Yesterday, I posted some pictures of Jesus and asked the question, “What does your Jesus look like?” With the hope that these images will spur ruminations about the icon of Jesus. I say icon, because that is what each of those pictures are… they are idols, representations, images, likenesses, portraits of Jesus based upon cultural tradition and/or attempts at contextualizing who Jesus is/was.
It is in our nature to try and identify with the person of God, the tangible incarnation of God in this world, aka Jesus… We want to see him and touch his scars, much like Thomas, doubting his life, death, and resurrection – until we hear his voice, see his face, and feel his scars! We want the icon of Jesus to remind us that he was real… forgetting that we are the original icon’s of God, albeit cracked and dirty.
The beauty of the Gospel is that through the Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross we are made whole (holy). No longer cracked icon’s but beautiful and whole imitations of Christ (little Christ’s aka christians). Jesus is incarnated in us – HE LIVES THROUGH US! We have been reconciled to God, no longer separated by our uncleanliness and brokenness, we can be used for His Glory! We are to be light unto this world – just as Jesus was…
So. Take a moment and again ask yourself “What does your Jesus look like?”
