Being called a “little Christ” is appealing, yet we struggle to embrace our new identity. We hope to transformed someday, at the resurrection, but it is hard for us to imagine ourselves ever playing the role of Jesus in the world today.
Consider the stories in the gospels where Jesus interacts with someone and bestows a blessing in the form of healing, forgiveness, or wisdom. Usually, when we read these stories we see ourselves as those who are receiving the blessings. We’re the ones in need of healing, forgiving, and teaching. Of course this true. But as little Christs we must also learn to read these stories from the perspective of Jesus. We are standing in his shoes and bringing a blessing to those with whom we interact.
What difference would it make if as you went through your day you constantly thought of yourself as a little Christ? If every time you walked into a room you believed you were bringing the blessings of God with you? If you saw every conversation as an opportunity to impart the wisdom of God by asking a probing question? If in every situation of brokenness you were there to bring the healing power of God into the mix?
Maybe we resist seeing ourselves as little Christs because it smacks of arrogance. The world doesn’t need even one more religious zealot with a messiah complex. But Christlikeness has a built in antidote to this disease. Jesus was the ultimate example of humility and self-sacrifice. If thinking you’re a little Christ makes you more arrogant, then you’re not becoming more like Christ.
The path to spiritual fitness is one that leads to the emptying of self, the loss of ego. If identifying ourselves as little Christs increases our arrogance, it’s evidence we haven’t spent enough time with the one we’re claiming to imitate.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons