Know

There seems to be incredible misconception nowadays about the two questions Darrell posed during the sermon: who is Jesus and what does Jesus want?  I occasionally like to listen to debates that Chrisian scholars like John Lennox and Ravi Zacharias have with others who have yet to successfully understand the premise of the two questions above.  I like listening to them because, like Darrell, they give me insight and help me see things I hadn't understood or thought of before.  When someone asks me why I have the hope I have I want to be able to provide an answer that makes sense, not that our faith experiences don't provide that, but because many people harp on the legalities of the Word without remembering or ever hearing of stories like: Jesus and the Adulterer.  I want to better know who Jesus is and for others to know who he is, and not having a misinformed view of the things he said and the things he did.  When I then think about what Jesus wants, I think about stories like Jesus and the Adulterer, Mary and Martha, the words he spoke about being like children: keep it simple.  Something Darrell says, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."  I try to keep things simple and the main thing the main thing, but I begin to equate simplicity with easiness.  Yeah, Jesus just wants me to "follow" Him.  I respond with, I read the bible, I go to church, I volunteer, I work for a Christian camp over summer.  What I forget in all of that is... Well, okay, but WHAT DOES JESUS WANT?  To just read the Bible, to sit in a pew on Sunday's, to show up to food banks, to drive boats.  Well, sure, maybe at a superficial levels.  But more that that, I would say one answer would be to simply "know."  When we know who he is, what he know what he wants, then we begin to act differently.  "Father, forgive them for they do not KNOW."  "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.  They were at a loss to KNOW."  "For I KNOW the plans I have for you."  "Many will say Lord, Lord... I will say I never KNEW you." Jesus wants us to know him.  It's all over the place.  And when we SIMPLY KNOW him we recognize that it's not easy, but it is what he wants.  What Jesus wants is for us to know who Jesus is.  I need to learn to KNOW what Jesus wants and KNOW who Jesus is.