My Conversation with Jesus
"Jesus," I said, "Why don't I love you like other people? Why is there no emotion? I want to love you." Jesus replied, "You are incapable of loving me. You simply don't have it in you, your heart is cold and dead. Don't worry though, I'm good at this. I will put into you a new heart, but I will have to cut out the old heart first. It may hurt for a while, but it will heal soon enough."
"Jesus?" I said. "What is it?" He replied. "How am I doing? I don't lie anymore, and I don't steal either." Jesus answered, "Do you do this to love me, or to escape punishment?"
"How about now?" I asked. "I don't argue with people anymore, and I don't get mad like I used to." Jesus replied, "But do you love those people? Do you love me?"
"I go to church every week. And I read my Bible every day." I said. Jesus answered, "But you text your girlfriend just about all day long. Why don't you talk to me throughout the day too? It makes me think you don't love me as much as you love her."
I said, "Jesus, I don't get drunk, and I take care of my body. I'm in good shape and healthy." Jesus answered, "But whenever we hang out, you usually bring your own snacks. I always have food for you, but you don't eat it much because of your snacks..."
I said, "Jesus, I don't listen to those false prophets, and I try to make sure others don't listen either... And I always make sure that other people aren't led astray by the errors they think." Jesus answered, "But do you truly love those people? Would you die for any of them? I did..."
I said, "Did you see that Jesus? I prayed for that guy, and he got healed!" Jesus answered, "Yes, that is wonderful... but back on the subject of your family, why were you arguing with your mom this morning?"
I said, "Wow, Jesus, I can't believe today is the last day of seminary. My bachelors degree, my Ph.D. and now my divinity degree all completed. Now that I have all this knowledge, I will be able to better serve you!" Jesus replied, "That's great, good job... But why were you so unkind to your professor?" I said, "Well, he was a total jerk! He needs to be put in his place." Jesus answered, "But that's my job, not yours... and since when is that an excuse? Remember way back when you were rude to me, and never payed any attention to me? I forgave you and reached out to you anyways. Why couldn't you do that for your professor?"
At the end of my life, I look back on things. I think of all that God has made me, all he has brought me through, all He has done for me. I say, "Jesus, this life has been great. It has been up and down, easy at times and difficult at others... You have worked so many things in my life. I have spoken in the languages of men and of angels. You have used me to prophecy over people and in people's lives. I understand so much now, and you have revealed the answer to so many mysteries. I have seen faith move mountains. I have spent my life in service to you, I've been a missionary, been a witness, and even been beaten and persecuted for it. I have raised a godly family. Stayed away from alcohol, drugs, and pornography. I'm ready to come home to you now..." Jesus paused, then looked at me very sorrowfully and said, "But you did not love me." "But Jesus," I said, "Of course I love you. I did all this stuff for you. I healed the sick and cast out demons in your name!" "No," Jesus responded, "Not really. You had emotion for me, sure. But you did not love me. You sacrificed your life for your idea of the Church, but you didn't obey me. You did what you thought was right. You went your own way. The people I put in your life, your family, your friends... You did not lay down your life for them. You always did what YOU thought was right. You held grudges. You sought your own rights, rather than laying them down for others... You tried to fix people, rather than minister to them. You tried to kill in others what you didn't like, instead of building life into them and letting me change their hearts. Remember when I gave you a new heart and cut out the old one? Well, I was capable of doing that for others too, but you tried to do it yourself. Remember all those people you thought were so annoying? You shunned them and rejected them, the same people I died for along with you. You used my name in order to hate and despise people you called false prophets and heretics, the same people I died for. You broke yourself away from other members of my body for your own selfish reasons...
"You see, I wanted you to live a good life. There are things that were dangerous for you, and harmful, that I wanted you to put away. Of course I wanted you to choose trust over fear. Of course I wanted you to put away sin. Of course I wanted you to feed the poor and heal the sick and spread the Gospel. But, I am love. Without love, without agape, all of that other stuff is empty and vain. Remember when I was on earth in body, I lived a good life too. I didn't sin. I did everything right, far more than you or anybody else ever has... but if I hadn't died to my own desires, if I hadn't given up my own rights to be God, to not die, to not be punished, all of it... then I wouldn't be much different than any other man, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I showed you agape love, and that's what was the most important thing. I would have been right to sit in heaven and hate you all and wipe the whole earth out of existence. But instead, I gave up my own rights, and I did what was better for you, what was more loving for you, and I came and gave you life. I wanted you to obey my commandments, yes. But my first and greatest commandment was to love me and to love those around you. I said love your neighbor and your enemy, so who do those two categories leave out? If you had loved me and loved others, all the rest would have flowed from that naturally. You said you wanted to love me back in the day... this is what that means."
And so, now, in the end, I finally see the point... To love, to give up one's own rights for the sake of others, to forgive, to die... Anyone who does not love (agape), does not know God, because God is love.











