Then Jesus said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day.
Last Sunday, I delved into the question: Why? Why was it necessary for the Messiah to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day? Why was the cross necessary? I took quite a bit of time to focus on the aspect of sacrificial atonement and the cost Jesus bore to forgive our sins. If you missed that sermon, it can be found on my blog. I will be happy to give you the web address for that.
However, there is another aspect we must consider when it comes to the cross. For there has been a long running criticism of those of us who preach that Jesus has given us our salvation–free to us, but costly to Him. In the early Church, there were those who thought that proclaiming grace then gave no incentive to people to change their lives and live according to God’s will and purpose. Centuries later, when Martin Luther, the namesake of the Lutheran church, called Christians back to the understanding of grace and the cross, there were even more calls that people would no longer seek to follow God’s commands. I mean, if your salvation does not hinge upon your performance, then why even attempt? Why change your life? Why do things differently?
The answer, we will see, is the cross, but let me start with this analogy.
I want you to pretend that you have just reached the age where you can legally drive. For much of your teenage years, you longed to be able to drive a car and experience the freedom of the road, but you wondered if you would ever be able to afford a car. You wondered if your parents would ever be able to afford a car.
On the day you came of age and completed your driver’s exam, a guy shows up on your doorstep. He comes up to you and congratulates you on passing your exam, and then he hands you a set of keys. They are the keys to a brand new car! He says, “This car is yours. We provide free cars to everyone here in this region. Enjoy driving!”
You are ecstatic! You tell your folks you are going driving, and you head out. You drive around and are exhilarated! You pick up several of your friends. Before long, you have the radio turned up as loud as it can go. You are yelling back and forth at your friends. You are on cloud nine. Then your cell phone buzzes. It’s a text. You reach down to look at it. You try texting back, and you run off the road. You manage to slow down, but you still run into a tree. The car is totaled. Luckily, you and your friends are not injured, but your beautiful, new car is toast. You cry. You wonder if you will ever get another chance to drive. A tow truck hauls your car away.
You wake up the next morning sore and bruised, and you are surprised by a knock on the door. You open it, and the same man who gave you the keys yesterday is there today. He says, “I know you had an accident yesterday and your car was totaled. You may be wondering if you can drive anymore. I have good news. You get another car. I told you. We provide free cars for the people of this region.”
You are excited beyond belief. This time, you are a bit more careful, but after several months, your cell phone buzzes again. You check it again. You wreck the car again. You have a bit of grief again, but you wonder if you will get another car.
Sure enough, you do. You can’t believe this! Even if you wreck your car, you are given another one. So, you become fearless. You begin to drive like the proverbial bat out of you-know-where. You speed. You run stop lights. You take chances. You have several more wrecks. Doesn’t matter. There will be a new car waiting in the morning.
After one such wreck, earlier than usual, there is a knock on your door. It’s not the car guy. Instead, it’s someone else. It’s someone driving an old, beat up car with all sorts of wear and tear. You wonder to yourself why this guy just doesn’t run the car into a tree and get a new one. He looks at you and says, “Bet you were expecting the car guy. I always try to get in before him. Come with me this morning.”
You hesitate. You don’t know this guy. But he is reassuring and there is a certain air about him. You trust him and climb in his old beat up vehicle. He drives you beyond the outskirts of town. You look out the cracked window and see a large factory up ahead. The man drives the car right toward that factory.
As you approach, however, you see something very strange. There are myriads of cars out front of this factory–cars that look just like the one’s you’ve been given. But the whole place is surrounded by fences with razor sharp wire at the top. There appear to be watch towers with armed guards in them. The man driving you has to go through several checkpoints just to get you in. A helicopter hovers above, obviously watching for something.
The man parks and leads you in. He says, “You know, I was once like you. I drove with a reckless abandon. But then someone showed me what I am about to show you. Have you ever wondered where your cars come from?”
With that, the man leads you forward. You walk into the factory, and you are stunned by what you see. Huge assembly lines first catch your eye, but then your eyes move to the workers. You are appalled! The workers are all wearing filthy rags. They look like they haven’t slept in weeks. They barely seem able to stand and walk. Supervisors constantly yell and scream at them to get busy. When someone stumbles or falls, physical force is used to motivate them. If someone is unable to get up, they are trampled upon, and someone else is forced to take their place. You can hardly watch.
The man then takes you to the lunch room. You see the ragged clothed workers hurriedly eating a meal. They are eating something that would make a billy goat puke. “They only get 10 minutes before they are forced back to their work stations,” the man tells you.
