Is that Jesus?

The little guy spent the day with grandma a few times this spring. Once, we went to Uncle D and Aunt K’s garden to take care of a few things. The fence between the garden and the yard next door is a short chain link fence, so you can see the other yard really well. Uncle D’s neighbor was on his back porch, off and on, sitting in a chair or standing and smoking. His thin brown hair was pulled back and tied behind his neck and I think he may have had a slight beard. He was thin and seemed weak. He was wearing a simple, thin, mid-calf length robe and slippers. A couple of times he walked to a shed at the back of the property, and Little J watched him with interest each time the man was outside. Then, while the man was walking to the back of his yard again, little J turned to me and asked, “Is that Jesus?”

Cute, humorous and thought provoking. Here are a few of my thoughts.

First, J is two, but he has a mental image of what Jesus looks like. And he thinks it’s no big deal to see Jesus walking around in the yard next door. Second, why do so many artists portray the Savior as emaciated or feeble? Third, why is my first reaction to chuckle to myself when J asked the question? I mean, aside from the cigarette, why couldn’t it be Jesus? That’s probably the attitude that caused problems for people during Christ’s ministry.

Maybe, when I’m irritated with someone, or feeling superior or judgmental or whatever, I should ask myself, “Is that Jesus?”