(Photo: screengrab)
On Resurrection Sunday, Pastor Jamal H. Bryant preached a sermon titled “I Am A Lot To Deal With,” in which he discussed how the anointing many people have on their lives often carries a great deal of responsibility.
As a reference point, Bryant evoked the tragedy of George Floyd. Floyd, 46, died last year when police officer Derke Chauvin knelt on his neck as he screamed, “I can’t breathe.” The tragedy, which was recorded and shared around the world, occurred after Floyd purchased cigarettes with what the store clerk suspected to be a fake $20.00.
Now, nearly a year later, Bryant found the timing of the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death to be profound. Not only does it correspond to Easter, the day we commemorate the execution and resurrection of Jesus, it also falls close to the 53rd anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr assassination.
These three men, Bryant noted, were not viewed by the public as significant until their death. People do not always see the worth of a person until that person is no longer alive. “Those who are so used to having the fake that they don’t recognize the genuine,” observed the New Birth pastor.
“Before Dr. King was assassinated, his popularity was at its lowest,” Bryant shared with the congregation. “George Floyd struggled to find a job when he was alive, but now that he’s dead people want to donate to his children.”
Despite people’s inability to recognize your significance, Bryant encouraged his audience to know that as a vessel of God, you have to know the power that you carry. “When you get to the point that you understand there is a lot on you, you have to be mindful, almost to the brink of paranoia, that there are elements in the Universe that want you dead,” warned Bryant.
For scriptural reference, Bryant used the story of Nicodemus and Jesus in John 3. Nicodemus wanted to know how to be born again. Jesus stated that it would be through salvation that he would be born again. But the megachurch preacher suggested that Nicodemus did not take Jesus seriously until after His resurrection in John 19. Bryant noted sometimes you have to let people know “don’t wait until I’m dead to adore me.”
The social justice-minded preacher ultimately concluded that when the power of God is strong over your life, people may not take you seriously or have other issues with you. However, that is ok, because for some people you may simply be “a lot to deal with.”
