There are times I think about what it would have been like to walk behind Jesus of Nazareth...to have been so close in proximity to Him that I am covered in the dust of the One Who held the keys to eternal life...Of course I trust Him when He says that not having had the chance to do what Peter, James and John did brings it's own faithful blessing (John 20:29). Still as I think about what He looked like in human form, I regret that I have fashioned in my mind's eye a version of Jesus that I am sure reflects my own American protestant inclinations. My inner perception tends to be that Jesus had reddish-brown shoulder-length hair and a beard. His eyes were blue. His calloused hands reflected the occupational hazards of a first-century carpenter. His feet, shod with open-toed shoes were dirty from His homeless wandering existence, and He donned an off-white baptism robe with a "Tarheel Blue" sash. The look on His face always seemed to me more pensive than happy and there was a soft glow around His head.
This unfortunate image was most likely derived from a painting in an oval frame hanging in a Baptist church foyer somewhere...I can't be sure. Of this I am sure, though. I must fight against this Jesus that invades my thoughts. For while He seems nice enough, portrayal becomes betrayal as this imposter double-crosses what the Bible tells me about the King of Kings and the result is, I'm afraid...idolatry. Because idolatry is not only making something else a god but also making something else of God. When we begin to worship a picture of Jesus that does not match the majesty of His magnificent countenance displayed in His Word, we are in danger of forsaking glory for tradition.
What do you see when you think of Jesus? You must be on your guard here. It is not as easy as you may think to remain focused on the Biblical Jesus while avoiding a take-Him-or-leave-Him artist's rendering. Let us run headlong into the majestic mystery and embrace the splendid enigma with an exaltation worthy of the holiness of the Uncreated One! The One Who is so unique that His likeness simply cannot be contained in an oval frame nor accommodated by the limitations of human reason.