The man then motions you to follow. You go to the workers’ homes–if you can call them that. They look like jail cells. There are meager foam mattresses on the floor which look only an inch thick or so. Dilapidated tables and chairs litter the cells. These workers are literally slaves. And then it dawns on you! The reason the region can afford to give you free cars is because of slave labor! Your “free” care is bought with a great price!
The car ride back to your home is a quiet one. When you arrive, there in your drive way is a brand new car. The man looks at you and says, “Now, what will you do?”
What will you do indeed? Will you continue to drive recklessly? Will you continue to do things which would put the life of your car in jeopardy? Would you even have a desire to drive that car ever again? If you know the terrible price paid for you to have that “free” car, would you ever look at driving the same again?
Of course you wouldn’t. If you have even a smidgen of compassion in your heart, you couldn’t look at your car without seeing the faces and condition of those who built it. You might never even drive again! But why? Why wouldn’t you drive?
Because you would be acting out of guilt, and here is where the analogy breaks down when comparing to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Because Jesus was not being held against His will. Jesus was not bound to the cross by any force natural or supernatural. He could have walked away from it. He could have called a legion of angels down to rescue Him from it. He didn’t have to drink the cup. That was what the Garden of Gethsemane was all about. He prayed, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup from me, but nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.” Jesus could have walked away from His sacrificial death, but He didn’t. He entered into it freely, willingly, but also with great terror and anguish. He didn’t have to hang on that cross to save you, but He did because He loves you.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.”
And when you arrive at the foot of that cross...
When you see Jesus hanging there in pain...
When you see the pierced hands...
When you see the pierced feet...
When you see the crown of thorns...
When you see the blood flowing from the lashes...
When you see Him cry out in despair, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
When you see Him die the death that you deserved to give you the gift of salvation that you didn’t deserve...
When you see Him face abandonment from God so that you never have to...
When you see Him pay the price for your freedom...
Can you keep driving your life the same way? Can you keep doing things recklessly without any thought to God or to others? Can you willingly break God’s commands knowing what Jesus did for you? Can you go through life seeking your own will instead of the will of the Father?
When you arrive at the foot of the cross and you understand the size of the debt you owe; when you understand the nature of your separation from God; you understand that Jesus willingly paid the price to reconcile you unto God; when you see just what it cost Jesus to purchase your redemption; your heart changes. You feel horribly bad, and then strangely accepted. You feel like the dirtiest of worms, and then like the apple of God’s eye. You feel worthless, and then extremely valuable. And you know you can never look at the world the same again. You can never look at another person with anger and contempt again. You can never hate another person who is created in the image of God again. You can never hate yourself again. Your heart overflows with an abundance of love for what God has done for you, and with an incredible desire to share that love with others.
If you never saw the great cost paid by Jesus, your heart would never change. But because of His willing sacrifice, even the hardest heart is brought to its knees. It is at the cross where such change occurs, and it is why the Messiah had to suffer and die. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Showing posts with label Christian Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Life. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Only the Cross
I find myself in a bit of a pickle as I think long and hard about my relationship with the larger church (ELCA). I love my church. There is no doubt about this. I want her to grow and thrive. I want the God-awful state of decline she has been in to reverse itself and for people to fill her pews on a given Sunday morning. I long for the day when all of our congregation's pews: Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, and the like are filled to overflowing as people come from far and wide to worship.
I do not wish for any church body to decline and die.
And yet, many are. Some slowly. Some spiraling out of control.
Now, this is not some sort of "the Church must change or die" sort of post. God knows, I've heard so many of those lectures and read so many of those blogs that I have started tuning them out.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to become more moralistic.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to focus more on justice.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to change our doctrines.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to stop being so liberal.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to stop being so conservative.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to implement more programs.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to implement less programs.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to have more "contemporary"/modern worship.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to have more "traditional" worship.
In each and every one of these things, we are focusing on ourselves. We are trying to figure out what the surrounding culture wants and give it to them. It's as if we believe the Church is here to satisfy the needs and desires of the culture, and if we want our pews to be full, then we need to be giving the culture what it wants.
I can see the early Church trying to take such action.
"Well, you see those Jews over there. They expect a Messiah who will come and establish power and peace by military force. The Messiah will overthrow the Romans and free the nation of Israel. Let's shun the cross and what Jesus did and talk about such power and might. Let's give them what they want."
