The race between the two is making me all-the-more aware of being thankful for Jesus. Here are some reasons. Not the Top Theological 10, just a few that crossed my mind.
1. I’m thankful Jesus was willing to not just humble himself by leaving heaven to become a man but that he was willing to be humiliated. He was called guilty and hung on a cross. I hate not explaining myself when people think I’m wrong. Don't you? I hate being still when people think I’m awful since I know I’m terrific. Well, sort of terrific. Occasionally terrific.
I’m thankful Jesus just let accusations go. He hung on the cross, was slandered and wrongly humiliated and just let it go.
2. OK—kind'a the same thing again, but I’m thankful that when it was time to be weak, Jesus was OK being weak. He could command the greatest strength-force-ability-power known to infinity and beyond but when people mockingly challenged him to a very small thing to prove his power—come down off the cross—he didn’t. He hung there in pain. I don’t—let me be clear: I do not have that kind of self-control.
Again, I’m thankful he just let it go. Surely, he was tempted to lash out but didn’t. His dad could beat up their dad easy-peasy but he just let it go. I’m thankful.
3. I’m thankful he wrote in the dirt. Calm. Collected. Thoughtful. Annoying to his questioners. He just wrote in the dirt when tricksters tried to get him to cast stones at a sinful woman. No sweat. No braggart’s rhetoric. Just peace. Thoughtfulness. Prayerfulness. Then bazinga! The perfect answer showing perfect love.
I’m thankful Jesus wasn’t pressured into making rash statements or stupid decisions. He waited, heard from his father, and then action. Yesterday, today and forever that’s what you can expect from him.
4. I’ll end with how thankful I am about something I think about a lot: He proved himself overwhelmingly unselfish. Proved it! He wasn’t self-seeking. Not sneaky. Was well-tempered. Perfect, but gracious about it. Strong. Kind. Not in it for his own way. Always concerned for others. Willing to sacrifice, be defamed and defaced for other’s good. The list goes on.
Thing is, I’m thankful—so thankful—that one day this earth, this universe, all things, will be literally and visibly ruled by him. By someone like him, not someone like me. Or you. Or any candidate waltzing around. Or a Nimrod. Or a Hitler. Or a wimp. One day he’s set to come back with brass-knuckles on and take over. But he’ll be the same guy. The same guy who is God, too. He’s worthy. He’s proven it. I’m most thankful for that.
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