If you saw that picture above and thought how much you would like a grilled cheese, you are my people. However, someone saw an image of Jesus in this sandwich. There are often reports of someone seeing the image of Jesus in a potato chip, tortilla or a cloud. I haven’t ever seen the image of Jesus in my toast but if we love God we should experience him in other ways. The question is this: Is encountering Jesus in our daily walk just for the super-religious?
Have you ever imitated the walk of someone who you consider godly, in the hope of having a better connection to God? I have. And it doesn’t work. We shouldn’t be discouraged when we don’t experience Jesus like others do. We are individualized, unique creations. If I see the fingerprint of God in snowflakes you may see a reason to dread the cold day. Don’t assume that you are less saintly because you don’t see God’s fingerprint in the same thing as someone else does. In fact, we need to quit labeling people as holy and not so holy. Don’t assume you are too worldly to ever see him, let alone have a conversation with him. All God’s children have the capability to experience Christ walking with us through our day. But each in his own way.
One of the great hymns, I Need Thee Every Hour, was written by 37-year-old homemaker Annie Hawks, while doing her household chores. If you listened to the link above, you know she must have been inspired by God to write those words. Stained glass and sacrifice is not required to communicate with our Savior. We don’t have to be a missionary to Africa, and we don’t have to attend church (although a good church equips us to experience him). We don’t have to change our lives to be fit for him. Jesus comes to us right where we are even if we are just a regular work-a-day Joe without visions of Christ in our cornbread.
How do I know? The Bible tells me so. In those stories, Jesus came to folks interrupting their sin-filled daily life: Getting water at a well, climbing up in a tree, begging for money, touching Jesus’ clothes in a crowd-packed street, facing stoning by judgmental interrogators, having a bad day of work fishing, being outcast from society for leprosy, stealing money in the form of excessive taxes, and dying on a cross as a convicted thief. Each of these not only saw and spoke to Jesus, they encountered him. “But of course they saw Jesus,” we say, “they had a physical flesh and blood person walking around doing miracles and we only have a spooky Holy Ghost!”
How can I “see” Jesus when he can’t be seen with my eyes? I have to remind myself that many who saw Jesus in flesh didn’t recognize him. Consider that pride-filled rich young ruler. He was standing in front of Jesus in the flesh having a discussion and didn’t see or accept what Jesus was saying to him. So even though Jesus was physically right in front of folks, many didn’t believe their eyes.
What was the barrier for that rich guy? I have often wondered what made some believe and follow and some walk away unchanged. For that guy, I don’t think the barrier was being rich, young or a ruler. My best guess is that it has to do with attitude of the heart. Those who encountered Christ, have one thing in common. They humbled their hearts. They saw and experienced Jesus’ compassion when they were humble and desperate enough to listen. Pride has no place in the Kingdom of God.
Or maybe the rich young ruler was too busy to listen. Maybe he was thinking about his next business deal and thought he would impress the client if he had a conversation with Jesus. So another barrier, I think, is busyness. I don’t encounter God when my to-do list is full of plans for the next step. It is only when I make an effort for a time of no commitment or distractions and ruthlessly eliminate hurry that I most often experience God’s goodness.
Since Jesus is not flesh and blood walking among us, we cannot rely on our sight to see him. We need to encounter him in other ways. Holiness and stained glass is not required to hear from the God of the Universe. The Father loves us dearly and he seeks us all. Not everyone has a blinding light experience like Saul/Paul. Yet even he had to be teachable to accept what God had in store for him.