The Bendable Jesus

I took a self-proclaimed writer's retreat last week, which proved very productive. Finishing the first draft of a chapter book I had been working on, I rewarded myself with a "window-shopping" spree down a historic street in Galena, Illinois, one of my favorite places for a "get-away".

As I was walking by a bookstore, my eye caught a item in the window. It was an "action figure" of sorts, labeled "Bendable Jesus". I immediately chucked to myself and thought: Isn't it just like our culture to attempt to bend and shape Jesus Christ, the Son of God into any shape we so desire?

    Thinking about it further, we have the "mad-at-the-world" Jesus, or the "He-doesn't-care-what-I-do-as-long-as-I'm-happy" Jesus, or "He's-just-another-prophet" Jesus, or "He-wants-me-to-be-healthy-wealthy-and-wise" Jesus.  All of these can be misleading, since none of them describe who he really is.

    Normally, if we want to know about a historic character, we read his or her biography, or a work written by the person in question. So why, I ask myself, do folks assume they can define Jesus when they haven't read his autobiography?

    And where can we find that biography? The Holy Bible, or God's Word, of course! But, where can one begin? The Bible can be intimidating.  

    Here are a couple of suggestions:

• You can find the first chapter of the book of John HERE.  Jesus is described as the Word in this passage.

• Also, the link for the book of Mark, about the humanity of Christ, can be found HERE.

• Or, if you are curious about specific topics in the Bible, check out ONE PLACE.

Are you bending Jesus into something of your own making? Or, are you relying on the solid, unchangeable Word of God?