Behold

By Andy McQuitty
In eLetter
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Those of you who attend worship services at IBC have probably noticed that lately we’ve been on a cheerful rant about the world’s underappreciation of our Jesus now and throughout history.

My gripe is that if Jesus doesn’t get forced out of the public square conversation altogether, He’s often denied richly deserved credit for original teaching that transformed the world. A far more positive formulation of that idea is our ongoing IBC sermon series, “Behold.” Behold what? We’re trying to behold a few of the more unique and wonderful things about Jesus’ life and ministry for which even many Christians never give him thanks or credit.

Like the idea that people’s goal should not be to hate and kill their enemies, but love and reconcile with their enemies. Before Jesus it was a “Game of Thrones” world exclusively! Yet the world to this day leaves Jesus out when it comes to celebrating diplomacy and forgiveness and the pursuit of the way of peace.

Or like the idea of human equality and the sanctity of life. Notwithstanding Thomas Jefferson’s mistaken insistence in the preamble to the Declaration that we hold these truths “self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Before Jesus, equality was “self-evident” to no great civilizations or ancient law codes, no matter how enlightened. (You might remember the “great” Greek philosopher Aristotle’s quote promoting slavery?). Yet the world to this day leaves Jesus out when it comes to celebrating human equality.

“And so I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”
Martin Luther King Jr.

I was painfully reminded of this last Jesus-snub by Lee Habeeb’ republished article last Monday on Martin Luther King Day, “King’s Media Makeover.” He begins,

“Listen carefully to all the celebrations of Martin Luther King Jr. this week. Listen very carefully. There is one aspect of King’s life that you won’t hear much about, no matter how hard you try: his devotion to his faith, his devotion to God, his devotion to Jesus Christ. Listen carefully and you’ll hear endless mention of Doctor Martin Luther King — but little if any mention of the Reverend Martin Luther King. Listen carefully to all of the video and audio clips, and you’ll hear some of the greatest rhetoric and some of the most passionate speeches of the 20th century. The sound bites and clips will stir your soul. But you won’t hear the references to God that so often filled his speeches, nor will you hear references to the book that most inspired him: the Bible.” (Source)

I did that. I listened and read carefully about the celebrations on MLK Day. And sadly, Habeeb was right. Jesus just got left out again! As a result, more and more people will continue to be ignorant of the guiding force that faith in Jesus was for Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King.

They will continue to be ignorant of the fact that his famous last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (April 3, 1968), was preached in a church (Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee) and made at least a dozen references to the Bible. They will continue not knowing that the last words of that last speech on that foreboding night were Dr. King’s personal expression of salvation and the hope of Heaven: “And so I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”

So Jesus gets left out yet again. Does that irk me? No, it actually motivates me! How? By forcing me to remember that the world leaving Jesus out is just the world being the world. My commission as a Christ-follower is not to cry foul when Jesus gets left out, but to winsomely include Him back in. My commission (and yours too!) is not to whine “not fair,” but to whisper…“behold.”

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