"Well, you see those Gentiles over there. They want comfort and security. They want a god who is omniscient and omnipotent who can favor them. Let's get rid of the cross where God dies and give them a god who allows them joy and pleasure in their lives."
"For the cross is a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles." --1 Corinthians 1:23.
Indeed, the cross still is foolishness. It must be. That's the only reason I can think of that it didn't make an appearance at the Synod Assembly I attended last week. Can you imagine a Synod Assembly whose focus was intended to be evangelism that didn't mention the cross? That didn't mention the acts of God on that cross? Can you imagine a Lutheran Synod Assembly whose focus was supposedly evangelism--whose founder espoused and coined the phrase the theology of the cross--who didn't spend a single minute asking the question, "How do we convey the message of the cross in this day and age? How do we talk about God's reconciling the world unto Himself in this postmodern age?"
So, what was the Synod Assembly focused on?
Essentially, it was one giant pep-rally trying to get us to do good things. Yep, that was it. Work hard at being especially nice. Work hard at listening to your neighbors. Work hard at loving everyone. That is evangelism. Your works are evangelism. What you do is evangelism.
So, you might ask, what is the problem with that? I'd like you to read the following quote from a young man who served on a panel of young adults at the Synod Assembly. He leans atheist/agnostic, and he offered this scathing criticism of the church:
What response can one give to such a scathing criticism IF the church's job is "doing good things?"
There is no response. The criticism stands, and the Church is convicted. (Although to be fair, in the omitted examples this gentleman listed in his screed where he asked "Where is the Church?", in all reality, the Church was already in all of those places. One can easily ask the question: why can't you see it there?)
In fact, as I was debriefing with one of my members, I was brutally honest. I said, "I don't want this guy in my church. He reminds me of myself not too long ago. Arrogant. Self-righteous. He'd be a troublemaker. But it doesn't matter if I want him in church or not. There is One who does want Him. There is One who wants His heart and soul."
Indeed, there is one part of the young man's criticism that is Truth: the Church should never try and make itself the center of everyone's world. Never. Ever! At the center of everyone's world should be a cross with a suffering God who is stretching His arms out to suffer and die to make sure the world is reconciled to their Heavenly Father. At the center of everyone's world should be Jesus.
If anyone in the Christian Church disputes this, then I simply think you cannot call yourself a Christian. (Read my extended quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer from a few days ago.) If at the center of your world is anything less than Jesus, then you are committing idolatry. You have a false god.
And so, the answer to the young man's question is Jesus. The Church doesn't want you, sir. Jesus does. The Church will go on without you too, but there is One who doesn't want to go on without you. There is one who was willing to die for you. I know you probably don't see that or get that. You are completely and totally focused on your actions and the actions of the world and the Church. You want to make a difference. I understand that. I really do. I wanted to change the world myself.
But I found out something. It was a hard lesson. A very hard one. I couldn't make that difference. I couldn't change people. I couldn't change the world. I might be able to feed a person for a day. I might be able to lobby government officials. I might even be able to lead a movement to change laws, but I can never, ever change someone's heart. I can't make people love each other. I can't make people get along and see each other a fully human. I can't convince people to stop looking out for their own interests and look out for the interests of another.
I know you are a studious sort of person. It came across very strongly in your presentation. Read Nietzsche? You understand, don't you, that if there is no transcendence, no God, then everything we do are simply power plays, right? You do understand that essentially we are all working out our own wills to power even if we say we are looking out for another? You could argue that you aren't looking out for yourself, but Nietzsche would scoff at you and say, "Yeah right. The only reason you are trying to help others is because you get some benefit.
You see, there is One who indeed came and lived for no benefit to Himself. Jesus didn't need anything from us. He was totally satisfied, loved, and glorified in His relationship with His Father and the Spirit. He needed and needs nothing from us. Yet, He came to us for a reason--to change our hearts that we might experience the same kind of love He knows living with the Father and the Spirit. He came that we might be able to love one another without any sort of contempt or anger towards those who are different than we are. And He showed that not with power and might but with a cross.
It's all about Jesus and the cross. If you can't get someone to the foot of the cross, then...well, you might be doing some good things, but you are not doing evangelism. And if the Church exists solely for doing good things, then we have no need of worship. We have no need for buildings and Bible Study. All we essentially need is to have someone urge us, remind us, sometimes whip us into submission to "Love our neighbors as we love ourselves."
