Witnessing Jesus

Jesus' last words to his disciples, as recorded in Acts 1:8, were as follows: "and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In this midst of Jesus' mission statement this is one word that is unsettling. Like the look a friend gives when you're listening to them tell a story while their words and expressions don't line up. Unsettling like the times you heard the words but it doesn't feel like you really caught meaning.
We will be his witnesses.
In a culture where is seems like every Christian is up in arms with defending, proving, protecting, and defeating, Jesus calls for witnesses. What does that mean? 

Simple. 

He called for people who would tell of what they have seen. 

Jesus doesn't need defending. He doesn't need protecting. He is not afraid that the other team might score. He is not powerless. Defense might win championships but it does nothing for the kingdom of God other than tell everyone that we're afraid of losing. People who already have victory don't need defense. What He asks for is witnesses. People who know what he is like and can tell of what He has done. This requires us to ask of the disciples, and ourselves, what exactly did they witness? 

They witnessed a man who spent a lot of time with the poor, the prostitutes, the outcasts, and the sick. A man who was threatened and hated but NEVER ONCE, no matter how many chances he had, responded in violence. A man who only seemed to act in anger against those who were manipulating his Father's law to serve their own purposes. A man full of grace and truth. A man that was hated by those who's power was threatened by him but loved by those that most had hated. 

They witnessed him saying "whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Also "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Even "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." 

They witnessed Jesus not having many possessions in the world but never worrying. They witnessed him mourning for Jerusalem and weeping over those who are lost. They witnessed him voluntarily give his life. It was not taken from him. He gave it up. They witnessed him wash the feet of someone who would betray him in the worst way. They witnessed him love every person he encountered. They saw him laugh and play with children. They witnessed his life, his death, and his resurrection. Because they saw it, they could testify to the truth. 

The question we each have to ask is simple: have we witnessed the real Jesus? I think that many of us, myself included, have missed the real Jesus for a middle class, American version of him. One that wants to love people in a safe, protected way from a distance. One politician recently made a statement about giving Christians back their power. I wonder if we have really ever witnessed Jesus if we are more concerned with having power than loving people. I think we might have witnessed morals. Maybe even biblical principles. But Jesus isn't either of those things. Jesus is a person.

This morning I had the wonderful privilege of sitting down with Muslim family in their home and simply listened. I was just tagging along with a friend, and all I did was listen and nod. We laughed, joked, and told stories. They didn't pray and cry and repent. We just showed love to them. We blessed them with a small gift to help get through a rough time. There was no reason to be afraid of them. I think maybe they witnessed a little of Jesus. I think maybe I did too.