The Great Pretender

The Great Pretender

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Ephesians 5:1

One year we planned a different kind of vacation Bible school. Instead of regular Bible classes, we decided to dramatize the Bible stories. We moved the kids around from classroom to classroom in groups as if they were the twelve tribes of Israel. There they watched the stories come to life one by one. They loved it!

One of the VBS stories was about Jesus’ driving the money changers out of the Temple in Jerusalem. Naturally, the key figure in the drama was Jesus. The man chosen for the role was a big, burly guy who drove a cross-country truck, chewed tobacco, and hit home runs on the church softball team. However, he rarely made it to church services or other spiritual events. His personal relationship with the man he was portraying was definitely limited to a nodding acquaintance.

He did a great job as Jesus, actually enjoying the part where he got to knock over the tables, scatter the money, and chase the bad guys out of the Temple. The children were in awe of this hero.

After VBS concluded, our “Jesus” started showing up for other church activities. Somehow, playing the role had touched him in a way he never expected. What really affected him the most was how the children responded to him after his portrayal. As he walked by them at church functions, ball games, and other activities, they would point at him and whisper, “Look, there’s Jesus!”

Soon he stopped just playing the role and started seriously trying to imitate the Lord. Today he’s a deacon in the church and a real spiritual leader. In short, he stopped just acting like Jesus and began really living like Jesus.

O Master, please help me to imitate you with my thoughts, my words, and my actions. I pray that when people see me, they will think, Look, there’s Jesus. Amen.