Not many of us enjoy change, but we’re all called to “get used to different.”
“Get used to different!” If you’ve seen, or even heard of, The Chosen, that phrase is probably familiar. For centuries, the Jews operated under a strict set of laws. They waited for their Messiah to come with an army to drive the Romans out of their land. Instead, they received a savior sent for spiritual deliverance, and to call them to a radical new way of life.
The Jews expectation of their God had to change. They had to get used to different.
Embracing the different leads to spiritual peace:
When you think about it, it does not make sense that the Jewish leaders would reject Jesus. He fulfilled every prophecy about the Messiah. He was healing lepers and driving out demons. His followers taught with authority and knowledge far beyond their education. Even Pilate, a Roman, could see His divinity. But, they chose to reject what was different from their expectations.
Resisting the “different” in our lives can cause a lot of spiritual turmoil. When we first had our son, it was incredibly difficult to adjust to parenting life. Leaving the house became decidedly more complicated. Having friends over was very difficult. We were struggling to cook meals and eating dinner very late. Living in sleep deprivation felt impossible.
We were called to get used to different. At first, we did not understand how to respond to that call. We tried to do everything as “normally” as possible. But it was dysfunctional with a newborn. We learned to adapt, rethink how we lived life, and reorient our lives around our baby boy instead of trying to shove him into our routine.
Our son did not fit the narrative of our lives. Jesus did not fit the narrative of the Sanhedrin. Yet, we wanted our baby and the Jews wanted their Messiah.
We found spiritual peace in our lives when we stopped trying to hold onto the “normal” and allowed ourselves to embrace the “different.” The Jews would have found the same thing if they had obeyed Jesus. What normal are you being called to release in your life? What different do you need to get used to?
