So strange... I was just thinking of this quote today. I love the idea behind it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it just isn't true! Jesus was literally PERFECT - in every way - or as John Phillips put it (from my daily devotional): "He never uttered a hasty, unkind, untrue, or frivolous word. He never entertained an impure thought. His talents never debased for selfish ends. His influence, never bad. His judgment, never wrong. He never had to apologize for anything that He did or retract a single word He said. He was never too late or too soon, never upset, never insipid, never shallow or afraid... He had absolute victory from the moment He drew his first breath in that Bethlehem barn until the moment He closed His eyes in death on the cross of Calvary."
And yet he was hated, despised, and rejected - folks said plenty of bad and nasty things about him and others believed them. I don't at all mean to take away from the thought behind the quote, but rather mean it as encouragement for those who strive to be Christ-like, and end up rejected and even hated in spite of (or more often, because of) it.
Sorry for such a long comment! I guess I'm just thinking out loud...
So strange... I was just thinking of this quote today. I love the idea behind it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it just isn't true! Jesus was literally PERFECT - in every way - or as John Phillips put it (from my daily devotional): "He never uttered a hasty, unkind, untrue, or frivolous word. He never entertained an impure thought. His talents never debased for selfish ends. His influence, never bad. His judgment, never wrong. He never had to apologize for anything that He did or retract a single word He said. He was never too late or too soon, never upset, never insipid, never shallow or afraid... He had absolute victory from the moment He drew his first breath in that Bethlehem barn until the moment He closed His eyes in death on the cross of Calvary."
ReplyDeleteAnd yet he was hated, despised, and rejected - folks said plenty of bad and nasty things about him and others believed them. I don't at all mean to take away from the thought behind the quote, but rather mean it as encouragement for those who strive to be Christ-like, and end up rejected and even hated in spite of (or more often, because of) it.
Sorry for such a long comment! I guess I'm just thinking out loud...