Jesus doesn’t do Green Rooms

 

Now before you go looloo on me….yes Jesus loves the earth and the fact that more and more folks are recycling puts a big ol smile on his whiskered face (if it is in fact whiskered) This is about a different green, one that i would say stirs up envy……anyone ever heard being green with envy?

The green room we speak of today is the room that is set aside for the celebrity, the specialist, the whomever has had a staus of stardom bestowed or self-acclaimed upon them. The room is to serve as a getaway, a safe place for the performer/celebrity to sequester until his or her expertise is required from the paying patrons. (yes i’m including worship barns ie church buildings in this.) The green room origin is a bit unsure as some records report back to medieval times, or some have placed the origin in Shakespeare’s days along with the tiring room. The origin is not our focus but the purpose of the room and why they are in practice will be our focus of wonder today.

So let’s wonder why a bit shall we… I just wonder what Jesus would do if one of the disciples started to escort him to a room set aside in order to separate from the crowds? hahah. Well we really don’t have to wonder. Remember the scene in Matthew 19 where we see parents leading their children to hang out with Jesus. It’s almost like the disciples had those yellow shirts on with SECURITY on the their back as they stepped in to keep the children at arms’ distance. Jesus being Jesus says (bivo paraphrase) “get outta their way and let them come to me”….and reminds the disciples the kingdom of heaven is theirs and to anyone who comes as they do in childlike manner.

Oh I love this one. Jesus and the boys are walking in the crowd. And the crowd I believe would resemble the times when the President of the US or a celebrity of Katy Perry’s status rolls into town. The celeb wants to treat their fans/voters with being with them. So the celebrity is placed within a circle of men that move along the corridor at a pace a bit faster than snail but deliberate and the celebrity reaches over and through shoulders of the security to touch the ones on the parade route. This particular instance a woman reaches out. A woman who we are told in mark 5 came up from behind Jesus to touch him. The crowds were gathered in and tight, yet Jesus felt the power from HIM go to the woman who dared to touch HIM. Check out the response. Jesus stops, turns and empowers her with the words “your faith has healed you.”

You have time for one more? i mean there are tons of examples but one more.

Jesus and the gang had just learned that John the Baptist had been beheaded. Jesus’ cousin the one who baptized HIM, the one who was sharing with everyone that would listen: “look the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Yes that’s John the Baptist and upon hearing the news Jesus did ask for he and the boys to go to a place to rest and grieve. Yet as he went and people recognized him, the crowds started to gather around him. Man o man if there ever was a time for him and the others to say “hey look we need a little space” this was it. yet Jesus looked out over the crowds and we see that he had compassion (mark 6:34) which means “to suffer with.” Wowzers!

Look gang i do know the importance of having time away from others, what i’m wondering today is: what’s the motive? what is the motive in separating ourselves? We do see times after spilling himself (Jesus) completely in a day he would escape with others to a place of solitude. His motive was not be part of the “have’s” and stay away from the “have not’s” but to recharge and connect with the Father.  i believe the closest setting Jesus had to a green room would have been mary and marthas place in bethany. Theirs was the house he would retreat to after a long day of what most call ministry and what Jesus was showing as life. He would travel back and forth from Jerusalem to Bethany days before his final act on earth. His motive for this safe place was to recharge for the days ahead that would have him placed on a cross, buried and YES OH YES blasting out 3 days later. So if there ever was a time for Him to carry himself as a celebrity it would have been the days after the resurrection yet he shows himself to many.

you see, Jesus is a uniter. He equips us with himself so we no longer have to separate ourselves by what we do, but united by who we are in HIM.

What is the motive within the community of folks who are gathering in any type of structure and the focus on the gathering is centered on Jesus? What is the focus of the green room in this setting where we are called to unite yet we walk into arenas that have reserved seating, stages, platforms, security, special lanyards that allow access to different areas of the building? Back rooms that have rooms labeled green only for those that are deemed worthy…. it’s time, gang, to rid ourselves of this envy that we as paying patrons create. Im chuckling as i remember this and share with you, some of the times i have come close to being trampled over in a crowd is at a christian concert where the ticket purchased just got you in the door and the seating was first come first serve. As i was caught up in the vortex of my brothers and sisters stampeding to the front rows, to the seats of honor. people including me “saving” seats -heck entire rows – afor our buddies. guarding them like a rotweiler on a bone. As i stood victorious i did look up to the ceiling of the facility and was reminded Jesus has something to say about seats of honor.(Luke 14)

And i wondered, why don’t we fill up the arenas from the back to the front. Why don’t i rush to get the “worst” seat? hmmmmm…well….what is my motive?

Maybe our green rooms look a bit different. I’m asking myself who am i not allowing into my home, my truck, who am i not having compassion with due to my self elevation of myself over particular individual based on what they may or may not have and what i do?

Is that my green room?