DID JESUS FAIL?

If one were not a Christian, and if one understood who Jesus was/is and what he taught/teaches, one could very well assert that Jesus failed in his ministry. All one has to do is look at the world today and compare it to the world of Jesus’ and honestly conclude that nothing has really changed. The world is still divided between the haves and the have-nots, between rich and poor, powerful and subservient. Jesus’ message was that needed to be changed.

But nothing has changed, has it? The world is still as divided today as it was almost 2000 years ago, as it has been ever since. Thus, one can easily and honestly assert that Jesus failed. But, of course, he did not. He did what he had to do, what he came to do: to remind us what God expects of us as God’s children and to remind us, as the prophets did before, what we had to do to fulfill those expectations.

No, Jesus did not fail. We have. We failed Jesus. We, Jesus’ followers, past and present, are the ones who were and are to have brought and continue to bring those changes into existence. They were and we are to be both living reminders of Jesus’ message, the instruments through which that message was and is implemented. Obviously, again, they and we have failed. Just look around.

In essence, because Jesus’ followers have failed in living out their responsibilities, we have wasted 2000 years. While almost every other segment of society – science, medicine, education and so forth – has made tremendous strides to make life here on earth better for all, we followers have spent our time fighting with one another over issues that have nothing to do with preaching, teaching, living out and making the Gospel message a reality.

And we’re still at it. Why are so many of our young people staying away from active participation in church? Why do so many say they will have nothing to do with organized religion? Why? Because the followers of Jesus again and again through the centuries and even today have failed and continue to fail in actually following Jesus: who he is, what he taught and what he expects from us who claim to follow.

None of this sounds very nice – it isn’t – and perhaps not even hopeful. But it is. It is not as if we do not know what to do. We do. It is not as if we cannot do what is expected of us. We can. It is not as if we have to change the world or even our little corner of the world. We don’t have to nor can we. The first disciples did make great changes in the world, one person at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time.

What is expected of us today, as was expected of every follower of Jesus, is to live each day as best we can so that we may grow as a person and so that those whom we encounter may learn from our example. Let us not fail Jesus or ourselves any more.