Reflections Along the Jesus Way
December 5, 2024 – Quote for the Day:
“Isaiah says that Jesus was a root growing in dry ground (Isaiah 53:2). This reference to a root out of dry ground may indicate that the body of Jesus appeared somewhat stunted and unattractive compared with other humans. Jesus was a tender shoot, as opposed to one that was obviously robust and hearty. He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3) – a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
While Jesus’ appearance alone didn’t ‘turn heads,’ there is no biblical reference that would lead us to think that Jesus, when he walked this earth preaching and teaching, looked frail or anemic. But there is no doubt that Jesus was an ordinary-looking man. There is also no doubt that what he taught and what he believed was reprehensible and ‘ugly’ to the religion of his day. Out of the mouth and ministry of what seemed to be an ordinary man came a revolutionary teaching that turned the religious world upside down – things are not always what they seem!
The real story of who Jesus was and what he ‘looked like’ intensifies when we realize that the root out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2) may also have been a reference to Jesus’ complete lack of academic and religious credentials. The religious culture of his day did not give Jesus credentials, so therefore, they and others reasoned, what wisdom might Jesus possibly provide? They didn’t teach him, so therefore, why should they listen to him?”
Originally published in:
Letters to My Friends
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