But Christianity isn't about that. Evangelism isn't about that. It's all about Jesus. It's focal point is the cross.
Somehow, this has been pushed to the periphery. No longer is it at the center.
To our detriment.
What will it take to reclaim our cross-centeredness?
I frankly don't know, but I know what I will do from henceforth:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. -- 1 Corinthians 2:1-2.
If that message changed hearts then, it will still change hearts now. Here I stand...
I do not wish for any church body to decline and die.
And yet, many are. Some slowly. Some spiraling out of control.
Now, this is not some sort of "the Church must change or die" sort of post. God knows, I've heard so many of those lectures and read so many of those blogs that I have started tuning them out.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to become more moralistic.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to focus more on justice.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to change our doctrines.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to stop being so liberal.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to stop being so conservative.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to implement more programs.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to implement less programs.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to have more "contemporary"/modern worship.
That goes for those folks who say that we need to have more "traditional" worship.
In each and every one of these things, we are focusing on ourselves. We are trying to figure out what the surrounding culture wants and give it to them. It's as if we believe the Church is here to satisfy the needs and desires of the culture, and if we want our pews to be full, then we need to be giving the culture what it wants.
I can see the early Church trying to take such action.
"Well, you see those Jews over there. They expect a Messiah who will come and establish power and peace by military force. The Messiah will overthrow the Romans and free the nation of Israel. Let's shun the cross and what Jesus did and talk about such power and might. Let's give them what they want."
"Well, you see those Gentiles over there. They want comfort and security. They want a god who is omniscient and omnipotent who can favor them. Let's get rid of the cross where God dies and give them a god who allows them joy and pleasure in their lives."
"For the cross is a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles." --1 Corinthians 1:23.
Indeed, the cross still is foolishness. It must be. That's the only reason I can think of that it didn't make an appearance at the Synod Assembly I attended last week. Can you imagine a Synod Assembly whose focus was intended to be evangelism that didn't mention the cross? That didn't mention the acts of God on that cross? Can you imagine a Lutheran Synod Assembly whose focus was supposedly evangelism--whose founder espoused and coined the phrase the theology of the cross--who didn't spend a single minute asking the question, "How do we convey the message of the cross in this day and age? How do we talk about God's reconciling the world unto Himself in this postmodern age?"
So, what was the Synod Assembly focused on?
Essentially, it was one giant pep-rally trying to get us to do good things. Yep, that was it. Work hard at being especially nice. Work hard at listening to your neighbors. Work hard at loving everyone. That is evangelism. Your works are evangelism. What you do is evangelism.
So, you might ask, what is the problem with that? I'd like you to read the following quote from a young man who served on a panel of young adults at the Synod Assembly. He leans atheist/agnostic, and he offered this scathing criticism of the church:
But the part of me that lives on the edges has to stop and ask this...why? Why is the christian church trying to recruit "youths ages 18-35 who make up the blah blah blah??? What does having more people in church do?
The people I asked to help me with this do amazing things, why doesn't the church stop trying to pull them into their crowd and instead go out and be with them? ...The question I want answered is, when will the church stop trying to make itself the center of everyone's world and go out and do something like so many 18-35 year olds are doing, because I have to tell you, we are just waiting for the day the church joins us.
What response can one give to such a scathing criticism IF the church's job is "doing good things?"
There is no response. The criticism stands, and the Church is convicted. (Although to be fair, in the omitted examples this gentleman listed in his screed where he asked "Where is the Church?", in all reality, the Church was already in all of those places. One can easily ask the question: why can't you see it there?)
In fact, as I was debriefing with one of my members, I was brutally honest. I said, "I don't want this guy in my church. He reminds me of myself not too long ago. Arrogant. Self-righteous. He'd be a troublemaker. But it doesn't matter if I want him in church or not. There is One who does want Him. There is One who wants His heart and soul."
Indeed, there is one part of the young man's criticism that is Truth: the Church should never try and make itself the center of everyone's world. Never. Ever! At the center of everyone's world should be a cross with a suffering God who is stretching His arms out to suffer and die to make sure the world is reconciled to their Heavenly Father. At the center of everyone's world should be Jesus.
If anyone in the Christian Church disputes this, then I simply think you cannot call yourself a Christian. (Read my extended quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer from a few days ago.) If at the center of your world is anything less than Jesus, then you are committing idolatry. You have a false god.
