Jesus: An Inconvenient Truth

I know it seems strange to bring up global warming in December in Michigan when the high temperature is a balmy 26 degrees, but the other night I was thinking about the documentary by Al Gore, “An Inconvenient Truth”.

An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times. (For the record, I never saw the film)

He was trying to share what he considers truth. The fact is a lot of people don’t want to hear about that truth or be inconvenienced over it.

Inconvenient - not suited to your comfort, purpose or needs; not conveniently timed

This led me to think about the birth and life of Jesus in a different perspective.

Jesus says in the book of John, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…”

Jesus is Truth.

And I began to think over the life of Jesus and realize that from the very beginning, He was an inconvenience to most people.

Consider this –

Jesus was an inconvenience to Mary and Joseph. Betrothed to be married and Mary gets pregnant. Then they have to travel (walking mind you) to Bethlehem. This poor teenage girl is pregnant and traveling through the desert on foot. Only to arrive in Bethlehem and give birth in a barn. All the animals and hay and fresh smells around her.

Jesus was an inconvenience to King Herod because King Herod viewed Jesus as a threat to his throne. So much so that Herod had all the babies 2 years and under killed.

Jesus was an inconvenience to His disciples. Think about it, these guys all had jobs and lives that they were living and Jesus comes along and says “Give up everything you have and what you do for a living and follow me.” Only to follow a man that had no place to call home.

Jesus was definitely an inconvenience to the Pharisees. They were the religious leaders that measured their spiritual success by how well they followed the laws. Jesus radically challenged their way of thinking and encouraged them to have more of a relationship with God than just practicing a religion.

We see that the Truth Jesus taught and represented, was sometimes inconvenient to people. Jesus was an inconvenient truth.

My question to you today, “Is Jesus an inconvenience to you?”

Is it an inconvenience to pray, read your Bible, go to church, worship, give, love people, get rid of your pride, yield your will and plans to Him?

In Luke 2:7 , Luke’s account of the Birth of Jesus says,

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for Him at the inn.”

There was no room for Him at the Inn. What an inconvenience!

I wonder are we making room for Jesus in our lives this Christmas season?

The Truth is that nobody gets to heaven except through Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus an inconvenient truth to you?