17

Matthew 10:32-33
"Therefore whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."


It's the age old scenario we've been taught and taught and taught since Sunday school. Could you stick up for Jesus? Are you embarrassed by Him when it really makes you look ridiculous? These discussions always end up so obvious in a group of Jesus lovers. Why, of course we would stick up for him! How could you even ask such a thing!

I thought of it like this:

I am at a fairly fancy dinner party with some friends. Some love Him, some do not. I end up in a circle of the non-Jesus lovers and we start talking about things. Small talk, films, jobs, yada yada... and of course, religion. Jesus' names comes up. Of course. What none of the guests, including myself, know is that the door is ajar and Jesus is just about to back into the door so it will open because His hands are full with some drinks and a platter of food for all. He is about to light up the room. He lights up every room He walks into. He stops, back to the door, as He hears His name. I can see Him now, even in the dim of the hallway His face is so lovely. His countenance makes anyone smile. He keeps His breath quiet as He listens to the conversation. He is used to this. The subtle jabs at who He is... or rather the jabs at who people think He is, or how He is represented by those who claim to know and love Him. He is listening to how I respond- if I am the same person when it's just Him and me. Well, as it turns out it's not, I'm not. I'm not who I say I believe myself to be. How disappointing.

He is loving and compassionate and faithful toward me and the world, but He is not an idiot. He knows those who are truly loyal, legitimate lovers of Him even if it makes them look silly and strange in front of their friends. He knows, and He will tell His Dad, the Father, about them, either way.

I have been walking with Jesus for about 9000 or so days now. Everyday. Not always the best of friends to Him, but I've tried to stick it out. And I've recently started to pray much more seriously that if I'm in a room of people, and they start saying mean things about my Jesus, or even subtly make fun of Him, that I will stick up for Him. Even if I could muster up the guts to say something about how the person who is evidently a joke here in this conversation, means something to me. I hope after all these years of walking with Him, waking up and talking to Him, having lots of good times with Him, pathetically begging Him to help me survive my broken heart - I'd stick up for Him. I want to know I would say, scream like a fool if I had to: He means everything to me. Even if I lose the respect of cool and rich and pretty people.

And I hope that if He were listening in the dark just about to walk in to the room of people I am hanging out with (food and drinks in His hand for everyone cause He is so nice and wants people to be happy and well fed) that He would smile, turn around, put the trays in the kitchen, and go tell His Dad, the King, about everything I just said to the strangers in the room.