And so, the answer to the young man's question is Jesus. The Church doesn't want you, sir. Jesus does. The Church will go on without you too, but there is One who doesn't want to go on without you. There is one who was willing to die for you. I know you probably don't see that or get that. You are completely and totally focused on your actions and the actions of the world and the Church. You want to make a difference. I understand that. I really do. I wanted to change the world myself.
But I found out something. It was a hard lesson. A very hard one. I couldn't make that difference. I couldn't change people. I couldn't change the world. I might be able to feed a person for a day. I might be able to lobby government officials. I might even be able to lead a movement to change laws, but I can never, ever change someone's heart. I can't make people love each other. I can't make people get along and see each other a fully human. I can't convince people to stop looking out for their own interests and look out for the interests of another.
I know you are a studious sort of person. It came across very strongly in your presentation. Read Nietzsche? You understand, don't you, that if there is no transcendence, no God, then everything we do are simply power plays, right? You do understand that essentially we are all working out our own wills to power even if we say we are looking out for another? You could argue that you aren't looking out for yourself, but Nietzsche would scoff at you and say, "Yeah right. The only reason you are trying to help others is because you get some benefit.
You see, there is One who indeed came and lived for no benefit to Himself. Jesus didn't need anything from us. He was totally satisfied, loved, and glorified in His relationship with His Father and the Spirit. He needed and needs nothing from us. Yet, He came to us for a reason--to change our hearts that we might experience the same kind of love He knows living with the Father and the Spirit. He came that we might be able to love one another without any sort of contempt or anger towards those who are different than we are. And He showed that not with power and might but with a cross.
It's all about Jesus and the cross. If you can't get someone to the foot of the cross, then...well, you might be doing some good things, but you are not doing evangelism. And if the Church exists solely for doing good things, then we have no need of worship. We have no need for buildings and Bible Study. All we essentially need is to have someone urge us, remind us, sometimes whip us into submission to "Love our neighbors as we love ourselves."
But Christianity isn't about that. Evangelism isn't about that. It's all about Jesus. It's focal point is the cross.
Somehow, this has been pushed to the periphery. No longer is it at the center.
To our detriment.
What will it take to reclaim our cross-centeredness?
I frankly don't know, but I know what I will do from henceforth:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. -- 1 Corinthians 2:1-2.
If that message changed hearts then, it will still change hearts now. Here I stand...
Thursday, January 16, 2014
If They Found the Bones of Jesus (Part 2)
Further thoughts about why I would cease to call myself a Christian if the bones of Jesus were found:
Christianity is not a system of morals.
Let me be very careful here. Christianity does have a moral component. There is no doubt about that. We are called to live a certain way individually and corporately. We are called to a high standard of living with one another. Jesus outlines this very, very clearly.
But much of what Jesus taught was not new. Even the command to love one's neighbor as one's self was quoted from the Old Testament and is found in some form or fashion in just about every world religion and culture. Many of the great moral teachers taught the same thing as Jesus. In fact, this is one of those arguments used by atheists to diminish the Christian worldview.
If Christianity were just one more attempt to teach the world morality, then if they found the bones of Jesus, I could easily continue to call myself a Christian without any sort of intellectual problem.
But Christianity goes much further than simply being a moral system. It goes much further than simply being a system of justice. Christianity is about God's reconciliation of the world unto Himself.
Without the resurrection, the proclamation of Christianity falls short. There is no reconciliation. There's just one more dead wanna be Messiah.
Without the resurrection, we are still under the Old Covenant with its legal code. Either become Jewish and work to follow the law or one is screwed. And then those sticky questions arise as to whether or not one can be a gentile convert to Judaism or if one can only be a "God-fearer."
Without the resurrection, grace is essentially null and void. It's right back to works/righteousness. And hey, I've already figured out, I don't even come close.
Without the resurrection, I'm toast.
Might as well enjoy what I can.
But if Christ is raised from the dead...
Well, that changes everything.
Christianity is not a system of morals.
Let me be very careful here. Christianity does have a moral component. There is no doubt about that. We are called to live a certain way individually and corporately. We are called to a high standard of living with one another. Jesus outlines this very, very clearly.
But much of what Jesus taught was not new. Even the command to love one's neighbor as one's self was quoted from the Old Testament and is found in some form or fashion in just about every world religion and culture. Many of the great moral teachers taught the same thing as Jesus. In fact, this is one of those arguments used by atheists to diminish the Christian worldview.
If Christianity were just one more attempt to teach the world morality, then if they found the bones of Jesus, I could easily continue to call myself a Christian without any sort of intellectual problem.
