Jul
17
2010
Untamed – Book Study – Chapter 1
Author: pastoroffishingComparing Jeebus and Jesus is something that truly captures what I believe has happened in my own life. I think of growing up and it was always that I made Jesus out to be how I wanted him, not how He WAS. We see the opening chapter about the pressing the questions of how our perception of Christ is. A quote such as, “Jesus is the key not only because Christian discipleship is about becoming more like Jesus but also because it is only in and through Jesus that we can get the proper, truly Christ-ian understanding of God.” Is like having somebody flick you between the eyes. How many of us started to follow Christ but truly didn’t take time to know the true Christ? The various ways people want to depict and view Jesus from an image versus the actual image that He was.
Putting Christ at the center of our actions and our life becomes a very tough picture to paint for myself. I say this because so many times in my own life I have tamed Jesus. Let Him be less than He was. Many times it seems that I have done things in the “name of Christ” but truly was not Christ like acts. It begins to really mess with my head as I think more and more about my past and how my concept of Christ was definitely shaped a bit differently.
The section on becoming what we worship truly stood out to me regarding how we view Jesus. Are we looking to live like Jesus did? Do we have a disconnect between God and Jesus? Do we not look at Jesus as the portal to God? I think at times it’s safe for us to have a distance from God, makes it more like and us and Him versus one big US.
This chapter begs for us to begin asking and searching for the deeper meaning of what it was that Christ was doing? His holiness was something that truly attracted sinners. The questions Hirsch pose are ones that I am wrestling with as a pastor right now. “What is it about the holiness of Jesus that caused “sinners” to flock to him like a magnet yet managed to seriously antagonize the religious people?” and then he continues with: “Why does our more church form of holiness seem to get it the other way around – to comfort the religious and antagonize the sinners? “ Jesus had a brand of holiness that is the true form. It didn’t deter the sinners from wanting to get up close and personal with him, it was something that I believe is the model of true-authentic life.
As a church leader or one that is in the church it makes me start to wonder how to live out this concept of holiness that is attractive. Living an authentic free life in Christ begs to ask this question. I see continually in people’s lives that the drama and the pain that they consistently deal with is stemming from their lack of living a holy life. All the pains of relationships and dealing with one another is a direct result of the fall of man. With this craziness then we need to truly step back as followers and beg to ask the question of ourselves…”Is my brand of holiness attracting sinners and antagonizing the religious?”
I am talking about a subtle love that continually portrays how beautiful Christ is to others. The love that brought us to our knees and to love those around us…
Please leave your reflections of the chapter or thoughts on the writing…
Tags: Alan Hirsch, American Church, christ-like, christian, pastor, Untamed
July 24th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
I wish that this was a comfortable chapter but it left a profoundly uncomfortable feeling in me. One thing that was uncomfortable was, while I was reading it, I was mentally pointing fingers at so many other people within my home church and in my past church experiences that I saw as being “Pharisaical” in their views of Jesus. So many rules and expected behaviors. But then I had to remind myself “Is my picture of Jesus any better?”
Truth be told, this is something I’ve come to wrestle with in the past year or so. I’m far from perfect but awareness is the first thing. I tend to think of Jesus, personally, as apolitical, not involved in the secular government issues, etc. But I get reminded that he did confront the “powers” of the day, both King Herod as well as the quasi-secular/quasi-religious powers of the Sadduccees and Pharisees.
Working on my sermon tomorrow, I’ve become personally convicted that even my personal picture of what constitutes a “right” Jesus-like life may not be 100% correct. I’m still learning and growing, but do I necessarily have it right? And, for that matter, am I in any position to think that I am more right than someone else? As I discovered in studying, “Who am I to question another person’s servant?” (Romans 14:4, my own paraphrase)
In reflecting on this and on some other things, I’ve come up with what appears to be an answer to these conformist rules and such. We don’t need more rules, more regulations, more expected patterns of behavior (stated and unstated), what we need is changed hearts, hearts that are in tune with God. Hirsch filled in the blank there. We get that changed heart, not by trying to figure out how Jesus is like us, or how Jesus is like God, but how we can be like him and how God is like Jesus.
This chapter starts the untaming process. We have a long road to go. I hope that I’m not the only one experiencing this challenge and that others are also becoming untamed.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
I had MANY ‘gut hitting’ experiences with the first chapter! I really enjoyed it!!! haha
I was reminded that to know God, we need to know Jesus. When the small group in the book was asked that question and that answer wasn’t said I was reminded, “Oh yea!” For that, I am reading the Bible at a more frequent pace, everday, so I get to know who Jesus really is!
I too have been convicted about my personal picture I have of Jesus! Before I pray and think of Him, I clear my head of images that I have of what I think Jesus may look like.
This was the biggest thing I learned and have to remind myself to do: “For Jesus, acceptance MUST precede repentance. Grace must be introduced into the equation from the very beginning of the relationship and we, being His followers, should do likewise in our relationships with non-Christian “sinners.” Deb was right when she said we as Christians tend to reverse the equation and accept people ONLY once they repent. WOW! This is def important for us as Christians to show this amazing LOVE to EVERYONE!! I really put this close to my “brain” and “heart” as I work with the youth!! They need to feel accepted before they can even understand God’s Love!!
I also took away from Chapter one: I will read the Gospels with fresh eyes, as if I have never heard of Him. This is a great idea! I want to learn MORE AND MORE each time I read them and I can’t if I already “think” I know what’s happening.
I like the journal idea and I think I will start this with myself and my youth girls at our small group!! We’ll answer a question a day…or two!
Excited to begin chapter 2!!!