The Underdog Christ Figure

 

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Matthew 4:10

We love rooting for the underdog. It's just the American way or the human way.

Even in classical Western literature, there is always an underdog that has a problem to solve. That underdog is sometimes called the Jesus figure, the innocent one who always gets the worst of the situation but in the end is the hero. It could be that we got the idea to write those types of stories from the source, Bible stories. 

Let's look at the Old Testament which is a picture of the coming of Jesus, a picture of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Savior. The story of Joseph is a story with that message. Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob's other sons, except for Benjamin, born later, were from different wives. Joseph was the favored son. He was given a beautiful coat of many colors. As a teen, he had dreams of being a ruler over his family. There was so much hostility between him and his brothers, that his brothers wanted to kill him. Instead, they sold him down into Egypt. 

In Egypt, Joseph was Potiphar's slave. In all he did, he was honest and became the trusted slave until Potiphar's wife had ideas of her own. Joseph would not do wrong because he was trusted but mostly because he wouldn't sin against God (Genesis 39:9). Potiphar's wife lied about the situation and had Joseph imprisoned in a dungeon. 

After two years of continuing to serve God and help others, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream. Joseph was then put in charge by Pharaoh. Joseph collected enough grain in seven years to feed Egypt and the rest of the known world, including his own family. 

When Joseph revealed himself, his brothers were afraid for their lives. Joseph had only love for them. Even after their father died, the brothers begged Joseph not to harm them. Joseph knew all he had gone through because of his brothers was part of God's plan to "save much people alive" (Genesis 50:20). 

Now how is Joseph a Jesus figure? He was His Father's only Son. He was sent first to the Jews, God's chosen people, who rejected Him and had Jesus crucified. Joseph's brothers thought they had sent him to his death. 

Jesus never sinned, though He was tempted. Jesus always did good for others.  Jesus went down into the grave because of jealousy. Think of Joseph going into the dungeon because of the jealousy of Potiphar's wife. 

Jesus came out of the grave and sits at the right hand of the Father. Joseph came out of the dungeon to be Pharoah's right-hand man. Joseph was a savior to all the known world, even his family.

Jesus came to seek and to save. He saves all who call upon His name. Joseph gave food to save the lives of all who came to him. One day all the world will know Jesus came to save us from our sins. 

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9

Heavenly Father, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Do you like rooting for the underdog? Do you like reading books that have a problem to solve? 

Try finding the Jesus figure in the book you are reading. 

Make a list of the ways the hero of the book is like Jesus. 

Does the main character always try to do the right thing?

Does the right thing always seem to get him/her in trouble?

How is the main character helpful?

How is the problem solved? 

How can you write a story with a Jesus figure? It may just be a witness for someone! 

The Importance of the Word

 

In the backmatter of The Keeper of Wild Words Brooke Smith says she was inspired by an article that said the Oxford Junior Dictionary removed over 100 natural words because they felt the words no longer held relevance. They replace them with words like Chatroom, Analog, MP3 Player, Database, and Vandalism. 

What wild words did they replace? What are wild words? 

Some of the words no longer of relevance were:

• wren
• violets
• poppies
• blackberries
• acorn
• minnows
• beaver
• brook

Why were these words no longer relevant? Perhaps because children are rarely taken on walks or allowed to explore the Creation, to ask questions, to research the natural world. Most of their life is centered around technology. 

Words disappear if we don't share them when we talk.

If we don't write them in our stories.

If we don't read them in our books, 

If we don't use words, they can be forgotten. 

And if they are forgotten...

they disappear. 

~Brooke Smith

(emphasis mine)

In Deuteronomy 6:7 the Lord commands us to teach his word to our children. How? 

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them

diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  ~Deutoronomy 6:6-9 ESV (emphasis mine)

Are we guilty of replacing God's word with other words? Are we teaching technology over the Word? What about sports words? Do our children know more about TV and movie characters than the real men and women, boys and girls whose true stories fill the pages of scripture? 

Maybe our answer to these questions is, "We take our children to church. Shouldn't they know?"  I know adults who have been in church all their lives but cannot retell a Bible story other than Christmas and Easter. Ask your children to retell the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors or the story of David and Goliath. 

As parents we are the keepers of God's words. The grandmother in The Keeper of Wild Words took her granddaughter for a walk and showed her the wild things that were being forgotten. With all the political correctness in today's world, it's not just the wild words that are being forgotten. It's God's word that is being forgotten. 

Father God, thank you that your word is settled in heaven and will never disappear. But we know it may be forgotten. Help us show this generation your word, your truth as we talk about it, read it, write it, and use it in our daily lives. 

In Christ Jesus name,

Amen

Hey Kids:

What is your favorite Bible story? How can you share it with others? Here's a few ideas.

