WEEK TWO: You + Me + Jesus: WAITING to Get Got

Weekly Reading: Luke 6-7

Here’s my suspicion: One of our deepest desires is to get got. When we encounter someone who gets our intentions, our wit, our brilliance–our sheer persona–without great explanation, a kind of homecoming happens in us. (Personally I experience a curious paradox: I spark with energy and simultaneously feel at rest.)

Yet getting got is a bit of a mystery. It can be developed through shared history; it’s that friend who saw us through our big hair days, our jock crushes, and our post-graduation funk. Or at times it’s someone who shows up in our lives suddenly, swaps secrets, and adores our quirks. We point to each other and declare, “You’re my people.”

This gift of getting got is a treasure—and often a rare treasure. We can wait and wait and wait for that best friend, that sense of community, that soul mate. Wait. And wait. And wait.

And in the interim we can get missed a million times. We encounter people who just don’t catch on to how freak’n funny we are, how nuanced our look at the world is, how much we have to offer. And when that happens we can feel a bit banished, like displaced people. (I can revert to that fourth-grade feeling of being picked last on the kickball team.)

JESUS, NO STRANGER TO IT ALL

This longing to get got and the reality of being missed are fundamental to the human experience…and so not foreign to Jesus.

During Jesus time on earth his family and dearest friends misunderstood him, his religious community rejected him, one of his followers betrayed him for thirty pieces of silver, and strangers chanted for his death.

And yet Jesus shared deep and at times instant affinity with the most surprising of people: tax collectors, prostitutes, scholars, and Roman soldiers.

In Luke 6 and 7 we get just a glimpse of Jesus’ relational life—with its deep rejections and soulful interactions. And through it we might gain wisdom and strength in our own waiting to get got.

In Luke 6:1-11 we get two snapshots of Jesus on the Sabbath (the Jewish weekly day of rest and worship). In both scenes certain Pharisees (religious leaders) criticized Jesus’ actions.

I can only imagine how frustrated Jesus was. The Pharisees were supposed to be Jesus’ people. They had committed their lives to studying God’s law and seeking God’s face. They should have recognized Jesus when he said he was Lord over the Sabbath and celebrated the fact that he healed others on a day of worship. But instead, these guys were enraged and became hell-bent on attacking him.

In the face of striking rejection from the religious community Jesus’ response is fascinating. He didn’t fiercely pursue revenge tactics or reputation-management strategies. Rather, he stole away for a time of prayer and solitude.

In Luke 6:12-16 we see Jesus go to a mountain and pray the whole night. He sought God and had time alone—I suspect to be reminded of his true identity. No matter what others said, he remained God’s Son, beloved. And then he chose his twelve disciples the next morning.

I am in awe of Jesus’ response.

Perhaps prayer and solitude are the most potent guardrails to dealing with rejection and for developing community. Out of communion with the Father and comfort with himself, Jesus pursued others.

REFLECTION EN ROUTE: How do you respond to rejection? How do you approach friendships?

Consider this week pausing whenever you feel rejected—even when you simply feel overlooked by another person—and ask God to remind you of how much you’re loved. And then thank God for who he is and who he created you to be.

Also, you may want to pray that God will enable you to encourage a friend this week—perhaps by writing an affirming card/email/text, asking him or her to coffee, or burning a CD of favorite tunes.

RISK BEING KNOWN

Despite rejection from the religious community, Jesus risked being known.

After he commited to his twelve disciples we see him teaching the masses. In Luke 6:17-49 Jesus shared his most important teachings. If you want to know how I see the world and what God desires of you, here you go. Here’s how God blesses the poor, the hungry, the disenchanted, and the rejected (Luke 6:20-23). Here’s what joy and sorrow look like (Luke 6:22-26). It comes down to this: Love your enemies, don’t judge, do good with a good heart, and listen to and obey my teachings (Luke 6:27-49). Do you want to know me? OK, then.

