Something Different

Matthew 3:1-12

Are you odd, eccentric or weird? Do you know someone who is? Is different good or bad?

As I read Matthew 3 I was struck by the phrase in verse five "Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity were flocking to him..."

Perhaps that stood out to me because our popular culture loves popularity and fame. Maybe it stood out because I like for people to like me. I'm not sure exactly why it stood out, but it is amazing that John was able to garner such a following. And I have to wonder if part of the reason these people flocked to John was because they were a lot like people today: They wanted to see someone different.

People today, as apparently then, want to see someone who is different. We catapult people to stardom because of their eccentricity or talent and then we become disinterested when the turn out to be just like everyone else. Furthermore, the world is looking for Christians who are different.

John was different in a lot of ways. His message was not like that of the religious leaders of the day. The fact that he lived in the wilderness, ate locust and honey, and wore camel-hair garments was significant enough that the gospel writer felt compelled to include it. And the people "flocked" to see and hear something different.

As Christians, we know that the world wants to see people who are different. Our churches preach for us to be different so that we can be a salt and a light. Unfortunately, all we offer in terms of being different is a bunch of externalities that are often more weird than different. Depending upon our religious affiliation and where we live, we give the world a version of different that consists of various items from this list:

• We don't swear
• We don't swear much
• We don't have long hair
• We don't cut our hair
• We don't wear certain clothes
• We wear clothes with fish on them
• We don't smoke
• We don't drink alcohol
• We attend services on Sundays (or some other day)
• We give some of our money to churches
• We give some of our money to charities
• We don't have any money
• We read our Bible every day
• We pray every day
• We use religious phrases

I could continue but I think you get my point.

The problem is that the world is not interested in these types of differences, however important they may be to you. What the world is looking for is someone who is different on the inside. I believe that is part of the reason why some people are so hostile toward Christians. They understand that how we respond to pressure reveals more than how we dress or talk. Their unbelief is confirmed when they watch Christians respond the same way everyone else would - with selfishness, anger, defensiveness and even wrath.

What I find interesting is that the version of different that the world wants to see is more along the lines of what Jesus actually taught. If I try to put it into a list like the one above, it would be something like this:

• I can love you even though you hurt me
• I don't have to get my way
• Everything doesn't have to be about me
• I don't have to agree with you in order to love you
• I can admit when I am wrong

I could continue but I think you get my point.

I would like to end this post there, but I feel like I must clarify something. I am not asking you to go start doing the second list. The truth is we can't. The only way we can ever have lives that fit those descriptions is to let Christ change us. That means we have to have a relationship with him. If our Christian walk is only about doing (or not doing) certain things then we will never be molded into the image of Christ. It's the only way we can truly be something different.