I've been preaching a series of sermons on the theme "How to Build a Christian Character." This past Sunday I focused on courage. In the course of sermon, I tried to paint a picture of what courage in action looks like when seen in Jesus. One of my church members asked me to post a summary of that portion of the sermon. You'll find it below.

When I look at Jesus I see what courage looks like in action.

Jesus had the courage to define himself in relation to God rather than family, birth town or culture, or even generally accepted religious tradition. Courage requires us to take the risk of defining ourselves.

Jesus had the courage to step away from an established trade and life and into the next phase of the life to which God called him. He was a carpenter (and perhaps a stone mason as well). When the time came to launch his public ministry, he left his career and lifestyle behind in order to start down a new road. Courage often requires us to step away from what we've done and the life we've known in order to do a new thing and live a new life.

Jesus had the courage to face the reality of tempation and refuse its call. Think of his wilderness trials and that hard night he spent in Gethsemene. He named that which tempted him and repudiated it. Courage requires that we admit being tempted, name that which tempts us, and turn decisively from it.

Jesus had the courage to suffer in various and needful ways in order to serve God and others. He did not seek to suffer, but he accepted suffering when his commitment to God led to it. Courage requires us to accept and endure such suffering as may be necessary in order to honor our commitment to serve God and others.

Jesus had the courage to accept the shame of being judged a heretic, a political danger, and a religious failure by many, even by those who loved him best. His own family seems to have thought him mad. Even as he suffered and died, he did so knowing that everyone there judged his cross and death to be marks of failure. Courage requires that we be willing to endure the shame of being judged to have failed, provided we endure such judgement for the sake of following God's will.

Jesus had the courage to stand alone and die alone, if need be. He was terribly alone from the moment of his arrest until he died. He endured it for the sake of serving God and others. Courage requires that we be willing to stand alone as well.