From now on...

“From now on we regard no one from a human point of view”

It’s fair to say that Paul’s bold statement to the Corinthians here was... aspirational. Either that or humankind has taken some big steps back since Paul’s day. But it is perhaps enough to say that the early Christian community sincerely desired to no longer see anyone from a human point of view. No more Jew or Greek, slave or free, woman or man, black or white, rich or poor. Just children of God.

Why? Because, as Paul states we once saw Jesus from a human point of view. We saw him as a poor Palestinian Jew of no account. A poor man with a few friends who was born to the wrong parents in the wrong city at the wrong time. We saw him as the lowly son of a carpenter. As a refugee. As a outcast. As less than.

And what a mistake it was! Paul made that mistake, the Authorities made that mistake, even his own followers made that same mistake at times! And all those mistakes led to the death of the incarnate God in all of God’s self on the cross. It led to the darkest day one could imagine.

So you MAY think I am going to tell you that we should also no longer see each other from a human point of view. Right? Don’t see the color, the height, the waist line, the dress, the style, the country of origin, the political affiliation of those who come into our doors and into our lives. And sure that would be nice:

But first we need to ask ourselves - do we still see Jesus from a human point of view? Or do we now see Jesus from God’s point of view? Is Jesus the poor Palestinian - or the incarnate God? Is Jesus a teacher - or a savior? Is Jesus living? Or dead?

Because we cannot see each other as other than from a human point of view until we can see Jesus from God’s point of view. Until we can take seriously the divinity of Christ, until we can believe that God came into the world in this most unexpected way for us! And to love us! We can never truly see each other as anything more than human.

So who is Jesus for you? Can you imagine this most unexpected savior? This most unlikely Lord?