Can you believe this guy?

So I hope you enjoyed going to Joseph yesterday. You did go to Joseph, right? If not, stop and take a second now to let him fill you with all the goodness of Jesus and Mary...

"Can you believe this guy?" Yeah, that's exactly what I'd like to know sometimes. I mean, come on, this carpenter from Nazareth thinks he's God, the Almighty Creator of the Universe. You've got to be kidding me, right? Or from a different perspective: Are you telling me that the Almighty Creator of the Universe decided to incarnate himself as a sweaty wood-worker from some podunk town in the boonies? Mm, I don't know about you, but it all sounds pretty far-fetched to me, ok?

On the other hand, "Do we judge a man before hearing what he says and seeing what he does?" Yeah, that seems a little unfair. Ok, so let's give this guy a shot. Let's check out this man Jesus. And you know what, when you take a look beyond the looks, the man's got credentials. "No one ever spoke like this guy..." I mean, the guy's got skills, right? No, it's more than that. He's not just passionate or eloquent. Yeah, he is that. He's got presence. But this is something else. It's like, it's like he's gotten inside you and knows what you're all about. He really does seem like he's got it all figured out. He knows just where we are (in the midst of a battle between good and evil), where we need to go (return to ME with all your hearts), and how to get there (love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself). I mean, what else is there, are you following me?

And then, take a look at what he does, not just what he does, but why he does it. Right, you know he performs some great miracle: heals a blind man, raises a child from the dead, casts out demons, multiplies bread. Why? He doesn't do it to get brownie points or free publicity. Actually he seems to hate all the attention and publicity. But he loves people too much to say no. Isn't that the truth? He loves us too much to stop. So he just keeps loving and healing and setting free. And he's teaching, always teaching, except when it's late at night. Then he goes and prays for hours and hours all alone with this one he calls "the Father." Incredible! Can we believe this guy? If not him, who, right?

Today, let's bet on Christ. Bet that he knows what's best for us, what's right and what's wrong. Let's bet that he's going to go beyond all we ever thought possible or asked for. And let's follow with a "YES" that frees us to love like crazy, ok? Great, make today a great day.

God bless,
Live from your heart,

Scott