This past week I did something scary. I mean, right up there with jump off a high tower scary: I spoke to a room full of elementary school students at Trinity Academy. Now public speaking isn't really scary to me. It's the giving a 15 minute talk to wiggly, distracted, silly, tiny-attention-span, playful, not-sure-if-they-can-understand-anything-you're-saying children thing. I mean, give me a room full of disinterested, talkative, looking-at-their phones teenagers, and I'll happily accept the challenge.
I did have the privilege of speaking to both the lower school and upper school, and I think starting off by telling them how I've met Beyonce gave me a good 5 extra minutes of their attention. (Yes, I really have met her & yes, she really is that cool).
The scripture I used was John 12:1-8 (when Jesus goes to Bethany and spends time with his friends Mary, Martha & Lazarus before the Passover, weeks before his crucifixion.) At first glance, I thought the passage's lesson was in the timing and extravagant love of Mary wiping Jesus' feet with the expensive perfume. Although that is exactly the devotion we should all strive for, the lesson that jumped out to me was that Jesus came back to his friends (because He is relational) and that they honored Him (because He had done something worth honoring in their lives).
In Young Life we love telling teenagers that you can have a relationship with Jesus, that His death made that possible. He had 12 best friends. He related to strangers one-on-one. He was constantly with people, not from the comfort of a throne room or even by appointment- but simply out and about where people worked and talked and played and shopped, in their homes and by their bedsides, near the church and near the roadside, where the poor and sick convalesced and where the rich congregated. Jesus was there.
In John 12 we see Jesus being deeply relational- coming back to visit his friends, to enjoy a dinner with them, in His honor. We know that Jesus has been with them before and impacted Mary, Martha and Lazarus like no one else ever could- Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead! And because of this impact, this remarkable encounter, because of this relationship, they wanted to honor Him.
I wonder- if you don't know this Jesus, perhaps you are only looking for him on Sunday morning or when you are in need or maybe on religious holidays or to bless your meal. If a relational Jesus seems far from your idea of the real Jesus, perhaps it's because of simply that- there's no two-sided relationship. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." That is a promise. Everyday, draw near to Him. Dive into His Word. Ask Him to guide you. Trust the Holy Spirit. Turn off the distractions that keep you from Him. Like every relationship, it takes an effort. But unlike any other relationship, this one is with our Creator, the Lover of our souls, the Author of life and the King of all kings.
And lastly, look at Lazarus, look at him sitting by Jesus, listening to Him, dining with Him, honoring Him. Why does He do this? Because Jesus saved him and brought Him back to life. Lazarus honored Jesus because he recognized what Jesus did in his life.
As we recognize that Jesus saved us by taking our place on the cross and dying for us, we too will honor Him. As we remember the gift of His resurrection, we will long to thank Jesus with our time, our lives, our hearts... we will serve Him like Martha, listen to Him like Lazarus and worship Him like Mary.
I pray that as we all recognize what Jesus has done for us, we will honor Him and grow in our relationships with Him. He does not wait to meet us at church or visit us on Easter. He's in every quiet moment and in every doubt so we can look to Him for knowledge and wisdom. He covers every sin and every ounce of hate so we can be reconciled to Him when we feel distant from God. He's at work and at home and at parties and at the store so that He can guide our decisions toward abundant life. This Jesus is the real Jesus- real to us in every step and near to us in every moment. Let's honor Him together everyday.
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