Disruptive Honesty

Don't let the title of this post fool you, just keep reading ;)

I think it's safe to say that it's a pretty common thought to see Jesus as this untouchable and perfect person. We probably envision him as we see him paintings. As this dreamy, whimsical, angelic man. And yes, I think it's a beautiful image but I think it causes us to not be able to relate to him as much as we could. It's a little intimidating, right? Well, I've been reading this incredible book called, "Beautiful Outlaw; Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus" and it is THE most incredible book. It has helped me to see Jesus for who he really is. Playful and fun, honest and real. I'd like to share a little bit from the chapter about his disruptive honesty. I just love it...

To come to know Jesus intimately, as he is, as he wants to be known, is to release a redemptive landslide in your life. What if at this moment you have terminal cancer, but don't know it. The disease is silently ravaging your body while precious days slip by in which you could be taking action. Now-what if your doctor knew but didn't want to tell you because it would inconvenience him? You'd sue him for malpractice. What if your family knew and didn't tell you because "they didn't want to upset you"? You would be furious. Don't you see how incredibly important it is to know the truth? Well, we can always count on Jesus to tell us the truth. Sometimes he's playful; sometimes he's fierce; the next moment he's generous. This is the beauty of disruptive honesty, you can count on him to to tell you the truth in the best possible way for you to hear it because you need to hear it. We love his honesty when he goes gunning for the Pharisees in Matthew 23:15 but when he turns his sights on us we begin to squirm, something in us gets offended. The world is stone drunk, and raging at Jesus because he's trying to keep us from taking the car. Who is being unreasonable? The spirit of our day is a soft acceptance of everything-except deep conviction in anything. This is where Jesus will suddenly confront the world as a great rock confronts the river flowing ever downhill. He is immovable. Conviction might be a matter of personal opinion, but truth is like a great mountain, solid and immovable whether we like it or even acknowledge it. Chritianity is not a set of convictions-it is a truth. The most offensive thing imaginable.
And Jesus is a rock alright. "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" (Rom. 9:33). A rock is offensive in your shoe because it is an inconvenience. If we said, "Away with all rocks!" we would wish the planet right out from under our feet. But a rock is also the only refuge from the raging seas. The shipwrecked soul doesn't curse the rock because it is immovable; he clings to it, weeping for gratitiude. Remember-when Jesus tells us the truth, he doesn't say, "You are on your own now. Deal with it." He offers us a way out. As John said, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (1:17). Truth and grace. Anytime Jesus pulls the rug out from under us, he extends his hand to lift us to a place of refuge.

(Beautiful Outlaw)