That is what a church sign shows me driving to work each morning.  I thought how difficult that is for us.  I don’t mean the usual stuff of sacrifice or dedication.  I mean it’s difficult because we know how his story ends.  It’s not fair walking with someone when you know how the someone and something turns out.

I’m at an age where the first few words of hearing the gospel, I say to myself, “Oh, it’s that one again” and my mind wanders toward lunch.  I’m able to do the same thing with songs of my era, four notes into it is my best and I can tell you the artist, title and sometimes the record label. (Church repetition and radio days do have some things in common.)

Traditional piety is in knowing the end of Jesus’ story in order for us to copy it as best as possible.  Isn’t it more enriching and rewarding to question Jesus along side with those doubting apostles we hear about on Sunday?  If you notice, after the resurrection Jesus tells his disciples the good stuff when no one else is around.  (Ohhh, I just wrecked it for many of you…now you know that he resurrects.  Darn it.)  Can we identify with any of those biblical needy folks who approach Jesus looking for something but not knowing if he’s able to help?  My favorite biblical story is the blind guy who approaches Jesus for a cure and Jesus asks the most profound question to him: “What do you want?”   Isn’t it obvious?  But it is not until the seeker knows what to seek.

Understanding Jesus is to look back at his whole story including the ending.  We can only look back at our lives without sugar coating our parts and then look forward without knowing the ending.

All the Jesus movies are viewed with its sensational ending in mind.   Scourging, thorns or the final spear, we know what happens next.  He comes back to life, scares the guys with his “peace to you” statements, eats a lot of fish, ascends up and away and sends the Holy Spirit while he assumes his position at the right hand of his rightful position.

I want to walk with Jesus.  I’d love to have him beside me, above me, behind and within me.  Sometimes I wish that I did not know his ending so that my walk with him might be truly a mutual walk toward a surprising and unknown end.