One sunny day some years ago, I was walking down the street with a friend. We were minding our own business when a young man approached us for money. He looked clean and tidy, but you could tell that he was a street kid--and a smart one because he spoke well. We quietly listened to his plea for cash and promises to only use it for groceries rather than drugs or booze. Under normal situations, I would have just said, "no" and walked along...I hate being manipulated.
But that time was different. Something or Someone came over me and it felt more important to affirm this young man. So, I gave him a five-dollar bill with a blessing. Two things were at work: (1) I felt God's love for him and (2) I felt released from the irritation of being manipulated. In that moment I gave freely. And the freedom felt incredible inside.
We can say that Jesus made himself vulnerable to others' desires to manipulate him. Everybody wanted something from him. The mass of followers wanted food and healing. His close disciples wanted power in the Kingdom of God. Even his mother wanted wine from water. We're much the same today; most of us want blessings of some sort. Yet he doesn't just say no and get rid of us. He's patient with our mixed motives--and calls us to love the same way.
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