Jesus was a Freak

Before you're offended by my sac-religious title, hear me out.

Sometimes I like to wonder what Jesus would have been like if he were here today. What would he wear? How would he talk? Would he cut his hair or wear it in a ponytail? Would he be a Republican or a Democrat? What kind of music would he like? Who would he hang out with?

Many of us would like to think that Jesus was a cool kid. That he would be the popular guy, the one invited to all of the parties, the one who would walk down the halls in high school giving everyone high fives and fist-bumping teachers. But, for a few reasons, I don't think this is the case.

I think Jesus would have been labeled a freak. A loser. A nerd. Or whatever kids call each other these days. Think about it, Jesus didn't hang out with kings and queens, he hung out with prostitutes and lepers. He was friends with adulterers and tax collectors. Jesus hung out with the kids (people) who were different. The ones who had bad home lives, the alcoholics, the trouble makers. And he was literally persecuted for that.

I think there are three reasons for this. The first is obvious. He was trying to show them God's love. He was showing them that despite whatever sin they were defined by, God loved them and there was more to life than what they had been shown. And even when they weren't accepted by their own people, God accepted them and had a reward so great that no amount of acceptance on Earth could compare.

The second reason is also quite obvious. If Jesus was "cool" and accepted, then there would have never been a crucifixion, because everyone liked him. There wouldn't have been riots and he wouldn't have had people spit on him. If someone wanted to persecute him everyone else would just say "Jesus? He's cool. Let him chill for a bit." and that would have been the end of that. But instead, Jesus was an outcast. Thus, leading to one of the most brutal deaths our dear Savior could have endured.

The third reason I think that Jesus was a freak is to be an example to us, right now, in modern times. Even all those years ago, he was showing us that it's ok to not be apart of the crowd. It's ok to stand out. It's ok to invite the co-worker that no one likes to watch MNF.  It's perfectly fine to talk to the girl sitting by herself at lunch, in fact, God wants you to do that! He wants you to reach out to those who have never known his grace and love. Today's world is all about status and gain. We're in such a rush to be the same as everyone else and to fit in.

Let's go against the grain. Let's be Jesus to the freaks. Embrace them. Show them there's more. Tell them that there are much better things ahead. And most of all, love them. Love them just like Jesus would have done.