Take a moment to close your eyes. Empty your mind of whatever it is that you are thinking about. Take a deep breath . . . now, who pops into your mind when you think of the person in your life who is the most like Jesus?
Think about it . . . and, keep that image or person’s name in your mind.
The person who pops into my mind is not a person I think most people would consider as being someone who is like Jesus. He is a rough looking character . . . he wore rumpled and disheveled clothing . . . a grizzly beard and hair that looked like it had never seen a comb and was three weeks overdue for a haircut . . . every-so-often he used a swear word . . . he smoked like a smokestack . . . he didn’t know his bible, and never graced the doorway of a church. He was a rough character. He was a longs ways off of being what most of us would consider as being Christ-like . . . as someone we consider to be like Jesus.
Bob, was his name. He was the custodian at one of the elementary schools I attended while I was growing up. He was an intimidating figure, and yet at the same time he was one of the most beloved people in all the school. He was kind . . . he was caring . . . respectful . . . and, he treated everyone as if they were the only person in the whole world. He had time to speak to the kid who was alone and crying on the playground. He probably bought thousands of school lunches for those kids who were hungry. He provided gifts of clothing for those kids who had nothing. He would pause in his work and actually play in the games. He would be there when a kid needed reassurance. He was beloved by all the children and adults alike . . . he was someone who treated others as if they were the most beloved person in the world . . . he made people feel as if they were loved.
Each and every time that I do this little exercise of imagining the person in my life who is the most like Jesus . . . Bob keeps popping up. And, each and every time, I cringe. I cringe because the rational part of me screams out that Bob cannot be the image of the person who is the most like Jesus . . . he is too crude . . . too rough . . . too much the opposite of what I have been told over and over a follower of Jesus should be like. Come on! He doesn’t know his bible . . . he doesn’t go to church . . . he cusses . . . he is dirty . . . he is rough.
It happens each and every time.
And, then, I am reminded by the Spirit to beware the “caricature of faith”. A caricature is an exaggerated and ludicrous image or description of someone or something . . . in this case, someone who is faithful . . . someone who is a follower of Jesus. In my mind I have a certain image of what I think is a faithful person . . . what a follower of Jesus looks and acts like. In that image I picture a follower of Jesus--the true person of faith--as someone who is clean cut, wears respectful clothing, doesn’t cuss, knows his or her bible, and always goes to church . . . the “have bible, will travel” sort of person. Nothing like Bob.
How does the person who popped into your mind stack up to the rational understanding you have of what is Christ-like?
Beware the caricature of faith!
In our scripture reading this morning we see Jesus being questioned . . . being challenged. The Sadducees and Pharisees want to know from Jesus what is the “greatest commandment in the Law?” And, of course, being the good followers of Jesus we are, we know the answer. Jesus responded: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Love God . . . love others. Upon this everything else is based. We can all agree with this; and, yet, when we think in our minds what makes up a person of faith--a follower of Jesus, this might be far down our list and understanding of what person of faith is and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Nowhere in Jesus’ response does he say that one must know his or her scripture by each and every verse or its punctuation--he does not say anywhere that being faithful has to do with how well one knows his or her bible. Nowhere does Jesus say anything about one’s physical appearance, the clothes that are worn, or anything about cussing. Nowhere does Jesus say anything about how often a person goes to church, a bible study, or a potluck dinner. He doesn’t mention prayer. He doesn’t throw in communion. He does none of that . . . instead he focuses on how one acts in is or her life.
In Jesus’ mind his true follower is not known by the words that he or she speaks or how well he or she knows the bible . . . whether or not the individual goes to church on a regular basis. What is important to Jesus is how well the individual loves God and others. For Jesus it comes down to two things . . . two simple things . . . how one’s relationship is with God, and how one loves others. Jesus does not buy into the caricature of faith . . . Jesus wants to see action. Jesus wants to see how life is lived.
How one lives his or her live reflects how Christ-like, how much they are like Jesus.
That is it.
Straight out of the mouth of Jesus himself.
And, yet, we get hung up on the “caricature of faith”.
Beware the caricature of faith!
Let us not get hung up on images of faith. Let us not get hung up on the words of faith. Instead let us look at the actions . . . the way that people live. This is what counts. How well do we and others love God? How well do we love others? Remember, actions trump all else. Jesus said, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
That is it.
There was no argument from the Sadducees or Pharisees.
Jesus erased the “caricature of faith” . . . shouldn’t we? In the end, others will know our faith through the love we share . . . not the caricature we are told. Amen.
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