Mark Chapter 5

Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

-verse 17

How do you picture Jesus?

To some, Jesus is their homeboy. To others, Jesus is their co-pilot. Maybe Jesus is just alright. What if he was just one of us, just a stranger on a bus, trying to make his way home? 2,000 years after his life, and armed only with some sketchy information about him, imaginations and personal desires take over and Jesus becomes someone different to each of us. Today, Jesus is apparently whatever we want him to be, whatever image brings the most comfort. He's your own personal Jesus.

One of the great theologians of our time, Cal Naughton Jr. from the movie Talladega Nights, captures this sentiment:

• "I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-Shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I'm here to party. "
• "I like to think of Jesus like with giant eagles wings, and singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with like an angel band and I'm in the front row and I'm hammered drunk!"
• "I like to think of Jesus as a mischievous badger."
• "I like to picture Jesus as a figure skater. He wears like a white outfit, and He does interpretive ice dances of my life's journey."
  

I think Jesus has a sense of humor, and I hope he's laughing (because I am). If you've seen the movie, you probably remember the family prayer scene where Ricky and Carley Bobby have an argument over which Jesus to pray to; Bobby prefers the "Christmas Jesus," as he calls him, the baby Jesus. I think most people do. Babies are cute, and innocent, and represent life and promise and possibilities. They also happen to be helpless, harmless, and powerless. They can't get in your grill. They haven't learned how to say "no." They don't intimidate, and they're perfect when they're sleeping.

This is one of the reasons why reading Mark is so important. Reading Mark and the other gospels puts us in touch with the real, actual Jesus, who is not a picture and did not remain a baby. And while it's true that his love for people has always been beyond comprehension, he can also be intimidating. He's beyond us, more powerful than we are. He can't be controlled or manipulated. He can even be scary. If we're honest, none of us wants him around all the time.

So we shouldn't be surprised that a group of people, privileged to be eye-witnesses to one of Jesus' miracles, begged him to leave town. He cost them money. He was a powerful force they could not understand. He could not be controlled. How could you just go on with your life as usual with someone like that around?

During his ministry, people were constantly trying to make Jesus what they wanted him to be: a political leader, a criminal, a tool to obtain power for themselves, a crazy person or perhaps even demon-possessed. But Jesus always defied definition and could not be suppressed, even in death! He came to people as they were, but those same people had to follow him on his terms. Those who did were changed forever.

Don't settle for a picture. In the pages of Mark, wrestle with Jesus as he actually was and is. Jesus isn't everything you or I want him to be. He is so much more than that.