us, displayed before our very eyes a glimpse of this God we will never really understand, but whom we so desperately need.
All these things remind me of this song, The Mind of Christ, recorded by Truth in 1995.
Each phrase of the lyrics points to a specific story in the life of Jesus during which a variety of events took place such as healing, forgiveness, protection, or simply and profoundly seeing people for who they were. It's actually a kind of "Cliffs notes" telling of the gospel.
Line by line, the song introduces the listener to this most extraordinary God-man, Jesus Christ:
To receive when others reject, to treat each one with true respect . . .
This reminded me of the woman with the bleeding issue (Luke 8:40-48). Here we encounter a women who was marginalized by society, cut off from physical touch, and very likely from very much human interaction at all. Touch binds us together and enables compassion and empathy, makes us feel safe and able to trust, may decrease the occurrence of disease, and positively effects the emotions. Not only did Jesus declare her healed after she dared venture into a crowd where she likely touched many people, but most importantly he called her "daughter." Sure, she needed physical healing, but to be healed relationally, to be validated as a human being - that was more than she could have imagined.
To shield when others throw stones, to be with one who's all alone.
Talk about "throwing stones" and the first story that comes to mind is the woman accused of adultery. There are many countercultural actions in this story, the greatest of which is Jesus taking pity on someone accused of adultery, and a woman, no less. Every time I read this I notice not only the obvious hypocrisy of the Pharisees, but most importantly, the utter compassion and gentleness of Jesus towards the woman. If anyone had the right to judge her, it was Jesus, and yet he did not - at all. In fact, he came right out and said "Neither do I condemn you."
The story reveals so much about Jesus, such as: 1) he doesn't tolerate religious elitism; 2) he never uses shame as a tool of transformation; 3) his mission was to make people whole, not to gain power.
The story concludes with Jesus telling the woman not to sin again - not to avoid stoning, but because she had been given grace, a much better reason not to sin! In their book The Day I Met Jesus, Mary DeMuth and Frank Viola note that having been given grace, the motivation to obey flows from loving and pleasing God instead of fear of judgment. Such grace enables us to walk in holiness because we are loved and forgiven. Not, "I serve God, therefore he loves me," but, "God loves me, therefore I serve him." Big difference.
To build up when others tear down, to seek the lost until they're found.
The extent to which Jesus went to seek the lost reveals his love and dedication to his mission
To heal and restore the man in the tombs in Mark 5, Jesus literally had to ride through a storm in a boat with his disciples.
To heal the man near the pool of Bethesda required Jesus to visit a place others avoided.
Inviting Peter to walk on stormy waters.
Healing the man lowered through the roof by his friends.
Walking, eating, and talking with sinners, those labeled "unclean" and deemed "unworthy."
Eating in the home of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, with no concern for his reputation or safety.
To give grace where it's needed most, rejecting pride when others boast.
The message in this lyric captures the whole of Jesus' ministry, and was not only central in his own example, but also in many of the parables. Grace, that undeserved merit, reminds us that we cannot, now or ever, earn God's love and approval. Perhaps this is why it was such a central theme in Jesus's life and teaching.
The prodigal son.
The woman accused of adultery.
The man in the tombs.
Cleansing the lepers.
Healing the blind men.
As he does for us today, Jesus knew their empty hearts, aching bodies and souls, and each time was moved with great compassion with no thought given to how his actions might have advanced him in status. In this way he called us to examine our motivations, and to focus them through a more divine lens, the lens of grace.
To sacrifice my all without regret.
In Hebrews 12:1-3, the writer tells us that Jesus exchanged the joy to come, and instead endured the agony - agony - of the cross, knowing it would forever effect our salvation; he knew it was the only way. In John 15:12-14, Jesus points to his motivation:
"This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."
This kind of love is like a one-way street: there is no going back. This is not "I love brownies" kind of love, or "I would love to help you" kind of commitment. To lay down one's life is a permanent move that involves love most of us will never begin to know.
This all seems nearly impossible – doesn’t it? But the good news is this: GRACE does the work. Grace accepts us as we are, cleans us up, and then calls us to continual change, and sustains us through the process. You literally CAN’T be like Christ on your own – you are literally incapable. But 2 Corinthians 4:7 speaks a word of hope:
"Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us."
Cracked pots. Clay jars letting the light shine through all the broken and mended places.
To live in a way not humanly possible, through no power of our your own - this is living in grace. And this is the only way we can be like Christ, the only way we can follow the command to walk in the same way in which Jesus walked, to have the mind of Christ.