When Erin, the suicidal file clerk, asks Nick why he has suddenly shown up at her apartment, he is conflicted about how to answer her. He decides to opt for the truth and says, “I came to see if I could do something for you. The truth is . . . the truth . . . the truth is that I am glad I got here before you hurt yourself. . . . We have a job opening on our team. We were wondering who could be great enough to fill that void and suddenly your name popped up and I remembered that you once applied for a job as a copywriter.”
Talk about an awkward situation. Nick turned it around and dealt with Erin with such tact and diplomacy! Jesus dealt with people in a very similar way on several occasions. In fact, from this short dialogue there are six similarities:
• Jesus came to earth to do something for us.
• Jesus tells the truth. In fact, He is the Truth.
• Jesus confronts our self-destructive behavior.
• Jesus has an opening on His team.
• Jesus knows your name.
• Jesus remembers you, and your desires.
We will look at three of them today, and the other three in the next blog.
1. Erin thinks that Nick is there because he wants her to do something for him. But he says that he came to do something for her. Likewise, Jesus did not come to demand something from us; rather He came to do something for us.
Jesus came to earth from eternity in order to give us life, life to the full. He came so that all who believe in Him would have eternal life. He came to bring us peace and joy. He didn’t come because he needed something from us, just as Nick didn’t seek out Erin because he needed something from her, as she had wrongly assumed.
2. Nick decides to tell Erin the truth. He could have made up some story about why he was there, but he has learned that honesty is something women value. Jesus always opts for the Truth. It is His nature. He is the Truth.
Whenever Jesus wanted to emphasize a point He would say, “I tell you the truth”. In the gospel of Matthew he says it over 24 times. Why is this detail important? Because we need to know that Jesus is trustworthy. He tells the truth. We can trust what he says. If we can trust what He says, we know He is who He says He is. We know that we are forgiven, and we know that we can rest in the knowledge that He is the Authority who is worthy of our loyalty. Knowing Jesus is trustworthy can be a turning point in your spiritual life, just as Erin knowing Nick was worthy of her trust became an important turning point for her.
3. Nick did not cover up his knowledge about Erin’s secret plan to commit suicide. Jesus also confronts us if we are engaging in self-destructive behavior. Jesus knows our thoughts and plans and is motivated to correct us out of a heart of concern. We may not be intentionally plotting to harm ourselves in the same way Erin was, but if we are on a path to destruction, He will show us where we need to make changes.
Maybe we are in a hurtful relationship that causes us to compromise our safety, our dignity, or our security. Maybe we are making poor financial choices, like racking up high-interest credit card debts, or over-spending on luxury items. Maybe we have a habit that we need to overcome like gambling or a substance addition. Perhaps we have unforgiveness in our hearts that is turning us bitter from the inside out. Whatever it is, if it is hurting us, He has a way of letting us know.
How will Jesus communicate to us? He can use his written word, the Bible, to guide us. He can use other believers to advise us, or He can warn us with a nudging in our conscience. If you suddenly feel convicted about something – it is the Lord confronting you.
Readers: Have you ever had to confront someone? Been confronted? How did that experience compare to what happened between Nick and Erin?
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