Unexpected

"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Zechariah 9:9

My heart sank as I felt the "thud, thud, thud," of the flat tire.  Resigning myself to the fact that I couldn't drive to the nearest service station, I carefully pulled off the interstate.  Cars continued to speed past me, adding to the desperation of my situation.  Why now, Lord?  Why couldn't I at least get to a safe place?

I pulled out my phone, preparing to dial the number to my auto club when my greatest fear was realized.  

Tap, tap, tap.  "Ma'am, is everything okay?  Do you need help?"

I cautiously turned toward the driver's side window, fearing the worst.  What I saw set my heart to racing.  A rough looking long-haired man covered in tattoos wearing raggedy jeans and a muscle shirt stood looking at me expectantly.  

Should I trust him?  He looks kind of scary.  What if he's trying to rob me. . .or car-jack me. . . or worse?

Reluctantly, I cracked the window open.  "Yes, sir, can I help you?"

"Well, it looks like you're the one who could use some help.  Pop your trunk and I'll change your flat.  Do you have a spare tire?"

"Yes." I blushed at his kindness as I remembered my prejudicial thoughts.  Maybe he's not so bad after all.

It wasn't long before he finished the job.  I thanked him profusely as he refused any offer of payment.  "I'll tell you what you can do for me."

"What's that?"  I ask suspiciously.

"You can let me pray for you."

And that's exactly what he did as the wind from the passing vehicles whipped my hair wildly about my face, He called on his Father in heaven to protect me and guide me safely home.  

That was unexpected!  I thought as I watched him cross the lanes of traffic to return to his 18-wheeler.

Just as I expected certain behavior to come out of the tough-looking character who helped me on the side of the road that day, so do I assume Jesus will show up in places that fit into my experiences, upbringing and understanding.  Maybe I'm looking for Jesus in the wrong places.  I think I should find Him in the lofty, impressive locations instead of in dirty, lowly positions.


It could be that the young girl selling herself shamelessly on the street corner needs to hear of the Savior who loves her like a precious jewel. Or the loud and obnoxious customer who gets on my last nerve just may need a kind word from Jesus today.  Maybe the neighbor who's been nasty to me could use a dose of forgiveness from the Prince of peace.  When I venture into those places, Jesus goes with me, even though it doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd find a King. 

It's always been this way with Jesus.  He came to earth as a human out of obedience to His Father.  From the moment He was placed in Mary's womb, he began shattering people's perceptions of what the Messiah would look like, from what family he would come and to what position He would hold.  I might as well face it, my expectations are way off.

Righteousness

Jesus really let them have it.  "Hypocrites!  You try to look so good on the outside, but really you're filled with greed and self-indulgence.  You try to appear righteous to people but really you're like a whitewashed tomb; full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.  Your heart is wicked."  (paraphrased from Matthew 23:25-28)

It's easy for me to point my finger at the Pharisees and teachers of the law to whom Jesus reprimanded.  After all, Jesus himself called them out as examples of self-righteousness.  But I'm not so different.  I effortlessly slip into the role of goody-two-shoes and judge as I advise others on how they should handle their difficulties, making myself appear above the fray instead of sharing the reality of my own struggles.

I'm no better than anyone else apart from the sanctifying blood of Jesus, but I can paint a picture of uprightness and virtue that no one else can live up to.  Withholding my own struggles and putting on a good front before others can earn me the reputation of a "perfect Christian." Acting as if I am good enough on my own is what Jesus labeled as "blind."  

After healing him of his blindness, a man worshiped Jesus as he professed his faith in the Messiah.  But the Jewish leaders sneered at His identity.  So Jesus said, "I entered this world to render judgment--to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind."  (John 9:39 NLT)  If I think I'm good, I'm only fooling myself.  God doesn't grade on a curve; I can't compare myself to others.  Instead, God's standard is perfection, and I fall far short of that expectation.

I may expect that if I follow Jesus I can declare myself righteous, but it is only through faith in Jesus Christ that God will present me as righteous by faith.

Salvation

If I were to tailor-make my own savior, I would probably choose someone who would keep me from any pain, hurt, difficulty or hardship.  My specially-created rescuer would cater to my desire to live a life of comfort and happiness.  

That fantasy of mine, however, cannot be translated to my real Savior.  Jesus doesn't shield me from the fire, but actually uses the hard times to refine me and shape me more into His likeness.  Pain and anguish are a part of my walk with Christ.  He was not shielded from it, so why should I expect to be?

Twentieth Century Calvin Theological Seminary President Cornelius Plantinga Jr. put it into perspective.  He said, "We do not want suffering; we want success.  We identify not with those who are low and hurt but with those who are high and healthy.  We don't like lepers or losers very well; we prefer climbers and comers.  For Christians, the temptation to be conformed to this world is desperately sweet and strong.  Yet, says the apostle Paul, we are children of God if we suffer with Christ."

Suffering is a part of the deal when I agreed to follow Jesus.  He is, however, a Savior.  Although He doesn't rescue me from trouble, He does save me from eternal death and separation from God.  When He died on the cross, He took my sins along with all the other sins of all mankind and bore them upon Himself.  He died the death that was meant for me, and in so doing, gave me the gift of everlasting life.  That is the salvation Jesus offers.

I may expect that if I follow Jesus I will be saved from any suffering, but instead He offers life eternal and perfection through suffering.

Attitude

My husband and I were recently offered a weekend in a nice hotel in a nearby resort town.  We gratefully accepted the generous gift and enjoyed our little getaway.  As I chatted with the waitress one morning, she shared with me how mean many customers acted.  They were demanding and careless, treating her more like an object than a woman made in God's image.

I thought how strange it is that those who have so much tend to get snooty and full of themselves, tending to think that everyone is there to cater to their needs.  As abhorrent I find this attitude, it is not so different from mine in many respects.  How often do I want to be elevated and recognized for my efforts or position?  I may expect a certain level of respect from people, and when I don't receive it, I'm ready to fight for it!

Jesus, however, never held this outlook.  Instead, "being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. . .he humbled himself and became obedient to death. . ." (Philippians 2:6-8)

If anyone deserved to be treated well, it was Jesus.  He created all things and is above all things, yet He lowered himself to a mere created being.  He took disrespect, disgrace and rudeness as part of the package.  He was fully aware of Who He was yet was able to accept less than appropriate treatment from those He came to save.

If Jesus, who truly deserved honor and respect, can lower himself to the position of servant, can't I, who is a sinner at heart, humble myself enough to love the unlovable?

I may expect that if I follow Jesus I'll be treated with admiration and esteem, but instead He offers humility and meekness.

Jesus came to offer righteousness through faith not through effort, salvation from death but not suffering, and an attitude of humility.  My flesh may not desire these things, but in trusting Him with my life I will find that my assumptions will be crucified as I begin to expect the unexpected from Jesus.

As I begin this day I pray that I can drop my expectations and look for evidence of Jesus all around me.

How do I expect certain treatment from people, contrary to the example Jesus set?

When do I resent the suffering I am currently withstanding, forgetting that it will work to perfect me?