(Note: a version of this also appears in Matthew 5-7, and is known as the Sermon on the Mount.)

Jesus not only risked sharing his deepest beliefs and passions, he also revealed them in his actions. In Luke 7:18-35, we see an exchange between Jesus and two of John the Baptist’s followers. John the Baptist (who happened to be Jesus’ cousin) wanted to know if Jesus was actually the Messiah. Jesus replied, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard…” If he wants to know who I am, tell him what you see: “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”

Jesus’ words and actions, intentions and expressions were radically congruent. He lived out who he was—daily.

Here’s a confession: I don’t. So often I’ll walk away from a conversation and wonder why I didn’t even mention what I most deeply believe. I imagine it’s my desire to feel accepted and my fear of rejection that stop me. Or on the flip side, I’ll pronounce how passionate I am about a cause and then notice I’ve hardly invested any of time or money in it. Ugh!

And yet, I believe there is grace in the gap. I suspect the Holy Spirit isn’t out to taunt us with our incongruities but rather entice us to rely on God to help us become more and more who we’re designed to be—in action and in deed.

REFLECTION EN ROUTE: How would those closest to you describe you? Do they know what’s most important to you? What would they say are your most deeply held beliefs? And if people simply observed your actions, how would they describe you? Would they be able to guess what you most value?

Consider praying this simple prayer each day this week:Loving God, would you help me become more of who you created me to be today? Would you help me say and do what you desire? And may I receive your grace in the gaps. Thank you.”

SURPRISING SACRED ENCOUNTERS

Jesus intentionally sought community. He chose his twelve disciples and appears to have connected in a deeper way with three in particular (Peter, James and John). However, in this snatch of Scripture in Luke 6-7 we see Jesus have stunning encounters with two surprising individuals.

One of these encounters is captured in Luke 7:1-10. While in Capernaum (a town in the Galilee region) some Jewish elders approach Jesus with a request. Nothing extraordinary…except for this… these elders are asking a favor on behalf of a Roman officer. Rome and Palestine (Israel) had a bit of a dysfunctional relationship. Rome had the power; Israel had the people and land. Nonetheless this Roman officer had been incredibly generous to the Jewish community. And here’s where the story gets good: The Roman officer desired Jesus to heal his slave. But he sent word that he wasn’t even worthy to have Jesus in his home. However, he believed Jesus had such great power all he had to do was speak a word from afar and his slave would be healed.

I love how Luke tells it: “When Jesus heard this; he was amazed.” Jesus declared he hadn’t seen such great faith in all of Israel. A Roman officer surprises Jesus. A sacred encounter happens. Jesus sees it…and celebrates it.

Later on in Luke 7 (verses 36-50), Jesus has another sacred encounter. This time it’s with a prostitute. Jesus is at a dinner with all these religious leaders (Pharisees), and a woman shows up. She kneels at Jesus’ feet crying. She proceeds to wash his feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with expensive perfume.

Witnessing her extravagant acts the religious host inwardly judges Jesus for letting an immoral woman interact with him like that. Jesus responds with a revealing story and then goes on contrast the kindness of this woman with stingy actions of his religious host.

Once again, Jesus paused to look beyond the externals of a person and be available for a sacred encounter. He saw a woman who had been forgiven much and so loved much.

And yet another confession: I’m often waiting to get got by the people I deem worthy to get me. When I hold out for my people (whatever) to get me, I end up feeling lonely, frustrated, and like a victim.

However…when I pray for sacred encounters, when I am open to being surprised, when I pause to see beyond the externals, some really extraordinary and unexpected interactions take place. And my focus on waiting to get got gets flipped! I’m liberated to joyfully pursue others.

REFLECTION EN ROUTE: Who has surprised you lately? Is there anyone in your sphere that you’ve assumed isn’t worthy of you? How might you engage them in a new way this week? And how might you be open to meeting new people in the coming days?

Consider praying daily for sacred encounters and seeing what happens. A great way to heighten your awareness is to journal those encounters this week.