Part 4 of 6Everyone of us can identify individuals whom we consider to be role models of intelligence. Perhaps it is a professor, or an author you have read. A frequent theme of our hymns and choruses is wanting to be like Jesus. We think of Jesus as a master teacher, a model leader, a true servant. But have you ever thought of Jesus as an intellectual? He was literate, he was an orator and storyteller. When he preached, he used illustrations from the natural and social world. He studied the ancient Scriptures. He debated with the religious leader, using historical texts and logical arguments. In fact, the passage we heard from Mark 12 is an excellent example of Jesus at his intellectual best. If we love God and want to be like him, then, we need to have the mind of Christ, to think after his thoughts, in other words, to think like a Christian.
I love the phrase "What would Jesus do?" While it may have been trivialized through overuse, it helps to guide my behavior and determine my priorities,. But here is another phrase to consider: "What would Jesus think?" ...about advertising, or 19th century philosophy, or voting, or global warming, or Islamic extremism? Christ want us to visualize the world through his eyes and his intellect, and through the lens of Scripture and faith. This, too, is what it means to love God with your mind.
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