Its Hard to Believe

It is my blessing today to teach for a second time a group of 50 rostered freshmen at LCU. The real number will be closer to 40 as the last few trickle into the classroom. They tell me the 4:00 p.m. class was preferable to the 8:00 a.m. option. Their surprised stare in awkward as they see my unfamiliar face in the front of the classroom. Starry eyed college newbies, and skeptical, over-churched students will take their seats to hear what this aged substitute will say. I assume I will have about 3 minutes to gain or lose their attention.

The subject; Jesus and the Gospels. This week I get to cover Mark's account of Jesus. On Tuesday I asked how many had even read Mark's Gospel. The response was mixed. Some said yes, others offered the truth of their laziness. Still others watched to see what others said before offering their hand to answer for themselves. Then I asked them to read for about 8 minutes. Some did not have a Bible. They joined with others who brought their text book. So they began to read chapters 3-7. It was encouraging to see frustration on some faces when time did not allow them to finish.

The Bible doesn't deserve to be boring, or even terribly predictable. No, I don't expect that the words have changed, but that the words are changing me, ... unpredictably. When I read about this man, Jesus, I should expect that He can always surprise me, challenge me, change my mind about him and what he wants from me.

Jesus isn't easy to believe. There was a time when I thought He was easy to accept, to follow. But the truth of the matter is He expects a lot. Not an unreasonable obedience, but hard. Actually impossible. (I assume you agree, unless you have mysteriously and erroneously avoided a need for grace.) So, why should I be frustrated if these students look at me with the same skepticism read about in Mark's gospel. Even those disciples tossed about by the waves and then see the calm waters still wondered who he was. Those who watched the strong man living in the tombs, naked, and possessed by many demons come to his right mind, questioned sensibility and sanity of both Jesus and the other crazy man.

I told the students on Tuesday, "The gospels weren't written as merely a news account, nor a physical history of Jesus. These words were written to work on the hearts and minds of real people, wrestling with what to do with, and what to believe about a man named Jesus."

I told them they should do the same. Today, the assignment was simple. they will

God, be with me today, in every hour. I offer myself to you and to Jesus; in whom I truly believe. Help me to offer to these students the authentic Jesus. To help them encounter him as he really is. May I offer them a view of Jesus with all of the intended difficulty to believe and inspire them to believe with all of the commitment it will take to believe in Jesus in this world.