Tuesday; July 9

I have been reading the book “Unoffendable” by Brant Hanson which has challenged me to rethink some of my previously held beliefs about letting go of anger (and even disappointment) in hopes of being more open to deeper relationships with people.  Another aspect of the book which intrigued me was Hanson’s observation about Jesus’ perception of people. In essence the author encouraged us to take a new look at people based upon Jesus’ honest assessment of them.  Jesus was not surprised by what people did because He saw them as they really were.  In fact, the Bible provides this glimpse into Jesus’ insight, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.  But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men,  and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25).  Neither John nor Hanson seem to advocate that Jesus was cynical; rather they appear to note that Jesus accepted people as their fallible selves and by doing so, He was able to work with them without being offended, angry or hurt.
Are we seeing people for who they really are or are we setting them too high on a pedestal from which they are bound to fall and which will cause us to be disappointed?  People (especially those who don’t have a spiritual nature) will make decisions that are going to be contrary to God’s will – why should that surprise us?  Honestly, the surprising thing is that we would expect carnal people to act in spiritual ways.  When we assume this, we are bound to be disappointed.  Again, the point isn’t to constantly think the worst of people so they won’t let us down, rather it is keep open eyes and an open mind so that we can deal with them where they are. 
          Think About It!

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