“Where did this man get all this? … Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mark 6:2, 3)
No matter how long we’ve known him, Jesus can still surprise us. His neighbors probably thought they knew him inside and out. Maybe one of the gray-bearded elders said, as he bent down to touch his knee, “Jesus, I’ve known you since you were this tall!” Many of those in his native town had written off that he could be anything more than what they predicted: perhaps just a carpenter, or perhaps a very spiritual man, or perhaps even a little fanatical. Maybe a few of them were open. But most of them couldn’t handle this remodeled carpenter. They had put him in a box, and when he tried to show them their box didn’t fit, they took offense at him.
Have you ever felt surprised by Jesus? If so, don’t fret because you’re in good company. Members of the Twelve were often taken aback as Jesus continued revealing himself to them—even up to his death and resurrection! One way he tends to surprise us is with the things that he asks us to do. Perhaps you can remember an occasion when you felt a leading by the Holy Spirit, and your initial reaction was something like “You want me to pray with her?” or “You want me to forgive him? I thought you were a God of justice!”
Here’s another surprise: it isn’t all that important that we are always right in our estimation of Jesus. He seems to enjoy making all things new. But the important thing is how we respond when we find ourselves surprised by the Lord. Do we take offense and back away? Or do we try to embrace his leadings, even tentatively, and step into the new path he has opened up for us?
There’s a paradox here. Jesus is all we need, but we will always need him more. We need to know more of his ways and more of his thoughts. We need to experience even more of his love as our relationship grows. So you may as well get used to it. He is going to keep amazing you throughout your whole life. And really, what could be better than to be caught by surprise by the One who loves you beyond all telling?
“Lord, help me to embrace your leadings without offense.”
Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15; Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18