Jesus and the Now

One of the things I've noticed in my own preaching is I tend to talk about Jesus in past tense.  It's an easy trap to fall into, and I'm sure I'm not the only preacher who does this.  We talk about what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, which is a good thing to do.  But then we leave Jesus in the tomb, as if he came to do what he had to do, and that's the end of it.  But Jesus is alive, isn't he?  That's what the Scriptures claim!  So, on top of talking about what Jesus did, I'm making a conscious effort to talk about what Jesus is doing now.  Of course I talk about his sacramental presence, but are there other ways to talk about the presence of Jesus?  I think there are, which is what I'm going to explore a bit in this posting.

As I've said in a previous post, we don't always get our way.  There seems to be a dynamic at work in life that appears to be working against us, when all along it (or He) is working for us.  I think Jesus fully embodies this dynamic as it continues to work in all of reality.

When I read the Gospels, I see that Jesus is doing and saying everything he possibly can to save Israel.  Unfortunately, Israel thought their problems were coming at them from without.  In a way I can't blame them.  After centuries of conquering and being conquered, of hoping and having those hopes dashed, of endings and beginnings, they were a worn out people.  All through this time they begged God to save them, but in the way they themselves wanted.

Jesus came and acted as if to say, "You can't have it your way.  And this is a good thing."  What happens when people can't have their way?  They start "rolling out the tanks".  This pretty much describes the history of the world.  It can also be a description of our personal histories as well.  What happens when I don't get my way?  I begin to think that something is really wrong around here and I act accordingly.  I make mountains out of molehills.  I lash out, usually at myself for not seeing what is bearing down on me sooner.  "I could have prevented this," I say to myself.  That's a lie, mostly.  Much of what happens is out of  my control, but I try to fix it anyway.  And I attempt to do this my way.  I end up stopping a brick wall with my face.

For those who deny that there's no such thing as truth, there is one thing that cannot be denied: Reality rules.  Now here comes the tough part for all of us-- It's okay!  We have been conditioned to believe the opposite, but it really is true that things happen for us, not to us.  I think this is Jesus leading us, showing us the Way.  This is Jesus saying to us, "You can't have it your way.  And this is a good thing."

Jesus is master at presenting us with opportunities to transcend the everyday challenges we face.  Another way of saying this is, "Jesus shows us the Way of salvation."  This is being saved in real time-- an undeniable, unmistakable reality that confronts us every single day of our lives.  And this is true for everyone who has ever lived, is living, and will live-- whether it is believed or not.

This, I believe, is a way to talk about Jesus that is real and knowable.  Let's continue to proclaim what Jesus gives us in the Eucharist, but let's not forget to tell people that Jesus continually interacts with us through the many and various dynamic events in our lives.