But Christianity goes much further than simply being a moral system. It goes much further than simply being a system of justice. Christianity is about God's reconciliation of the world unto Himself.
Without the resurrection, the proclamation of Christianity falls short. There is no reconciliation. There's just one more dead wanna be Messiah.
Without the resurrection, we are still under the Old Covenant with its legal code. Either become Jewish and work to follow the law or one is screwed. And then those sticky questions arise as to whether or not one can be a gentile convert to Judaism or if one can only be a "God-fearer."
Without the resurrection, grace is essentially null and void. It's right back to works/righteousness. And hey, I've already figured out, I don't even come close.
Without the resurrection, I'm toast.
Might as well enjoy what I can.
But if Christ is raised from the dead...
Well, that changes everything.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
There are Certain Things...Part 1
Which put life into perspective.
Such things make you think really hard about reality and how you put into practice the faith of Christ.
In a Matter of Moments
Just before leaving for a period of vacation and recuperation after Christmas, my wife and I took our kids shopping. The money they received for Christmas was burning a hole in their pockets, and they wanted certain items. Rather than fight the battle to wait, we had time, so we used it.
We stopped at Wal-Mart in Katy and after the kids found their hearts' desires, we headed to the checkout line. As we were waiting to place our items on the conveyor belt, I overheard a mother talking to her daughter right behind me. The girl wanted an item on the end cap and was pleading with her mother to get it.
Apparently, the mom wanted to purchase the item for the girl but was unable to, "What part of 'I don't get paid until Friday' don't you understand?"
The comment was rather heart wrenching to me. I'm blessed enough not to "have to wait until Friday" to purchase special things for my kids. I work. My wife works. Revenues are more than expenses most months. Not everyone is as lucky.
I reached into my wallet at this point, took out a $20 bill and handed it to the woman. "Get it for her and Merry Christmas."
The woman stared at me with a look of utter disbelief. I mean, she was literally in shock. "Are you serious? Thank you."
"You are welcome."
It was then quite priceless to hear the woman try to explain to her daughter just why she could now have this item. "Thank you," the little girl then said.
"You are welcome."
Even more priceless as we walked out of the store. My eldest turned to me and said, "Daddy, that was really nice of you."
"Yes, dear, I know."
Moments later, as we approached our car, a young woman looked directly at me, "Maybe you can help me."
"What do you need?" I asked.
"I'm trying to get back to San Antonio. I'm almost out of gas. I have no money. Someone gave me this gift card, and it has $3 on it. I'm pregnant, and I can't wait here all day until someone comes to get me. People are being rude to me, and I just need help."
Another $20.
"Thank you so much. This will get me all the way home! Thank you. I've never had to do this before."
"You are welcome."
"May you have a blessed New Year!"
"You too."
My eldest: "Daddy, you're just giving money away!"
Me: "Yes, dear. I am. We are blessed. Not everyone is as fortunate. Whenever we get the opportunity to help, we should."
I needed to get gas for our vehicle as well, so I pulled over to the Wal-Mart gas station. The young lady was there with her brother, and they had just finished filling up her car. She saw me once again and filled in some of the blanks.
"I've never had to ask before. I asked one guy, and he said, 'Get an effing job!' I thought, 'I have a job. I'm just out of cash.' I couldn't believe how rude he was. I can't believe how mean people can be."
I replied, "There's still some good ones out there. Have a safe trip. Is this your first child?"
Beaming, she said, "Yes!"
Small chit chat for just a few moments before she headed for home.
Unbelievable that someone could respond callously to another without getting to know that person's situation. Unbelievable, but reality.
In a matter of moments, I was out $40. But it was a very small price to pay. A small price to shock a working poor mother with kindness; make a young girl jump for joy; reverse an expectant mother's view of humanity; and, perhaps most importantly, show another young girl the importance of giving. Maybe my other two children were watching as well--even though they said nothing.
Lead by example. Others are watching. Realizing this puts things into perspective. All it takes is a matter of moments.
Such things make you think really hard about reality and how you put into practice the faith of Christ.
In a Matter of Moments
Just before leaving for a period of vacation and recuperation after Christmas, my wife and I took our kids shopping. The money they received for Christmas was burning a hole in their pockets, and they wanted certain items. Rather than fight the battle to wait, we had time, so we used it.