• Retell the story to a friend, sibling, or perhaps a grandparent. 
• Draw a picture of the story.
• Write the story from the perspective of one of the characters.
• Read a story you are not familiar with.
• Apply the story to your life.

Do you know these real people with real stories to share? 

• Daniel
• Esther
• Moses
• David
• Noah

Share your favorites with others. 

Planned and Prepared

 

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 

~Luke 19:4

Jacob had a rock for a pillow.

Moses saw a bush on the backside of the desert.

David had stones to pick up for his slingshot.

Zacchaeus had a sycomore tree.

How long had Jacob's rock been there? Since the flood?

How long does it take a bush to grow on the backside of a desert?

Had David's stones lain there since the beginning of the world?

Had a tender of sycomore figs planted Zacchaeus' tree many years before? 

Like Jacob, Moses, and David, God planned and prepared for a man named Zacchaeus. The sycomore-fig tree is not native to Israel. It is an import from Egypt and other places outside Israel. Sycomore-figs have a fruit that must be tended to make it edible. Each fig must have an incision made in it so it ripens before the insects destroy it. 

Like the tree, Zacchaeus was an outsider. He was a tax collector. He was not a part of the community. When he knew Jesus was coming through Jericho, he ran to the sycomore tree, climbed up, and hid among the branches and leaves before Jesus and the crowd arrived. He didn't want anyone to see a grown man climb a tree and he probably didn't want Jesus to see him either. 

Jesus was set to go to Jerusalem but He took the time to stop under Zacchaeus' tree, look up and say, "Zacchaeus, come down, for I'm going to your house today." (Remember singing that song as a child?) The people were horrified that Jesus would go spend time with a publican, a sinner. Zacchaeus wanted Jesus and the people to know he was going to be a different person because Jesus took time for him. He publicly repented announcing the changes he would make. 

Zacchaeus was like the tree he climbed. Jesus had pierced his heart with the conviction of his sins. Jesus had changed him into a fruitful Christian who still bears fruit to this day. Years before God had planned for Zacchaeus and prepared the place for him to meet Jesus. 

Jesus has planned and prepared for each of us. It was up to Zacchaeus to choose to see Jesus, to know more about Him. It's up to us to choose to know Jesus. He's already done all that is necessary for us to come to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for preparing a place for me. Thank you for my parents, and grandparents who taught me your word, took me to church, and prayed for me. Thank you for pricking my heart with the conviction of sin. Thank you that I stopped hiding and pretending and came to you in repentance and faith. Father help me be your fruitful servant. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Mr. King

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ~Isaiah 53:3-5

 My friend had a young rooster that the older hens in her flock didn't accept. As a matter of fact, they were horribly mean to the young man. They pecked at him and plucked out his feathers. Her children called him Mr. King. I never asked why. He was very gentle, unlike most roosters who want to fight all the time. His head was completely bald. I, being unfamiliar with the Silky breed, thought his gray comb was some kind of growth on his head. My hens weren't too keen on his presence in our flock either but I kept watching. The hens didn't allow him to eat or drink with them. So I put his feed on top of his transport cage and placed him on top. Some of the feed was nice greens from the garden. Pretty soon the hens decided they wanted those greens too. They flew up to feed with him. In a few days, he began to crow, a very weak scratchy crow. His feathers began to grow back and a few grew straight up behind his comb like a crown. He scratched in the chicken run and clucked to the hens to come see what he found. The hens ignored him. 

One day he grabbed a large piece of greens from the yard and clucked loudly while the hens were gathered around the feed bucket. The youngest of the hens went to him and took the piece from his beak. I was so excited that he was finally recognized as the king, the provider, the one who wanted to watch over the flock. 

The whole episode of Mr. King made me think of how Jesus was so mistreated by his people. They were dismissive. They questioned who this teacher from Galilee was. They heard him preach but most went their own way. Finally, they cried out to crucify him. His beard was plucked from his face. His back was in ribbons from the beatings. He didn't look anything like the king they wanted him to be. No crown upon his head, his cloak the prize of a gambling game. Oh, but Sunday came and he arose, King of kings and Lord of lords. He sits now at the right hand of the Father expecting to return in the Father's timing.

My rooster, Mr. King, is still very gentle and allows me to pick him up. He scratches and clucks to his hens and happily stands guard over my small flock. He crows at the break of day and the rest of the day too. Feathers are still growing back in but he's now a healthy and happy king. 

Jesus's church, though scattered by persecution throughout the ages, still stands and calls to all who will listen. He feeds us with the Word of his mouth. He watches over us to provide and protect us. He loves doing his job if we will only allow him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son who though mistreated and crucified arose from the grave as King of kings to call us and redeem us, to protect us, and provide for us if we will only listen. In Jesus's name. Amen