The Jesus That Doesn't Make Sense

The Jesus That Doesn’t Make Sense
Josh Ross, Preaching Minister
Imagine that for a sermon title, or even worse, imagine that on a church marquee—“Come to our church, where we worship the Jesus that makes absolutely no sense.” (Maybe you are appalled that I’m even playing with the idea.) Unfortunately, some of us are under the illusion that Jesus makes complete sense.

Don’t get me wrong, there are simple truths to the gospel, but still, there is something mysterious about Christ—his appearance, his teaching, his actions, and his life that make absolutely no sense to the average American.

For instance, peek through the blinds of a few of these inconceivable, mind-boggling stories. Jesus tells a story about a Shepherd that leaves his 99 sheep in order to embark on a journey to find just 1! In the story, the shepherd doesn’t even leave the 99 in a safe fold, or in a protected barricade, but rather he leaves them “in the country,” while he seeks out just 1 lost sheep. This story makes no sense…or does it? (Be careful not to take the parable too literally; the point isn’t that a shepherd becomes irresponsible, but rather that lost sheep need to be sought out.)

Next story, Jesus encounters a prostitute who interrupts his dinner by pouring perfume on his feet. It isn’t just any ordinary CK1, Red Door, Beautiful, Channel #5, or Happy. This is a perfume worth “a year’s wages.” Wouldn’t an ounce of perfume have accomplished the task? This story makes no sense... or does it?

In Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who hires people to come work in his vineyard for one day. Some clocked in early in the morning, some at brunch, some at noon, and others throughout the rest of the day. Then, one group, after being lazy all day, comes and puts in just a few minutes of work. Everybody seems content until payroll time. How could a boss give the same to someone who labored all day that he gives to someone who worked for barely an hour? This story contradicts everything about the boss/employee relationship. This story makes no sense... or does it?

With eyes that have conformed to the American dream, Jesus makes absolutely no sense; at least his actions and teachings don’t. But with eyes that have been surgically repaired by the Holy Spirit of God to see the world through a kingdom lens, the way of Jesus that ‘makes no sense’ becomes our way, for we are to live as people that ‘make no sense’ to the eyes of the world.
The way of Christ means that we touch the lepers and the despised in the world, we kiss the cheeks of the outcasts, we feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty, we hug the brokenhearted, we invest in the sufferings of people…and before we know it…we have become Christ to the world.