Oh boy. Where to start?
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re open to spirituality and have probably not considered Jesus of Nazareth – who many people believe is the Son of God – to be any sort of con man. Apparently, the creator of this atheist meme believes these American megachurch pastors to be less than honourable.
Just for fun, I asked Google if Jesus is a con man. The responses are all over the place, but I particularly like this one from American entrepreneur Robert Kimmons:
If Jesus was a con man, he was a pretty terrible one.
He lived a life of poverty, didn’t get much sex (and maybe didn’t get any at all), and died an ignominious death.
Sure, his teaching created a belief system that has dominated the world for over a millennium, but what con man would be willing to give his life to accomplish that?
As a con man, Jesus was an unmitigated failure.
This has the ring of truth to me. Consider just a few challenging things that Jesus told anyone willing to listen:
- If a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind.
- Don’t fight back against someone who wants to do harm to you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too.
- You have heard people say, “Love the people who are your friends. But hate those who want to hurt you.” What I tell you is this: love the people who want to hurt you. If people want to cause you pain, pray for them.
Would a con man ever make these (and many more) difficult statements? Unless he wanted to drive away his potential victims, then certainly not.
At times, Jesus makes it hard to follow Him. That’s because He’s not interested in “fans”. He’s interested in committed disciples who will be His ambassadors in a world that even the most optimistic of us will admit isn’t doing very well.
Jesus ambassadors have opened hospitals and universities, risked their lives by treating African ebola patients and Syrian war victims, and started vital charities like Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and LifeWater.
While I’m a long, LONG way from being a poster child for Jesus ambassadors, He has empowered me to write more than 200 blogs like this one to tell YOU about Him and how your life can be enriched – starting right now – by declaring Jesus to be your lord, saviour and best friend.
When you do that, God no longer sees all the wrong things you’ve done and the right things you’ve failed to do. He only sees His Son’s perfection. As a result, when this life ends, you’ll spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven – a place with no suffering, no loss and no death.
Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 