More of Jesus

For some reason or another, I feel it necessary to state one more time that theology is not satisfying.  Every time I hear one more New Testament scholar quoted, or hear one more dissertation from a biblical language expert about the nuances and meaning of a conjunction in a particular passage, I come away empty.  For instance, Romans is 16 chapters long, how can you write a two volume commentary on a letter to a church? And yet that and much more has been done.  It seems to me theology falls into the same trap that any "ology" falls into, publish or perish.  I mean, how many commentaries have been written by respected "experts" on the book of Romans.  If you have one or two insightful, faithful works, why do you need fifty or a hundred?

It goes back to something my wife has said to me dozens of times and that has informed my perspective and preaching in my latter years, "Just tell me about Jesus."  Don't lecture me on Paul's use of particular words in his letters, or talk about overarching concepts like justification or election, bring me face to face with Jesus, and then do it again, and again, and again.  It never get's old, and it satisfies my soul like nothing else can. You can constrain me ultimately by your arguments and proof texts by wearing me down to the point where I no longer care and give in, but you can't change my heart with arguments, only with Jesus.  Enough said!