If Christian maturity is maturity in our relation to Christ, then the clearer our vision of Christ, the more convinced we are that he is worthy of our commitment.... The truth is that there are many Jesuses on offer in the world's religous supermarkets, caricatures of the authentic Jesus. There is Jesus the ascetic, Jesus the clown of Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus the capitalist and Jesus the socialist, Jesus the founder of modern business, and Jesus the urban guerilla. All these images are defective; none of them is calculated to win our wholehearted allegiance.
Jesus Christ has double supremacy as head of the universe and head of the church. He is the Lord of both creations. When we see him thus, our place is on our faces, prostrate before him. Away, then, with our petty, puny, pygmy Jesuses! Away with our Jesus clowns and Jesus pop stars, our political messiahs and revolutionaries. If this is how we think of Christ, no wonder our immaturities persist. If only the veil could be taken from our eyes and we could see Jesus as he is in the fullness of his divine-human person of saving work. Then we would give him the honor that is due to his name, and we would grow into a mature relationship with him.
Through the Bible:Through the Year; p. 375
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