What is the Sum Total of Christianity?

As seniors we have prayerfully been given “insight” from years of “being younger longer” and the Lord, that help our vision and understanding about life, Faith and Christianity.

While discussing the hot month of August that caused a friend to have blurred vision, he handed me a little white card. It was blank on one side and when turned over was a tangled mess of black lines on the other. They were running in all directions. He said look closely at it Joe and you will see Jesus! A picture puzzle of sorts, and Jesus was in it. If you looked long enough, sure enough you’ll see something...it took me a long time to see Jesus. Then I discovered the secret. You do not look at he lines!

I thought to myself, “That’s a good picture of Christianity!” We look at Christianity and we say “All these things go into being a good Christian; a member of a church, a thither, Bible Study member, pray everyday, witness, be at all services, visitation-outreach!” There are times when there are so many lines... activities and programs, that it is hard to see Jesus. I’m afraid there are times you have to look awfully hard at modern Christianity to see Jesus...if you’re not careful and you concentrate on the lines, you’ll never see Jesus. This is not to say that I am against the things I mentioned, as they are very important. However, if we are not careful we’ll lose Jesus in the midst of all that!

It started me thinking, “What is the essence or heart of Christianity? These “things” I mentioned above ought to be the outcome, the overflow of the heart that is devoted to Jesus. They are the branches –I want to know and show the root! Those are the feet and arms...what is the heart?

In Matthew 22:36-39, a lawyer asks Jesus the exact same question that I was pondering in my mind. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ...or what makes the commandment great? Now Jesus knew there were 613 different laws (365 negative, 248 positive). No wonder it was such a burden, a yoke to be in that religion. What a lot of black lines in the picture!

Jesus astounded him with this simple answer, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Both were joined together, part and parcel of the same, and then the tremendous statement, “On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.” Jesus was crystallizing the whole thing, answering my question!

What is the one thing above everything else that God demands and expects of me, simply this: “Thou shall love...Thou shall love!” When we know the Savior love like this becomes easy, if we keep our eyes on Him.

Ya’ know friends, it makes the busy black lines go away and the world can see Jesus in me and you!

—Joe Schofield

Associate Pastor, Senior Adults, Prestonwood Baptist Church

Prestonwood In-Touch   "Those who've been younger longer!"