Jesus and Mystics Aren't Easy Companions

I bet sometimes Jesus wasnt very fun to be around. I mean, he was super vague at times, super snarky at times, at he didn't usually put up with people's crap. Sure, he was very gentle with people and gracious and loving and all of that, but he lived more like a Mystic than like Mother Theresa, so those nice qualities probably still had a touch of otherworldliness to them. And he didn't stay in the same town for long. His followers couldn't be real estate owners or business moguls or anything. They couldn't even be good little synagogue members in any one community. And it probably sucked that Jesus knew everyone's flaws and wasn't afraid to call them out.

I wonder if I would've followed Jesus.

I wonder if I would've been wise enough and selfless enough to realize who he was and how badly I needed him, regardless of the life I had to leave for him.

You know, sometimes we give Peter a hard time for being a little slow, or Judas for being the ultimate betrayer. We look down our noses at Matthew's rich young ruler, muttering under our breath about his greed. But I'm tempted to identify with that guy, and give the disciples a lot of credit for just walking around with the incarnate God. Not the easiest thing in the world.

That took a lot of guts.

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