Jesus Drank From Our Imaginary Teacups

I recently watched a fantastic television series: The Bible. The Blu-ray case was randomly pilfered from a massive bargain bin at our local used books/movies store.

The Bible was a perfect blend of educational yet entertaining – dramatic, action-packed, and emotionally-compelling. The writing, acting, and cinematography were also commendable. The “vibe” was not preachy at all; I could tell it was produced by a secular source. Yet, watching the stories play out, especially the Gospels, was so beautiful and moving to me as a Christian.

I think non-Christians could also enjoy the show simply as great cinema and/or as a source of knowledge. Whether you believe the stories of the Bible are true, false, or somewhere in between, you will definitely KNOW the stories by the end.

(I was unsurprised to learn that the History Channel played a major role in production.)

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Watching Jesus’s last few days on earth unfold is always hard for a softie like me. Perhaps I’ll be able to see/hear the story of Jesus’s resurrection without crying one day.

When we (my boyfriend and I) watched Jesus wash his disciples’ feet soon before leaving them, we marveled at how Jesus frequently illustrated servant leadership. Shortly beforehand, he entered Jerusalem on a donkey in plain clothes, defying the typical vision of a king dressed in royal clothes riding in on some grand white stallion.

Faith check: Are we always humble? When do we tend to “get on a high horse?”

At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry, his cousin John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River, asking them to repent of their sins as they awaited the true messiah. When Jesus approaches one day to also be baptized, John is astounded and responds –

Surely, I need YOU to baptize ME?!

But Jesus insists on being baptized by John.

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My boyfriend made an observation, a comparison so profound that I stopped everything to write it down.

You know how we often humor kids in their silly games? Like we shape our hand into a phone and pretend we are calling them, or we pick up an imaginary teacup with our pinky outstretched, gulping down some scrumptious imaginary tea at an imaginary tea party?

When Jesus let John baptize him and when he washed his disciples’ feet, Jesus was drinking tea from an imaginary teacup.

He did those things out of love, because of what they meant to US. Just as an adult’s understanding dwarfs a child’s, Jesus knew what was to come when even his own followers had no idea.

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Today, let us reflect on how much our first-world hustle and bustle might resemble a child playing silly games.

Maybe that realization is terrifying and existential-anxiety-inducing if the value of our lives and ourselves hangs on what we produce and accomplish.

Maybe that realization is comforting. Just as a child knows little about the world aside from the love and trust they have for a parent/guardian, we have that same security when we put faith in God.