There are some marvellous characters in the gospel accounts. There’s Thomas with his doubts – almost an ancient version of Eeyore – wearily trudging after Jesus in anticipation of death (John 11:16), refusing to believe the good news of the resurrection. And then Peter, so full of impetuosity – first to speak, first to act, and the first to make mistakes. Martha is all practicality – from the demands of domestic preparations (Luke 10:40) to her concerns about bad smells at the grave of her brother (John 11:39). Even some individuals with only a brief mention still have a ‘feel’ to them – like the centurion in Matthew 8 who shows such respect for orders and chains of command.
But Jesus? What about him? Getting a ‘feel’ for Jesus seems peculiarly difficult. There are plenty of ways to describe Jesus: he is faithful and steadfast, bold and courageous, learned and wise, and supremely compassionate and loving. But that’s not quite the same as having a character or personality like that of Peter, Thomas or Martha. He dominates the gospel narratives and we learn more about his words and actions than anyone else, but there’s still a sense that he’s strangely difficult to pin down.
Characteristics and imperfection
Often our weaknesses are said to be the opposite of our strengths. It’s a helpful observation. Peter is a case in point. His readiness to speak up means he is the one boldly declaring that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29). But, barely a heartbeat later, the same forthrightness prompts him into the madness of rebuking Jesus (v32).
Things we do well, where we have clear strengths, often sit alongside complementary weaknesses. Someone with a wonderful ability to understand others will perfectly enter their world and understand their pain. Filled with compassion, they come alongside others and make them feel understood. Yet they may not be our first pick when hard things need to be said. People big on compassion can often find confrontation difficult.
Or think of someone who is strong in planning and organisation. Their analytical minds just seem to know how to get things done. It’s second nature. Faced with problems, neat and efficient solutions are soon occurring to them. But will all that make them the ideal companion for an artist in their creative phase? When random ideas are needed and the thinking needs to be lateral rather than linear, they may well feel like a duck out of water. They specialise in zeroing in on solutions, not meandering to creative surprises.
Here’s the rub. Most of us have characteristics that we find hard to step out of. When a different ‘mode’ is needed, we often flounder. People pleasers find it hard to confront. Those big on control don’t find it easy to go with the flow. We have strong sides and weak sides. Things we do well and things we aren’t so good at. Some situations play to our strengths; others take us way out of our comfort zone. And this mixture is what we generally refer to as a person’s typically characteristics.
Characteristics and perfection
Jesus, however, had no such difficulties. There was never a situation that exposed any weaknesses. Or a demand where he lacked the skill set to respond. When we identify Jesus as being without sin, we not only mean that he never did wrong, we also mean that he always did what was right.
Situations didn’t ‘play to his strengths’, because Jesus was strong in everything. Nothing exposed his weakness, because there were none. In any and every situation, with each and every individual, with whatever kind of response was needed, Jesus responded perfectly. He had, in other words, the fullest possible array of ‘strengths’ to choose from in order to perfectly love the person in front of him.
Jesus was wise. Supremely wise. He knew what was in a person and he always knew how to respond to them in love. You might say that he had the fullest possible repertoire of responses at his disposal. Unlike us he had no strengths or weaknesses and no limitations in his choice of possible responses. And that, I think, is why his ‘personality’ is so hard to pin down. Jesus doesn’t have traits the way we do. You will look in vain for typical ways that he responded to people. Unless, of course, you include love. He had that ‘trait’ perfectly – which allowed him to respond perfectly every time.
Characteristics and ministry
Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 have long been a biblical counselling favourite: ‘Warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.’ It’s a verse that reminds us how different people need different things. In his classic article on this verse1, David Powlison showed how our tendencies in pastoral care so easily trip us up. For some of us are naturally encouraging, others quick to rebuke, still others gifted in supporting the weak. But, as he memorably put it: ‘We have to be careful. A hammer thinks everything is a nail; a blanket treats everyone as shivering; a wheelchair thinks everyone needs a lift. But wisdom sees people for what they are and gives what is needed.’
One of the ways we must grow like Christ is in broadening our repertoire. So that instead of responding in a typical way, which will at times have its strengths and at other times display weaknesses, we respond in the most loving way. We won’t broaden our repertoire simply by trying harder or exerting more effort and determination. We do it by seeing these things in Christ. Better than that, it happens as we experience the love of Christ in our own relationship with him. Then we will learn to love others as he loves us – with the most perfect response of love that is specific for that person, in that moment.
1 David Powlison. Familial Counseling: The Paradigm for Counselor-Counselee Relationships in 1 Thessalonians 5. JBC 25:1.
