The Problem with Loving Jesus 'Too Much'

If you read much from Christian writers, you will likely come across the name A.W. Tozer. In 1949 he wrote "The Pursuit of God" which is now considered a classic by many. He was a profoundly influential pastor and writer both in his lifetime and since. His was a faith that many have tried to emulate in their own lives.

Here are a few of the ideas he gave us:

• “Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.”
• “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
• “Justice is not something God has. Justice is something that God is.”
• “Faith is an organ of knowledge, and love an organ of experience.”

In addition to his ministry, A.W. Tozer was married and had seven kids. After Tozer's death, his wife Ada remarried a man named Leonard. One day she was asked about being married to Leonard in light of who her first husband was. Her reply is stunning.

Stare at that quote for a moment. At first, we may not know what to do with it. We might offer Tozer a slap on the wrist for loving God 'too much.' And notice that Ada didn't say Tozer was a fake or that he had some secret moral failure. She simply acknowledged that his love for Jesus didn't translate much to her.

In hindsight, some of his ideas are ironically sad. Tozer suggested that "An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.” Yet Tozer did not give himself fully to his own wife.

It reminds me of how often I was told to "just preach Jesus" as a Lead Pastor. This would happen whenever I started talking about specific groups of people who were marginalized or vulnerable. It seems many people want Jesus to stay put in the Gospels. We carry Tozer's delusion with us today.

We cannot see Jesus without seeing Jesus in the people around us. [tweet this]

Otherwise, we extract Jesus from the image bearers who offer us His face. We instead create a theoretical version of Him we can control and experience on our terms. Yet Jesus explicitly told us not to do this. Instead, He told us that "When you did [something loving] to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" And conversely, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me." (Matthew 25).

To paraphrase a bit for our purposes, "When you did not adequately love your wife you were doing that to me!" Jesus is always found in the people around you. Your spouse, your kids, your friends, your coworkers, your neighbors, the people looking to immigrate to our country (legally or illegally), the people who vote opposite of you, and even your enemies.

In particular, if your eyes are fixed on Jesus, your view will be disproportionately focused on the hurting and oppressed people around you. And if your heart is shaped like Jesus, their pain will become your pain. You can’t stare at HIM and not see THEM.

This is your friendly reminder to love Jesus well today... in the people around you.