The Optimism of Jesus

I don’t know about you, but the last adjective I would have used to describe Jesus was “optimistic.” Nor would I have used its distant cousin – “joyful.” I mean, the shortest verse to appear in the Bible is “He wept.” It’s not “He laughed.”

And then there’s this description of him in Isaiah 53: 2b-3

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

There’s not exactly compelling evidence that this was a happy man, a man full of joy – an optimist. This guy was despised, rejected, familiar with sorrow, unattractive – someone who caused people to avert their eyes.

And then there are the paintings and sculptures of him – on the cross, bleeding, face hanging down, eyes full of sadness. No, no the adjectives I would have used to describe Jesus were good – yes, holy – yes, but . . . morose.

And then I stumbled on a book written by Charles Edward Jefferson in 1907, called “Jesus the Same.” It was based on a series of sermons he preached over a two-year span on the characteristics of Jesus. There are 20 chapters. Twenty characteristics to describe Jesus, and he revealed more facets to this man of God than I could have ever imagined. And after reading it several times, I am convinced that he has only scratched the surface.

I was tempted to just copy the entire chapter, word for word for you, but that would have taken too long. Plus, you know, I do want to write my own blog posts. So I have contented myself with quoting the last two paragraphs. The quotes (apart from the Scriptures) are his words; the other words are mine but the ideas are heavily influenced by his writing, and in some cases, even paraphrased.

This world has its shallow optimists – those who insist that all will be well, though all evidence is to the contrary. They refuse to see the sadness, the discord, the suffering in humanity. But this was not Jesus. His eyes were open to the suffering that most people had grown hardened to. He saw everything, he felt the sorrow, and it moved him to action.

He saw the widow of Nain, who had already lost her husband and was now following the funeral procession of her only son. And “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” (Luke 7:13) Then he raised her son and gave him back to her.

He saw suffering in other forms as well. In Jesus’ time, when someone contracted leprosy, they became an outcast to society. They lived alone or with other lepers, and whenever they came into a public place, they were required to announce their presence by yelling “Unclean!” so that people could scurry out of the way. They were completely isolated.

“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!’  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.” (Mark 1:41-42)

Jesus not only healed the man with leprosy, he touched him. He could have healed him just from a word, but he didn’t. He pushed through his isolation and let him know that he was accepted, even diseased as he was – and not just accepted, but also healed. Jesus’ optimism was not a shallow one. It came from a heart that saw all the suffering, and did not lose hope.

Jesus’ optimism came from his trust in God. Our own faith is weak. It ebbs and flows like the tide. Not so with Jesus – he was constantly amazed that we could doubt God.

“‘Have faith in God!’ Jesus answered” to his disciples, who were surprised that a fig tree he cursed could wither to the ground at his word.  (Mark 11:22)

When a father, whose son was possessed by a demon that often threw him into fire or water to kill him, begged Jesus, “But if you can do anything . . .” Jesus’ response was, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes.“ (Mark 9:23)

God is so willing to reach us in our sorrows and trouble. And Jesus knew this about his Father – his optimism was that of God himself.

We get a glimpse into his buoyant character by what others said about him. His own disciples saw him as joyful.

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.‘” (Luke 10:21)

But it was not just his friends that saw his joy – it was also his enemies, and they used it as a base for accusation. “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:18-19)

You don’t call a morose, unhappy man a “glutton” and a “drunkard.” This was a man who knew how to live life to the full – to enjoy God’s goodness, even while his eyes were open to the world’s heartbreak.

Even we can see Jesus’ joy in the pages of the Bible. His words were cheerful. Look at how he exhorts. Look at how he encourages. Look at how tender he is with those who are broken-hearted and discouraged.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

“Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.” (Matthew 9:22)

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” (Matthew 14:27)

Jesus was quick to reassure those who were frightened or grieving that all would be well in the end because we follow a God who can be trusted.

He was living in a time when the government was corrupt, the church was formal and lifeless, its leaders were deaf to the spirit of God, society was morally bankrupt – even Jesus himself was misrepresented, suspected and hated. But he was optimistic that people could change. When he saw that people were determined to take his life, he said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)

What a sad book the New Testament should be. Jesus was a man familiar with sorrow. His ministry of thousands of followers dwindled down to just 120. He died a painful and humiliating death on the Cross. And yet the New Testament is a gospel – a piece of good news – because behind it lay an optimist.

Right before his death, Jesus encouraged his disciples. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) He knew he would be betrayed, that he would be denied, that every single disciple would flee when he was taken captive, that his death would be horribly painful and that he would be separated from God. But he could see beyond the failings of men and the state of the world and exhort them – Be cheerful! Be joyful! Be happy! Be light-hearted! It’s going to be okay.

I’ve overcome the world.

“We measure men too much by their powers, and not enough by their capacities, by what they are today and not by what they may become later on. It was because the eyes of Jesus swept the future that he could stand around the wreckage of a race in ruins and say, “Be of good cheer!

This indomitable Optimist has confidence in you. You have no hope for yourself. He has. You see your weakness, sordidness, vileness; he sees deeper, and seeing deeper, he has hope for you. He sees your capacity for God. He knows what you can do when you have come to your senses. He sees deeper also into God. You have no adequate conception of the patience or the mercy of the infinite Father. He has. You do not know what infinite Love can accomplish. He does. Because of your transgressions, you have lost faith in yourself. He has not. Because you have failed a thousand times, you say there is no use trying anymore. He says, “Try again!”

If you give yourself to him, he will make of you an optimist!“

Image Credit: 123rf

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