#5kMay2018 Day 12

It seems like we have been traveling a lot during this year’s “5k Every Day in the Month of May”. Last night Jodi and I went to the Sight & Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA to watch their presentation of “Jesus.” Wow! It was awesome!

This morning we went for a run around our hotel in Harrisburg, PA. There was a mall nearby, so we just got our 3.1 miles in running the perimeter of the parking lot. It was not nearly as fun of a run as yesterday morning in Pittsburgh, but oh well. We ran 3.1 miles in 30 minutes and 27 seconds, which was an average pace of 9:48. I have enjoyed a good week of taking it easy, but next week I plan to pick up the pace a little bit.

One of the main, most prominent stores that the mall we ran our 5k around had to offer was Bass Pro Shop. We ran past it twice. I couldn’t help but notice the sign hanging over the door of the main entrance: “Welcome Fishermen, Hunters, and Other Liars.” That is pretty funny. I appreciate a store with a sense of humor.

The sign actually reminded me of something that I had read shortly before we ran. In Mark 6, Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth and began teaching in the synagogue. The people were amazed by Him and made this statement:

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:3, ESV)

I have previously spoken at length about the people taking offense at Jesus. In fact, this is the exact same verse that stood out to me last year during #5kMay2017. But the offense is not the part that stands out to me today. Today I was hung up on their description of who Jesus is.

“Is not this the carpenter”?!

In their eyes, that is all Jesus ever was, and all He would ever be. “You are nothing more than a carpenter.”

Now, to be fair, I personally think that being a carpenter is a noble profession and am by no means intending to use it as a derogatory term. But that is exactly what the townspeople of Nazareth were doing!

And it was true. In His past, Jesus was a carpenter. But the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord was upon Him and he was now speaking with wisdom and performing mighty deeds. He was not just a carpenter. He was the Son of God!

Thankfully, Jesus knew exactly who He was, so their intended put-downs did nothing but make Him feel sorry for them. They couldn’t see it. They were blinded. Their minds, eyes, ears, and hearts were closed. His were not. He refused to allow them to keep Him from being the man He was created to be.

Welcome Fishermen, Hunters, and Other Liars. That is a funny, probably innocuous sign. But is it more than that for some people? I hope not. Do the people who walk through those doors think of themselves as Fishermen, Hunters, or Other Liars, or do they think of themselves as Children of God?

Who do you think you are?

Do you realize that you were created in the image of God? Do you realize that you are his chosen, adopted son (or daughter)? Do you realize that He loves you? Do you realize that He has a good plan and a purpose for your life, to give you a future and a hope? Do you realize that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for your sins so that you could be with Him forever?

Who do you think you are?

Don’t let the world keep you down, putting you in your place, and telling you who you are. Listen to your Father who loves you. You are who He says you are.

That is how Jesus lived. He didn’t let his past define Him. He allowed the Father to define HIm.

*5k Every Day in the Month of May 2018 is brought to you by Jeff Polen Music and Vertical Runner of Wooster. If you are joining the fun, don’t forget about the Facebook group, the Strava group, and the printable PDF.