Thinking like Jesus

There is no reason why we should think of people in Jesus’ day as any brighter or any more dense than we are today. While the human race has advanced technologically, there is no indication that the brain works at a more efficient rate. So when Jesus warned the disciples about the “yeast of the Pharisees” and they thought he was talking about bread that you eat, we can understand their misunderstanding because that is what we are prone to do as well. However, Jesus seemed to be somewhat upset that they didn’t understand the spiritual truth he was trying to teach. Among some other things, he asked, ”Are your minds so dull? You have eyes, can’t you see? Don’t you remember when I broke five loaves and fed 5,000 men?”  In time they began to catch on that he wasn’t talking about the “yeast” in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees.
       The point is that we miss so much about life if our minds are set on the natural world as if there were nothing else. While we are physical beings in a material world, we need to remember that in the long run what we see, hear, and touch is by no means ultimate reality. There was a time when nothing tangible existed, but when it was created it was only intended for a short time. As believers, you and I belong to a world independent of materiality. Like our heavenly father, we are essentially spiritual. I believe that is why Jesus was discouraged when he saw that his disciples thought that the  “yeast of the Pharisees” was something you could buy at the local store.
       What does it mean to think spiritually? One thing it doesn’t mean is letting our minds wander around in the land of ghosts and goblins. That’s imagination with a serious hangover. What thinking spiritually does mean is the active involvement of one’s mental and emotional facilties in all that God has revealed of himself in Scripture and personal experience. As Paul put it, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). Think your way through life as Jesus did. His mental outlook was not divided so at times he thought like a regular member of his Jewish community and at other times like a spiritual being. There was a commingling so the reality of heaven was entirely blended with life here on earth. And that is how Jesus would have us live from this point on.
       Let’s put it to the test. I’m sitting here at a desk with a beautiful view of clouds and trees just outside the window; I’m dictating to a computer that turns what I say into a readable file. Now I want to do what I just said Jesus wanted, so here goes and I’ll leave a sort of summary.
       “Lord, thanks for being right here with me this morning; somehow you never seem to leave.
       I love the mystery of life; what an intriguing hugger-mugger (new word for me!)
       Those tough times along the way – that’s when I learned the most.
       Your Word, it gets me so excited! The only genuinely important book in the world
       Relationships, I think that’s what it’s all about (isn’t that why you are triune?)”

       There is no reason why this kind of continuing experiential background shouldn’t play a part in every decision we make, every remark that comes from our mouth, and in every thought about life that is emerging from within. It’s called “having the mind of Jesus.”