Messy Spirituality 1 – Jesus’ Love for the Messy
About 26 years ago I met a guy named Michael Yaconelli at a Youth Specialties event at our church. He was a very encouraging person and was really good at presenting the things he taught us that day. A few years later he released a book that really helped my life with God grow even more than just about anything in my life has. The name of the book is Messy Spirituality. I wanted to talk to you about what I learned from that book.
When Jesus showed up he entered a world that was full of spirituality. He was raised by Mary & Joseph to follow a Jewish faith and spirituality. He was surrounded by people who were both spiritual and a mess. He did not shy away from either of those two ends of the spectrum. At least that is how we have told it is. You can not be a mess and spiritual or spiritual and a mess. I have gone to church my entire life. I have watched and had a few messes of my own. It has always bothered me that when a mess happened, many times the person was forgotten or told they were not welcome at our church anymore. Well let’s take a look at how Jesus loved the messy.
Jesus had spent time teaching and helping the people around him. His cousin John was in prison for standing up to a political leader. He rebuked the spiritual of his day and said there would be grace for Sodom and Gomorrah than the people who saw him during that time. When he got done with them he said something else that probably led to the hate that the super spiritual had for him.
In Matthew 11:25 – 30 his words were recorded for us. “At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. Yes, Father, this is what you really wanted. “My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to tell. “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”
Jesus talks about God giving truths to those who have faith like children. It is strange to think that God would trust so much to those who were a mess. So what do we learn about spirituality from these words?
Spirituality is . . .
Not a formula, but a relationship
Jesus says that he wants us to come to him and be in a relationship with God. It is not a formula where X + Y = Z. If we thought that our relationships were a formula then how good would they be? There is a sense that God has put us in our relationships with friends and families to help us better understand our relationship to him. Spirituality is not a formula or just steps to get from one stage of spirituality to another. As we all know life changes and our formulas get blown up. That is why God calls us to a relationship not a formula.
Not competency, but intimacy
Back when Jesus spoke these words to the crowd the word load meant something. It was the weight of what following a teaching or spirituality would be to carry that he talks about. Well, I’ve carried some things in my life and sometimes have dropped them. Sometimes that is what happens with being spiritual. We mess up but, God does not turn his back on us. He is not looking for perfect people, just people who are willing to be intimately close to him. When we are close to God he does not expect us to always be competent but to be willing to trust him enough to admit it and lean into his grace.
Not perfection, but connection
God does not expect us to always get it right. It was the same with my kids. I always wanted them to do what was right. That lasted until they were about 3. Just like their father they were not perfect for long. When they have failed I never cut off the connection between us. It was a time for us to connect in an even deeper way. It took us to places that were stronger than just good times. We talked through what had gone wrong and make a path back from it. Our connection to God grows stronger when we walk through our mess with him.
Jesus loves the messy. Read the gospels again and mark who Jesus spent his time with. He did not hang out with those who were not a mess. He sought out the messy. Prostitutes, blind, lepers, drunks and the lame were those he reached out to. Jesus loved them and helped them with their mess. That should encourage each of us. We can bring our mess to God and he doesn’t flinch. Instead he walks with us through it. Jesus loves and accepts us exactly where we are, even if we’ve been in relationship with him for years. He is not afraid of a mess.