What you see is what you get

July 28, 2006

By Gary Rogers

“They came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth’ ” (Mark 12:14, NIV).

Some of Jesus’ greatest critics, the Pharisees and Herodians, said this about Him. Both of these groups hated Jesus and wanted Him destroyed, but they still saw Jesus as a man of integrity.

Integrity is defined as being complete, sound and unimpaired. It is demonstrating consistent character regardless of the situation, circumstance or the audience.

The next phrase in their description gives evidence of Jesus’ integrity. They said, “You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.” In other words, Jesus was the same regardless of who was watching. He didn’t try to impress. In today’s parlance, He didn’t have to change His language, hide His magazines, clean out His video collection, or quickly cover up His latest addiction when someone visited.

Jesus was so constant and so consistent that even His critics knew He was the same with everyone. He was not swayed by man, and paid no attention to their position or popularity.

The last phrase in this description of Jesus gives the foundation for His integrity: “You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.” Jesus was motivated by truth. In fact, Jesus was and is the personification of truth. In His words, actions, desires, motives, ambition and appetite for life Jesus lived each day without any fraction of wavering from truth.

With this life of truth Jesus never had to back up and try to remember what lie He told, or how He had represented himself, or what ulterior motive He had. Jesus consistently lived His life so that even His enemies and critics had to compliment Him in His integrity and His stand for truth.

What an example for us to follow. Jesus is a model worthy of our focus and worthy of being the object of our worship.

Gary Rogers is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Coweta, Okla.