Jesus gets bigger

Last year I attended a workshop on explaining salvation to kids put on by Anji D'Achille. It was really great. (One take away that I still use is to bend or get down on your knees to be at eye level with children when speaking with them. Thanks, Anji!) The metaphor of friendship was used for salvation, saying you were asking Jesus to be your "forever friend."

The metaphor that was used with me as a child, and is often still used with adults, is to "ask Jesus into your heart." I think it's a good metaphor and is compatible with Paul's language in Colossians 2:6 about receiving King Jesus as Lord. The implication is that you have brought Jesus near to you. But take another look at Colossians 2:6-7. Paul immediately flips the metaphor: while at first we received Christ near us, now we are to live in him, rooted in him, built up in him. Our life, depth, and growth happens in Jesus. Paul's point is to make sure that while at first we may have invited Jesus into our hearts, the fact is our hearts are far too small to contain him.

This reminds me of a line from C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian. Lucy, the picture of childhood innocence and, at times, insecurity, is becoming reacquainted with the lion Aslan, the Christ figure. The dialog goes like this:

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”

“That is because you are older, little one,” answered Aslan.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

I think Paul would agree with Lewis here. As we grow and deepen in our faith, living it out, we see that it's not so much we who have invited Jesus into our hearts, but Jesus who has invited us into his. He's just that big.