Who is this Man? – Day 18

Do you also struggle with your character from time to time? I also have bad sides with which I genuinely struggle. All of us have character traits which we struggle with or are confronted over by others. People appreciate you for some of your personal characteristics and condemn you for others. “Don’t be so stuck up!” “Why are you so grumpy again today?” Sometimes we are hard on one another, with little patience and tend to only see the negative. One has little room to be who you are, with your good and bad sides.

Maybe, the most impressive aspect of Jesus is his character. Normally, we emphasise what He has done, but do we also see who He is? Looking at his character, Jesus was very different from those around Him. Jesus is, personally, more interested in who you are, than what you do. The Sermon on the Mount especially focuses on who you are. We read about meekness, patience and people who pursue peace. God wants your heart. God looks for honesty. The Sermon on the Mount demonstrates a dislike of hypocrisy. Fine words, regular church visits and appropriate behaviour, but in the meantime … Your motives are important to God. Why do you do what you do?

In Jesus, we see a genuine and beautiful character. His character is rare and, therefore, worth the trouble to explore. To the scholars of the law, who thought so highly about themselves and stood on the street corners praying, Jesus said, “Just be normal. Pray at your home in your room. Leave your pride.”

Nobody was unimportant to Jesus. He taught that, with God, it does not matter whether you are the manager or the cleaner. At the cross, all differences are irrelevant. Everyone needs the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.