Jesus was Dirty (How dirty are you?)

How “dirty” our lives are often an indicator of whether we’re spending our lives with the people who need God's love the most.

I was driving to work one day and I had this thought - “Man, Jesus must have been dirty.”

I mean think about it - everywhere he went he was ministering to tons of people. And not just anyone - the rejects of society.

• He hung out with people from leper colonies

• he spent time with demon-possessed people who lived alone

• he was with poor people who traveled with him for bread

And not only hung - He touched them. He hugged them, he lay hands on them, he fed them, he broke bread with them, he taught them.

His cloak, shirt, sweater, whatever he wore must’ve been dirty! Just practically speaking, you don’t hang out with different people from society and keep a clean shirt. People bring all sorts of junk onto you.

And I’m not just talking about literal dirty, I’m talking about:

• emotional dirt

• financial dirt

• relational dirt

The Lord stirred my heart with this idea:

Jesus was dirty because he lived up and close with people who were dirty.

How dirty you are from other people is actually an indicator of how much/little love you are giving to people who need God’s love most.

Wow.

If we keep ourselves clean, there’s a chance we’re not spending enough time with people who need God’s love the most.

I got to admit - I hate dirtiness. I’m Asian. We hate dirt. I like clean homes, and clean cars. I prefer my life peaceful and clean. I don’t want any drama!

But the Lord is challenging that.

If we want to love like Jesus, our lives have to look dirty.

People hate and shy away from discipleship because it is messy. You get involved in people’s lives and we see things we don’t like. Their issues spill onto us. And like, Jesus, we show up to work with a stained shirt. Our mental space is taken up. Our stress levels are affected. The peace and the cleanliness of our lives is disturbed.

To love people we will be required to touch people’s dirtiness. Like the dirt on his shirt they are signs of his love. They are signs of the sacrificial love of Jesus as he walked among broken people.

How dirty are you?
Do you try to keep your life pristine and free from people’s trouble?
Or do you bear the marks of Christ’s love by the “dirt” in your life?

You were made for greatness,
Phil