If You Meet Jesus ... Then What?

Spirituality Column #235
May 10, 2011
Current in Carmel - Westfield - Noblesville – Fishers
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

If You Meet Jesus … Then What?
By Bob Walters

Whether we know it or not, we all meet Jesus in an infinite number of personal and spiritual ways throughout our lives.

Working mysteriously through us and through others all around us in ways we cannot fathom or often even recognize, we encounter Jesus. We might forget that He’s there, not believe that He is near or deny that He even exists. But as the Son of God, the Word of God, the Light of the World, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus is close all the time.

And as if the Gospel isn’t “good news” enough, even more good news is that Jesus keeps coming back to us despite our persistent, disbelieving rebuffs.

Here is a Guy trying to give us the nicest vehicle imaginable yet most people treat Jesus like an annoying car salesman, underestimating the glorious ride He has in store. It’s an uncomplicated choice: turn the key, or turn our back.

But suppose we actually came physically face to face with Jesus. He’s standing in front of me / us. We’re awake, alive, breathing, thinking and, with everything we know and have heard about the Son of God – believing in Him or not – we know Who He is. What do we do?

When Jesus approached Peter on the fishing boat, or Matthew in the tax booth, or Thomas after the resurrection, they had neither a New Testament nor nearly two thousand years of scholarship, reflection and tradition to help them understand Christ’s mission. It was all new. Now most of us, believers or not, know the story.

So, Jesus is standing in front of me, today. What do I do?

It’s an intriguing question that I love to ponder. Would I have the presence of mind to just shut up and listen? Would I shout with joy? Be awestruck and confused? Give Him a hug? Put my face on the ground in shame?

Would I be doubtful like Thomas, or blinded like Paul? Would I utter, “Yes, Lord?” Or, knowing what the Bible says about the next time we see Jesus, simply say, “Uh oh.”

We may not be sure how we’d respond, but in examining our reverent, joyful, fearful, dumbfounded or selfish reactions, we discover a great deal about our relationship with Christ and the state of our faith.

That’s important; because we’re in front of Jesus all the time.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) points out that no matter how many times we tell Jesus “No” in this life, He continually tries to help us find a way to say “Yes.”