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What Was Jesus Like?
"Your mission to the world is founded on the fact that I lived a God-revealing life among you; on the truth that you and all other men are the sons of God; and it shall consist in the life which you will live among men--the actual and living experience of loving men and serving them, even as I have loved and served you."
Jesus set us the pattern. We are told: "To 'follow Jesus' means to personally share his religious faith and to enter into the spirit of the Master's life of unselfish service for man. One of the most important things in human living is to find out what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the achievement of his exalted life purpose.
"Of all human knowledge, that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it."
Then, having acquired that knowledge, simply passing it on is not enough: "You may preach a religion about Jesus but, perforce, you must live the religion of Jesus." The collection of statements that follow may help us with the first step. Living it is up to the reader--but why else would you have the book?
Jesus said: If you could only fathom the motives of your associates, how much better you would understand them. If you could only know your fellows, you could eventually learn to love them.
Love is more catching than hate. But only genuine and unselfish love is truly contagious.
Jesus was imaginative but always practical. He frankly faced the realities of life but was never dull or prosaic. He was courageous but never reckless; prudent but never cowardly. He was sympathetic but not sentimental; unique but not eccentric; pious but not sanctimonious. And he was so well poised because he was so unified.
Jesus' superb originality did not cause him to overlook the gems of truth of his predecessors. The most original of his teachings was in the emphasis he gave to love and mercy in the place of fear and sacrifice.
Jesus exhorted his followers to preach the gospel to all peoples. Always his invitation was, "Whosoever will, let them come."
Jesus never faltered in his faith. He was immune to disappointment and impervious to persecution. And he was untouched by apparent failure.
Jesus was an unusually cheerful person--which he could maintain because of his unswerving trust in God and unshakeable confidence in people.
Jesus constant words of exhortation were, "Be of good cheer." And "he went about doing good."
Jesus was candid though always kind. He said, "If it were not so, I would have told you." He was outspoken in his love for the sinner and in his hatred for sin. But he was unerringly fair.
Jesus unifies life, ennobles character, and simplifies experience. He enters the human mind to elevate, transform, and transfigure it. It is literally true: "If a man has Christ Jesus within him, he is a new creature; old things are passing away; behold, all things are becoming new." (quote from Paul in 2 Cor. 5:17)
Jesus was full of grace and truth. His associates never ceased to wonder at the gracious words that proceeded from his mouth. You can cultivate gracefulness but graciousness is the aroma of friendliness which emanates from a love saturated soul.
Jesus really understood people; therefore he could manifest genuine sympathy and show sincere compassion. But he seldom indulged in pity. While his compassion was boundless, his sympathy was practical, personal, and constructive. Never did his familiarity with suffering breed indifference. He was able to minister to distressed souls without increasing their self pity.
Jesus could help people because he loved them so sincerely. He truly loved each man, each woman, and each child. He could be such a true friend because of his remarkable insight--he knew so fully what was in the heart and in the mind of people. He was an interested and keen observer. He was an expert in the comprehension of human need, clever in detecting human longings.
Jesus was never in a hurry. He had time to comfort his fellows "as he passed by." And he always made his friends feel at ease. He was a charming listener. He never engaged in meddlesome probing of the souls of his associates.
People had unbounded confidence in Jesus because they saw he had so much faith in them.
He never seemed to be curious about people, and he never manifested a desire to direct, manage, or follow them up.
He inspired profound self-confidence and robust courage in all who enjoyed his association.
Jesus frequently set out to help a person by asking for help. In this way he elicited interest, appealed to the better things in human nature.
Most of the really important things that Jesus said or did seemed to happen casually "as he passed by." There was so little of the professional, the well-planned, or the premeditated in the Master's earthly ministry. He dispensed health and scattered happiness naturally and gracefully as he journeyed through life. It was literally true, "He went about doing good."
It behooves the Master's followers in all ages to learn to minister "as they pass by"--to do unselfish good as they go about their daily duties.
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