How Perfect was Jesus’ Humanity?

Would We Really Want to Hang With Him?

I came to the realization today that for most part in all my churchy experiences there is always some sense of goodness with an irritating amount of shame mixed in. At times, while a minister preaches, I can’t even look them in the eye because they present themselves as keeping up this image of perfection in word if not always in deed. Some more than others. Though I know this isn’t true, somewhere in my psyche, I can’t seem to get a grip with the mix of shame when I step into that building with its pointed hood.

I’m not a regular attender at churches anymore or active member because of where I find churches these days just doesn’t appeal to me, but I do go to one where I grew up because it has such loving people in it. It’s small and non-threatening and they don’t care that I’m gay. But regardless, there is always some sense of shame in church–what you should be wearing, did you let the collection plate pass by (are you giving to the “Lord’s work?” huh?), and this over all image of God’s perfect Son. The older sibling you can never live up to who also just so happened to die for you. How are you going to live up to that? Never. So, follow the Way. Be ye transformed in your heart and mind and “go and sin no more”. I am transformed fortunately in my heart and mind by God’s choosing me but sinning no more? Well….? How you all doing on that?

I heard a scripture today that talked about Jesus’ connection, spiritual relationship to God, being perfect. I believe that. He had a special, powerful mission here. But what about his experience in his humanity? We are only shown his birth and then a clear absence of experiences until the start of his ministry in his 30’s. It’s almost as if someone didn’t want us to see something. Isn’t that special?

Nevertheless, there is a scripture that says “He (Jesus) learned obedience through what he suffered.” Wait? Jesus had to learn obedience? Woah. We also know that Jesus was teaching to the Jewish class of people, but was shocked to find out that people outside that class had more faith than the Jewish people themselves he was teaching to at times. He then broadened his horizons a bit and now all of us are included in that salvation as God intended, and the same happened to Paul who God showed wanted him to eat meat of all kinds and preach to people of all kinds, not just the Jews. God couldn’t get Peter in on that deal. His mind apparently wasn’t open to it, but Paul’s was. Again, God has to wrestle with our humanity. A blessing that he for some reason loves (he created it) but also a curse (we are stubborn as jack asses). Think about it, Jesus and Paul both had to learn that God had bigger plans to save the entire world, not just the Jewish people. They had let go of their own pre–conceived notions.

I think it is hard to believe or really come to admit that when Jesus was in the flesh, he really was. But I can’t imagine either that a young Jesus walked around like a little robot never learning anything or not having to be disciplined. That a young Jesus didn’t erections and fantasize or have wet dreams. It’s shocking to think about but he had to be just as much human as connected to God. To be authentically “with in us” and then able to “comfort us” with the spirit, he had to authentically go through what we went through. If he just came here with the ability to rise above every situation without any struggle, then he was like this super Jesus who still wouldn’t relate to us because it was still effortless.

I think what we are still doing to this Emmanuel (God with us) is putting him on this inhuman pedestal. Making Jesus like this Power Ranger figure. The danger is it attracts people to ministry who are like a non-comical version of the Church Lady or Church Lady light. Little perfectionists about doctrines, clothes, and how people should be “in the spirit”. Our churches today are often so unrelatable to people and so many are bare bones now in population except the toxic mega churches with dangerous ideology attached to them. Why? Because even though they have dangerous ideology, they are smart enough to be relevant with the culture to appeal to the topics and the types of formats and worship people would want. Meanwhile, the rest are unwilling to change, and we have services that are almost no different from the 60’s, and 70’s. Going into these places is like stepping back into time or into a funeral service. And we present a Jesus who is so high, lofty and perfect that no one can relate to Him. We continue with dogma and rituals that give a subtle sting of shame.

I would hope the real Jesus would be an authentic one. I feel he had to be. Not a super human robot Jesus. The Spirit that visits me and does miraculous things for me, knows my humanity. I’ve seen it all the time. When Jesus went around, people wanted to be his followers very quickly. The only things frightened of him were demons and clergy. Not regular folk. We comfort people with the comfort we have received from going through suffering and learning what we learned. I don’t think it could be much less for Jesus but rather his connection to God was perfect. He was without sin.

Sin, at it’s root word, is unbelief. Sins (plural) are actions. Jesus had to learn obedience, the Bible says. What is the opposite of obedience? Disobedience. Sometimes you just don’t know out of ignorance or certain wants. But Jesus had learning to do like we do. He had suffering to do not just in the Garden and at the cross. I always say he wasn’t doing cartwheels on his way to the cross because he was just so in tune to God no suffering was felt. Life is glorious and it is a bitch. I believe he must experienced all of it. It has to be that way or my Jesus doesn’t know me. And it’s presently why many of Churches don’t know us. They don’t know the real Jesus. You have to get beyond the pages of a text, stop worshipping a Bible and get to your own heart.

Today we talked about the Vine and the Branch. Jesus called himself the Vine and us the Branches. It is my favorite portion of the Bible for it’s intimacy and loving message. I thought about our physical heart, the place where we symbolically say love resides, spirit is and thus God is. Then the arteries that come off the heart as the branches which would be me or you within each of us. It’s a powerful message of vine/branch union right within our own physical body. I only want someone that close to me if they truly know me and love me, you know?

To close, read these encouraging passages from the book of John. There is nothing in here that says “so they may be made aware of all their sinning” or “so that they may start living a perfect life like I do showing no skin, and not thinking a sexual thought out of place ever again.” (a little humor but you get it).

— Jesus talking about what the Spirit will do:

John 16

¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

–Jesus’ Prayer Us

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I have made you^[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”