What it means to be a real man
What does it mean to be a man?
We addressed that question recently in the Wednesday night men’s group at my church, First Colony Church of Christ. We looked at it from two perspectives. First we listed words that describe manliness from a world view and then from a biblical view.
It was easy to come up with a long list from the worldly perspective. Among the many words we came up with were things like: tough, strong, courageous, brave, adventurous, leader, bold, etc.
The biblical list was a lot smaller: meek, humble, gentle, loving, caring, servant, etc. For those of us who strive to be authentic Christian men, those two lists have some serious compatibility issues … or do they?
How can one be bold and meek, brave and humble, and strong and gentle? We concluded that Jesus did it, and so can we. Upon further reflection, as far apart as those two views seem to be, the more alike they really are.
Consider this – Jesus was strong. Physically, as the step-son of a carpenter (in the days before power tools), he was probably very imposing in stature. No doubt he was muscular and had incredible strength. Mentally and spiritually, he was even stronger. He put to shame some of the smartest, most learned people of his time when they confronted him on issues of the law. Spiritually, there has never been anyone stronger and unwavering than Jesus. Even unto a hideous death he held firm and dedicated to his Father.
I can picture what it must have been like to have this hulk of a man full of righteous indignation overturning tables and driving the money changers out of the temple. I bet he terrorized those bookish wimps.
No doubt his strength sustained him when the Roman soldiers were whipping and beating him in preparation for crucifixion. I bet they had a lot of meat on his bones to tear at as they ravaged his body. Yet Jesus had the strength to not only resist fighting back, but to beg for the forgiveness of his tormentors. That just shows his humble and meek side – two seemingly opposite traits working in tandem under the control of a real man.
When I think of the time Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, I notice how he humbled himself to one of the lowest stations of his culture. Yet it was bold of him to do so. Quite often an act of humility can be a very bold, very brave thing to do. Another example can be found in the late Mother Teresa. She boldly labored for God, humbly serving the poor, hungry and sick in the slums of Calcutta. How many men today would have the guts to do that?
By today’s standard, Jesus led a very adventurous life. In the three years of his adult ministry, he traveled on foot (with the exception of a particular ride on a donkey), healed the sick, raised the dead to life, both challenged and respected authority, walked on water, calmed a storm, fed thousands with just a little and once went 40 days without eating.
Too often we picture Jesus as a gentle, well-coifed white man in a flowing, white robe going around espousing peace and holding children in his lap. I picture a very different Jesus. I picture a sinewy, Middle Eastern man in dusty, dirty and tattered clothes with thick, calloused hands, scruffy hair and whiskers, chiseled and tanned features with a firm, gruff voice who – in the absence of toiletries and deodorant – probably smelled rather rank.
This is the same man, however, who asks his followers to be loving, kind, gentle and forgiving. As it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
When I looked up the word “meek” in the dictionary, I learned that it has more to do with being patient and forgiving than it does with being timid or a doormat. One has to be strong to be meek enough to sustain the stress and pressures of this world. It takes a strong man to be humble enough to deny himself and serve others. Likewise, it takes a humble man to be strong enough to resist temptation and be self-disciplined.
So there you have it. Jesus was the perfect example of the perfect man. He showed how two opposing traits actually reinforce each other and are needed for a man to be a real man – the complete package. I see no weakness in those who humble themselves before the Lord and give their lives in service to others. On the other hand, I see much weakness in those who are too proud and too strong to be humble and meek.
We addressed that question recently in the Wednesday night men’s group at my church, First Colony Church of Christ. We looked at it from two perspectives. First we listed words that describe manliness from a world view and then from a biblical view.
It was easy to come up with a long list from the worldly perspective. Among the many words we came up with were things like: tough, strong, courageous, brave, adventurous, leader, bold, etc.
The biblical list was a lot smaller: meek, humble, gentle, loving, caring, servant, etc. For those of us who strive to be authentic Christian men, those two lists have some serious compatibility issues … or do they?
How can one be bold and meek, brave and humble, and strong and gentle? We concluded that Jesus did it, and so can we. Upon further reflection, as far apart as those two views seem to be, the more alike they really are.
Consider this – Jesus was strong. Physically, as the step-son of a carpenter (in the days before power tools), he was probably very imposing in stature. No doubt he was muscular and had incredible strength. Mentally and spiritually, he was even stronger. He put to shame some of the smartest, most learned people of his time when they confronted him on issues of the law. Spiritually, there has never been anyone stronger and unwavering than Jesus. Even unto a hideous death he held firm and dedicated to his Father.
I can picture what it must have been like to have this hulk of a man full of righteous indignation overturning tables and driving the money changers out of the temple. I bet he terrorized those bookish wimps.
No doubt his strength sustained him when the Roman soldiers were whipping and beating him in preparation for crucifixion. I bet they had a lot of meat on his bones to tear at as they ravaged his body. Yet Jesus had the strength to not only resist fighting back, but to beg for the forgiveness of his tormentors. That just shows his humble and meek side – two seemingly opposite traits working in tandem under the control of a real man.
When I think of the time Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, I notice how he humbled himself to one of the lowest stations of his culture. Yet it was bold of him to do so. Quite often an act of humility can be a very bold, very brave thing to do. Another example can be found in the late Mother Teresa. She boldly labored for God, humbly serving the poor, hungry and sick in the slums of Calcutta. How many men today would have the guts to do that?
By today’s standard, Jesus led a very adventurous life. In the three years of his adult ministry, he traveled on foot (with the exception of a particular ride on a donkey), healed the sick, raised the dead to life, both challenged and respected authority, walked on water, calmed a storm, fed thousands with just a little and once went 40 days without eating.
Too often we picture Jesus as a gentle, well-coifed white man in a flowing, white robe going around espousing peace and holding children in his lap. I picture a very different Jesus. I picture a sinewy, Middle Eastern man in dusty, dirty and tattered clothes with thick, calloused hands, scruffy hair and whiskers, chiseled and tanned features with a firm, gruff voice who – in the absence of toiletries and deodorant – probably smelled rather rank.
This is the same man, however, who asks his followers to be loving, kind, gentle and forgiving. As it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
When I looked up the word “meek” in the dictionary, I learned that it has more to do with being patient and forgiving than it does with being timid or a doormat. One has to be strong to be meek enough to sustain the stress and pressures of this world. It takes a strong man to be humble enough to deny himself and serve others. Likewise, it takes a humble man to be strong enough to resist temptation and be self-disciplined.
So there you have it. Jesus was the perfect example of the perfect man. He showed how two opposing traits actually reinforce each other and are needed for a man to be a real man – the complete package. I see no weakness in those who humble themselves before the Lord and give their lives in service to others. On the other hand, I see much weakness in those who are too proud and too strong to be humble and meek.
posted by Joe Southern | 9:42 AM
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