Skip to main content

" Jesus applied his genius to the most profound human dilemmas."


A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, from his book, The Genius of Jesus (p. 26). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

So true, so very true.


Erwin says, "It is one thing when genius gives us new music, a new art form or technology, or a great advancement in science or medicine. But while genius can give us a better world to live in, it almost never makes us better, kinder, more compassionate, more honorable, more courageous, more humane."

He continues, "I think of the phrase we often use as an excuse for our worst behavior: 'Well, I’m only human.' Our history as a species is riddled with love and hate, with compassion and violence, with betrayal and loyalty, with bitterness and forgiveness. All these are equally the human story. The tragedy is that somewhere along the line, the worst expressions of our nature became the norm and the best of us became lost in ideals. Religion told us we were all sinners and penance was our only hope. It mitigated our guilt and shame but offered no means to restore our humanity. Jesus changed that narrative. He revealed to us what it looks like to live fully human through his own life. He then called us to reclaim our original intention to reflect the image of God in our humanity.

"Jesus applied his genius to the most profound human dilemmas. Are we as a species actually the worst expressions of ourselves, motivated by ideals that are beyond our reach, or are we most human when we are pursuing those ideals even though we continue to live beneath them? In all his actions—from confronting the use of God’s name and the power of organized religion as a means to manipulate and oppress the poor and powerless, to the elegance of summarizing over 613 religious laws into one commandment, to establishing love as the guiding principle of the universe, to reframing power as servanthood—Jesus redefined the core of the human problem as the condition of the human heart. All the problems of the world hinge on this one truth: we have seen the enemy, and he is us. Yet Jesus showed us in himself who we were always meant to be. His life and his teachings force us to confront both the worst and the best within the human spirit, while offering us a way into a new humanity."

He later says, "If Mozart convinced you that if you gave him the next forty years, you could hear the sounds that only he hears in his imagination, and then be able to translate them into music, would it be worth your life?

Erwin then says, "In Jesus, we have been given this exact kind of invitation. The genius of Jesus is completely transferable. His genius can become yours. My hope is that as we unwrap the person of Jesus, we will find in him the most astonishing and transformative way to truly live."

Have you found that to be the truth in your life? If you haven't, you can. Yes, yes! #continuethought




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’   ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...
Post a Comment
Read more