We stopped at Wal-Mart in Katy and after the kids found their hearts' desires, we headed to the checkout line. As we were waiting to place our items on the conveyor belt, I overheard a mother talking to her daughter right behind me. The girl wanted an item on the end cap and was pleading with her mother to get it.
Apparently, the mom wanted to purchase the item for the girl but was unable to, "What part of 'I don't get paid until Friday' don't you understand?"
The comment was rather heart wrenching to me. I'm blessed enough not to "have to wait until Friday" to purchase special things for my kids. I work. My wife works. Revenues are more than expenses most months. Not everyone is as lucky.
I reached into my wallet at this point, took out a $20 bill and handed it to the woman. "Get it for her and Merry Christmas."
The woman stared at me with a look of utter disbelief. I mean, she was literally in shock. "Are you serious? Thank you."
"You are welcome."
It was then quite priceless to hear the woman try to explain to her daughter just why she could now have this item. "Thank you," the little girl then said.
"You are welcome."
Even more priceless as we walked out of the store. My eldest turned to me and said, "Daddy, that was really nice of you."
"Yes, dear, I know."
Moments later, as we approached our car, a young woman looked directly at me, "Maybe you can help me."
"What do you need?" I asked.
"I'm trying to get back to San Antonio. I'm almost out of gas. I have no money. Someone gave me this gift card, and it has $3 on it. I'm pregnant, and I can't wait here all day until someone comes to get me. People are being rude to me, and I just need help."
Another $20.
"Thank you so much. This will get me all the way home! Thank you. I've never had to do this before."
"You are welcome."
"May you have a blessed New Year!"
"You too."
My eldest: "Daddy, you're just giving money away!"
Me: "Yes, dear. I am. We are blessed. Not everyone is as fortunate. Whenever we get the opportunity to help, we should."
I needed to get gas for our vehicle as well, so I pulled over to the Wal-Mart gas station. The young lady was there with her brother, and they had just finished filling up her car. She saw me once again and filled in some of the blanks.
"I've never had to ask before. I asked one guy, and he said, 'Get an effing job!' I thought, 'I have a job. I'm just out of cash.' I couldn't believe how rude he was. I can't believe how mean people can be."
I replied, "There's still some good ones out there. Have a safe trip. Is this your first child?"
Beaming, she said, "Yes!"
Small chit chat for just a few moments before she headed for home.
Unbelievable that someone could respond callously to another without getting to know that person's situation. Unbelievable, but reality.
In a matter of moments, I was out $40. But it was a very small price to pay. A small price to shock a working poor mother with kindness; make a young girl jump for joy; reverse an expectant mother's view of humanity; and, perhaps most importantly, show another young girl the importance of giving. Maybe my other two children were watching as well--even though they said nothing.
Lead by example. Others are watching. Realizing this puts things into perspective. All it takes is a matter of moments.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Good News for Everyone
I wish I could remember the exact setting where I heard the teaching. Time has clouded my memory. I'm sure it will continue to happen. Sometimes I wish I had a pensieve as Dumbledore did in the Harry Potter novels. That way, I could dig through and find all the memories I know are there and revisit them in their detail. Forgive me for forgetting the entirety of the context, but the teaching was very important.
I remember clearly a conversation about reading the Bible. The presenter/teacher said with conviction, "As you read the Bible, much of what we read can be seen as either Law or Gospel depending upon who hears it."
I was intrigued, and listened further.
"If you take for instance the teaching 'Blessed are the poor...', a poor person hears that as good news. A wealthy person hears it as law. It depends upon who hears what is written."
The teaching made perfect sense--from a certain point of view; irony noted. For it is indeed true that certain portions of Scripture are clearly good news for some while bad news for others. It is indeed true that depending upon one's particular situation in life a particular teaching from Scripture will either step on toes or reinforce one's conviction that he or she is on the right path.
But, I have begun to question whether or not this is indeed how the Law/Gospel distinction should be made. I believe this distinction is rampant throughout American Christianity, and more and more, I am convinced it is one of the main drivers in Christianity's loss of authority within society. Why?
It is actually works/righteousness in disguise. It is nothing more than legalism with a sugar coating. Why do I say such a thing? Let me lay out my argument.
Let's first travel to the right hand side of Christianity in the U.S. The implicit message in many of those congregations is, "Jesus died for you, so be as moral and upright in your life as you can be so that you will get to heaven. Do not drink, smoke, cuss, and what have you. Keep appropriate marriage and sexual boundaries, and by doing so, you will live a life pleasing to God." Notice the emphasis. Notice also what is missing: any corporate responsibility for care and concern for the poor. The "right" hand side of Christianity emphasizes personal morality above corporate morality and reassures its members they are right with God because of what they are doing. And if you are not showing forth exemplary moral righteousness in your life, then you are excluded. There is good news for those who are striving to live a moral life and law for those who aren't.
