“[Jesus] was a middle-of-the-marketplace Messiah, who rubbed elbows with the masses. He hung out at wells and in living rooms and on hillsides and invited anyone and everyone to join Him. He didn’t come with an agenda. He was the agenda. . . . With His grace, with His truth, He lets us get in on the action with a life-altering invitation: ‘Come, follow me.’ “- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson concludes Chapter 3 of A Trip around the Sun with the observation that when Jesus invites us to do life with Him, He invites us to rub elbows with the people He loves. The lost, broken, misled, and the misfits. Therefore, just like Jesus, we need to find ourselves in the middle of the marketplace.
In addition, Pastor Batterson underscores, we must not separate ourselves from the world around us. Because then we miss out on the adventure Jesus lays before us. And that takes us off mission. Thus, a church must extend beyond its four walls. Consequently, Mark asserts:
“Here’s what I know for usure: you can’t be the hands and feet of Jesus if you’re sitting on the back of your lap. In too many instances, we’ve turned being a Jesus follower into a noun. Following Jesus is a verb. More specifically, an action verb. . . . It doesn’t allow us to forget that churches are not a building. You can’t go to church because you are the church.”
In conclusion, Mark counsels, it’s risky to play it safe. Therefore, to live in the middle of the marketplace means we invite people to join us in what we’re doing. Before they know Whom we do it for and with. Because when people hang out with you, in the process they see who Jesus is. As a result, the Holy Spirit weaves the love of Jesus into their hearts before they fully come to faith.
Hence, those who belong turn into a legacy of those who believe. And Mark proclaims, it doesn’t get any better than that!
Today’s question: How do you see Jesus as a middle-of-the-marketplace Messiah? Please share.
Special note: Chapter 4 is included with the May Short Meditation
Tomorrow’s blog: “Grand company – Jesus”
