Truth hurts (especially when it hits close to home)

In the book of Mark (chapter 14, verses 53-65, if you're interested), Jesus is brought before the "higher-ups" after being arrested, and he's essentially thrown into a mock trial where witnesses are testifying against him falsely.

One of the recorded testimonies is that a guy heard Jesus say he would "destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man" (NIV translation). I think it's interesting that you didn't find people saying things like, "Jesus is a child molestor," or "I had an affair with him," or even, "He's embezzling money from the people who are coming to hear him teach." It's like they're twisting words he spoke just enough to make them fit the purpose at hand (in this case, to make Jesus out to be a blaspheming heretic worthy of death).

It struck something in me, and I realized it's because I do the same thing all the time.

Now, I can honestly say that I haven't deliberately set out to twist Jesus' words to my own bidding, but there is a reality here that I have certainly been guilty of starting sentences with, "Jesus said this..." where "this" is something I think he said, but I'm not sure exactly because I don't really know the scripture. And it's highly possible that my "source" could be less scriptural and more cultural, anecdotal stuff.

Like how we're not supposed to dance. Or drink alcohol. [Sidebar: Some people shouldn't drink, and well, some probably shouldn't dance, but scripture doesn't tell you not to. Most of us think it does, but none of us can tell you where. Of course, when I say "drink," I don't mean "getting drunk." There are actually some verses about that.]

I guess my point is that if I call myself a believer (and I do), then it's not just a good idea to really know the scripture; it's an absolute necessity. Because whether I mean to or not, I'm likely to give a false testimony of Jesus to others.

And while I may try to shrug it off and pretend that my life isn't really significant enough for anyone to notice, the way I live as a believer (my testimony) is actually really important. It's a tough world to believe in someone like Jesus, and we (yes, we Christians) have caused all kinds of collateral damage in the ways we've given our own testimonies. It's not hard for me to look around and see why people hate Christians. We're really to blame for most of it, I think. We've got a sizeable history of painting distorted pictures of Jesus, and it's really sad because we also have a great history of sacrifice and service for others that has been far greater, but also overshadowed.

Hopefully, though, if my pursuit of Jesus makes me more like him (as I believe it will), my life will become a much more accurate testimony of who Jesus really is and not who I think he is.

And whatever comes after that really isn't worth worrying about; it's not up to me anyway.

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