The liberating Jesus

David Haywood, aka Naked Pastor, is the author of a blog I read regularly. (He's also an artist and that's why I originally added him to my GoogleReader.) Haywood is not your average pastor. He's out and out open about his feelings on things. There are more times than not that I read his posts and scream, "Stop whining!" But, on occasion I find myself saying, "Preach on!" I loved this excerpt from a recent post:

"The gospels portray Jesus as a liberating person. He allowed others to determine how they would relate to him. If they wanted to be close and intimate, he received that with an open heart. Like the woman who kissed his feet and washed them with her perfume and tears. But he also allowed people to follow him from a distance, or to follow him just to get their next meal. It doesn’t mean he didn’t speak his mind about it. He expressed his disappointment when his friends fell asleep when he was in anguish in the garden. He wept over Jerusalem when they would not receive him. And while he was completely liberating by letting others determine how close they would be to him, he informed them of what the costs or benefits were to the positions they chose in relation to him. Like, if you want to sit at my right hand, can you drink this cup? Or if you want to follow me, it will mean taking up your cross. Or, if you choose to be distracted by your possessions, you might miss the banquet. Or, if you drink from me, rivers of living water will flow out of you. So, while he was releasing toward others, he was not naïve as to what their choices would mean for them."