Recently I had the opportunity to edit the words of Jesus. Before you think me a heretic, let me assure you I was simply looking for misplaced quotes and mechanics, not changing words.

What struck me about the endeavor was just how much Jesus repeated Himself. He truly wanted us to remember some things. Loving others. Noticing the downtrodden. Handling our money well. Understanding the kingdom of God.

Other things I noticed about Jesus:

• Jesus was passionate; you could feel it in His words, how emphatic He was.
• Jesus loved stories, and He told them often, yet so many didn’t understand Him.
• Similarly, Jesus was most often misunderstood. For those of us who feel that way, understand that we serve a misunderstood Savior who understands.
• Jesus loved folks on the outskirts and wasn’t bothered by others who wanted to neglect those outsiders. He simply loved them anyway.
• Jesus cares about how we spend our money. A lot.
• Jesus spent a lot of time talking about our families, but not in a touchy-feely way. He often said we were to hate them (in comparison to our love for Him), to prefer Him above even our most significant relationships.
• Jesus asked a lot of His disciples. He required full allegiance. Nothing less.
• Jesus didn’t admire the folks who wanted to be admired. He called out their pride.
• Jesus often spoke of humility, and demonstrated it.
• Jesus was abandoned and betrayed, yet He chose to love in the aftermath. And forgive. There’s a strong lesson there for those of us who have been hurt. Our tendency is to withdraw. But Jesus engaged.

q4u:

What surprises you about Jesus?