Just suppose Jesus were to fit in somewhere in our modern society, where do you think He’d be most comfortable? Sometimes we get so involved in all the stories and research about our King that we almost lose sight of the fact that He walked the earth as a man. Give me a little grace friends and follow me on this path.
So what kind of a fellow was He? If you were to see Him walking down the street would you know Him from anyone else? Its unlikely He glowed or hovered along or really looked that different from anyone else. We shudder to think of a portly rotund Jesus or a peculiar nose. Scripture tells us that people were attracted to Him, but I tend to think that it was a different quality other than His appearance.
Lets say that He looked like a normal fellow, where, in our American culture, would He be most comfortable? He wouldn’t be a political leader. This is where He didn’t meet the Jewish expectations. Even Jesus wouldn’t mess with that, but He did support the role of government. A military leader or great fighter? Yes, but not the way we think of it. A teacher perhaps, but He didn’t follow the cultural rules well, so that wouldn’t have lasted long. So many occupations and segments of society.
My best understanding of Jesus tells me that He would have been a biker. Yes, of course, a Harley. I’m not really sure how that robe thing would work on a bike though. No helmet either, and I’m not sure how He’d shift with sandals. Consider what we know about His life and the way He interacted with people. The people Jesus hung around with is the most telling. Burly fisherman and other working class folks. Women supported Him and they weren’t part of the pristine crowd either. Mary Magdaline even had to have 7 demons taken out of her and He was known to hang out with several loose women. The men were loyal, but didn’t always use the best judgment. He was accused of being a drunkard and was pretty good at making hooch.
The elite crowd wasn’t who He liked to hang around with and the feeling was mutual. Although He wasn’t against wealth, He acknowledged it created a challenge for them. The weakest people were his favorites. The physically weak and mentally beaten He protected. Broken and failed people were always welcome. Posers and users, like the fraudulent religious leaders were exposed and made to look foolish. He sure wasn’t afraid to cuss them out or tear up stuff when He felt they needed it.
Traveling and sleeping at friends houses was the norm and the carpentry career didn’t really last long.
Perhaps that wasn’t exactly what He was like, but I can relate to biker Jesus. I could shake His hand and listen to His stories. Its tough for us to imagine what it would be like to be near and hanging out with Middle East Jesus. The food is weird, they talked funny, but He was still a real man(and yes, God) . Flesh and blood, a real voice and warmth in His hug and handshake.
I hope I haven’t offended anyone by making the divine so common. I guess I enjoy kicking back sometimes and just imagining what kind of an earthly fellow He was. Just enjoying thinking about my Savior. Enjoy yourselves friends
humbleshoeshineboy 