Stacy sat in the assessor’s office at Diagnostic Specialists, bewildered and breathless. Her 6-year-old was just diagnosed with a serious learning disability. But how? And why her child?
Guilt took over. She must have done something wrong. She hadn’t read enough books. She hadn’t organized enough trips to the library. Too many video games. Too much sugar. Not enough exercise when she was pregnant. And 19 other stabs of her pained conscience that she had failed as a mom.
She felt terrible for acting out angrily against her child’s teacher, who had recommended the assessment and Stacy yelled at the teacher, stormed out of the room and slammed the door. The follow up phone call from the teacher went just as badly. Now it made sense, but that caused her to feel even worse.
Embarrassment turned to embitterment. How could God allow this? It would disrupt her family life with new classes, new teachers, new homework and maybe new schools. And her poor child would now be looked at like a crippled, stupid nobody.
Do you detect all the lies that Stacy is believing as she processes this news? That’s what happens when our beliefs and expectations are misaligned with the truth. That’s what happens when we have fallen for a Jesus scam.
“Jesus scams” are designed in our own hearts and minds. We are the architect and engineer. Not God. Not truth. We interpret circumstances with our limited understanding—always poisoned by sin living in us—and create a false belief system. We trust in people or things or dreams to give us what only Jesus can give.
In Stacy’s case, she fell in love with the idea of being the perfect mom to the perfect child. This, more than anything including Jesus, gave her identity, satisfaction and purpose. When that false belief—a self-inflicted scam—shattered, so did her identity, satisfaction and purpose. She blamed herself, others and God.
“Jesus scams” never deliver. Ever. They can’t. They won’t. And the devil is the world’s greatest expert at slyly helping us design them. And hope in them fully. The devil tried this with Jesus himself when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4). Jesus didn’t fall for it.
Jesus won’t let you fall for it, either. He’s on your side. If you have fallen in this way, it means you’re human. Even Christians fall for “Jesus scams” like the elderly fall for phone scams. It doesn’t make grandma evil if she gives her social security number to someone posing as the IRS. It just shows that she needs protection, guidance and someone safe she can trust.
You need protection, guidance and someone safe you can trust. That’s Jesus. In his endless mercy he forgives you, fills you with grace and truth, and says, “I’m here now. You can do better.”
Jesus met a man who was crippled, and had designed his own “Jesus scam.” He had learned, over 38 years of being crippled (a long, hard journey) to place his full hope in a mysterious pool of water that actually did provide healing to certain people at certain times. This was his answer to life worth living. But being crippled, he couldn’t get to the pool before everyone else and then the healing waters lost their power.
Jesus gently taught him that he should not be looking to water—even water that works some healing some time—as his hope and dream. Instead, he should place his hope in Jesus. Maybe Jesus would use that water, or some other water, or a new doctor, or in this case, Jesus’ own miraculous power and mercy, to heal him.
Watch it take place in this video clip from The Chosen (season 2). Here is your Jesus, and your only true, real hope for everything. He is ready and willing to replace your “Jesus scams.” Then read more below.
PRAYER: Jesus, I confess that I have fallen for lies and scams that promise to replace you. I am weak, too weak, and on my own my limited perspective fails me. Thank you for your gentle, patient grace that forgives me, filling me with your love and truth. Heal me, Lord. Help me walk on your paths. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Open your Bible or Bible app and read about this man’s encounter with Jesus in John 5:1-8.
