Jesus. Possibly the worst “man” who ever lived.

I love Austin. My friends and I took a road trip down there this weekend for my birthday. It was wonderful. I love the sense of family and community they have, and the emphasis on social involvement. I also loved that in the morning I was able to jog down to Starbucks. God is good! 
      Austin is a potpourri of miscellaneous ideas, beliefs and convictions, and the closer you come to the capital, the more these beliefs stimulate activists. The church of scientology was conducting a free IQ test (yes free… I was also shocked) and handing out pamphlets. An array of political slogans decorated t-shirts and car windows, ranging from “Obama 08″ and “Vote Hilary- Because Women Should Be On Top!” to “Down With The Government!-Save our children from Iraq.” I didn’t see much on the conservative beliefs other than “Conserve Water” and “Go green!” On the back steps of the capital building there was a group of angry teenage girls rallying to a  handful of people, “We’re Queer and We’re here!” as they went on to tell there sad stories of ill treatment. I was very tempted to reply “I’m Straight and it’s Great!”… but yea for self control and the fear of being beaten.
       Being nurtured in the buckle of the Bible belt, this was a thrilling experience for me. It always is because God has given me a heart for the lost and the very confused. So when we stopped for lunch in a small restaurant, I was neither disappointed nor surprised to find that the fryer of my meal was stoned and the cashier was gay. God bless Texas. As I ordered a grilled chicken pita (very delicious) and some gift cards for the homeless people on the streets, I was able to strike up a conversation with the cashier leading to the my first witnessing pin point phrase:
“What do you believe?”
The cashier’s eyes grew wide with disbelief and he jumped over the counter hurling accusations that I was forcing my religion on him- false. That didn’t happen. In fact he was quite a large man and I don’t think he would be able to roll over the counter, much less jump. He gave the typical response- he was more than happy to share is ideas on religion and theology and about how everyone should find the best way for them.
I think I would have been more pleased if he had jumped over the counter. If what they say is true and there is a first time for everything-I’m going to keep talking about Jesus until it happens.

But this leads me to say- if you are a Christian who is afraid to share your beliefs, your missing out on some very interesting conversations.  All you have to do is ask someone what they believe and reason truth- it’s not your job to save them so there is no pressure. But you can open the door for God to use you and submit yourself to being a fisher of men. Just don’t stand on benches screaming “Turn or Burn you evil doers!” or harass people in the malls. You will save a lot of people… from having a pleasant day.

So anyway- The cashier asked me if I had read the Divinci Code. I haven’t, but I was able to draw out on my receipt how the table for Passover was set up Jewish culture and how it contradicted the artistic license that Davinci took in his depiction of the last supper. We talked for a moment on that which lead me to my second key question.
“Who do you think Jesus was?”
“He was a great man,” the cashier explained that it was because he led people to lead good lives.
“I have to disagree.” I began. “If your right, and Jesus was a man… he was possibly the worst man who ever lived.”
<Dramatic pause for a eye widening and thought sinking.>
“If Jesus Christ was a man, he was a lying, deceiving manipulator whose false influence still lives on today. He taught that he was the son of God, he taught that the road to salvation was narrow and that he was the only way to heaven. “I am the way the truth and the light no one comes to the father except through me.”

 
You could tell that this was a hard thought for him. He didn’t want to believe that Christ was God, he wanted to believe that he was a good man…

but there is no possible way that Jesus was a good man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“In fact,” I went on I would even say that Christ was worse than Hitler.” This statement peaked interest. Hitler= a hot topic.

You see, Hitler and Jesus are the two most famous historical figures that ever lived. Yet no one seems to be able to make a connection between who they see as love-and-peace, sandal wearing hippie and this evil man of destruction. But they were both wonderful and powerful speakers. Only one spoke life into people, while the other one spoke death.

Me and Mr. Cashier talked about Hitler for a while, and I drew up this connection:
People followed Hitler because they believed that they could deliver them from a depression 3 times greater than the Great Depression of America, and they believed that he would raise up a great army… and he did. They blindly followed him and caused many people to die innocent deaths.
People followed Christ because they believed that he would deliver them from the control of the Roman empire, they believed that he would raise up a great army… but He didn’t. He died on the Cross as a failure to his expectations. But those who realized his true purpose were willing to die innocent deaths to defend it.
In the Laws of History, people follows masters and conquers. But Jesus Christ was an broke all the rules He was a servent and humble. But what He alone did was greater and more powerful than an army of men that number the stars in the sky, he sacrificed his life, overcame death, so others could live.

Jesus couldn’t be a man, because no one would follow him because in the realm of humanity, he was a failure. Jesus has to God, because he did what no man could ever do: gave up himself in death for an everlasting Victory.
Are you under the blood? 

If anything the cashier was more intrigued and more confused about this Jesus who broke the laws of humanity. About that time my pita was ready to be devoured, and he thanked me for my history lesson.
I thanked him for listening and said my last Key phrase.

“I pray that you search for the truth and that you find the truth.”
“Ive already found what works for me”
“I didnt say “what works” I said “truth.”"

The pita was delicious… but they put way to much olive oil.

I probably shouldn’t do this… This post is much to long for people to take the time to read. But if there are some one out there who has taken the time…
What do you think? (About anything written) 
Could Jesus be just a man? Why/Why not?
Give me a history reference if you’d like.
How do you witness to people in a world of relativism that’s absent of absolute truth?

My stats are huge but my comments are small. Little help here.

-Kay