It depends upon how one hears the Scripture...
Let's now travel to the left hand side of Christianity in the U.S. The implicit message in many of these congregations is, "Jesus died for you, so work for justice and peace in the world. God has a preferential place in His heart for the poor, and so we must work to eradicate poverty, hunger, injustice, and ensure that everyone has access to health care. We must work to make the kingdom of God happen right here on earth for those who are in need." Notice the emphasis. Notice also what is missing: any personal responsibility for living an upright and moral life. The "left" hand side of Christianity emphasizes corporate morality over personal morality, and it reassures its members they are right with God because of what they are doing in their struggle for justice or solidarity with the poor. And if you are not showing forth exemplary means of working for justice, then you are excluded. There is good news for those who are striving to work for justice and peace and law for those who aren't.
It depends upon how one hears the Scripture...
I submit that these tracts are absorbed in the Law and have missed the Gospel. I submit that each of these tracts are absorbed in works/righteousness instead of living by grace.
Grace does not divide. The Gospel does not draw lines. The Gospel abolishes, destroys, manhandles all the exclusionary tactics of the Law. The Law can be seen as good news for some, bad news for others. The Gospel is good news of great joy for ALL PEOPLE!!!
At the heart of the Gospel is the God made flesh who died for us, reconciling us unto God WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS. At the heart of the Gospel is the God made flesh who took upon Himself all our sin, all our guilt, all our shame, all our hopelessness, all of our pain, all of our misery, all of our suffering, even death itself to defeat it and give us hope that transcends any and every distinction we might like to draw.
Note: Each "side" as defined above will give lip service to this, but it is not at the core of their teaching. Not in the least. The core of the teaching is works/righteousness, not grace. This works/righteousness plays out as lines get quickly drawn between these two branches of Christianity, and they wantonly attack each other as failing to embody of what God wants us to do.
The Gospel, the good news of God's reconciliation of the world through Jesus, does not allow anyone to make any sort of distinction because all fall morally short and corporately short. No one can measure up to the moral standard of life as articulated by Jesus. Neither can anyone measure up to fully working for justice and peace. Yet, many congregations harp and harp and harp on these things. It's no wonder people eventually leave. They become discouraged because they simply cannot fulfill what is demanded of them.
Not so with grace. The embodiment of Grace leads one to accept both moral and corporate responsibility. It leads one to strive to live an upright life abstaining from personal sin to the best of one's ability, and it leads one to engage in helping the needy, poor, and distressed to the best of one's ability. Not because one feels guilty or believes one is going to change the world into the image of the kingdom of God, but because of joyful obedience to the God who first suffered and died for us.
Good news must be preached before people are willing to respond. Good news, not just for some, but for everyone.
I remember clearly a conversation about reading the Bible. The presenter/teacher said with conviction, "As you read the Bible, much of what we read can be seen as either Law or Gospel depending upon who hears it."
I was intrigued, and listened further.
"If you take for instance the teaching 'Blessed are the poor...', a poor person hears that as good news. A wealthy person hears it as law. It depends upon who hears what is written."
The teaching made perfect sense--from a certain point of view; irony noted. For it is indeed true that certain portions of Scripture are clearly good news for some while bad news for others. It is indeed true that depending upon one's particular situation in life a particular teaching from Scripture will either step on toes or reinforce one's conviction that he or she is on the right path.
But, I have begun to question whether or not this is indeed how the Law/Gospel distinction should be made. I believe this distinction is rampant throughout American Christianity, and more and more, I am convinced it is one of the main drivers in Christianity's loss of authority within society. Why?
It is actually works/righteousness in disguise. It is nothing more than legalism with a sugar coating. Why do I say such a thing? Let me lay out my argument.
Let's first travel to the right hand side of Christianity in the U.S. The implicit message in many of those congregations is, "Jesus died for you, so be as moral and upright in your life as you can be so that you will get to heaven. Do not drink, smoke, cuss, and what have you. Keep appropriate marriage and sexual boundaries, and by doing so, you will live a life pleasing to God." Notice the emphasis. Notice also what is missing: any corporate responsibility for care and concern for the poor. The "right" hand side of Christianity emphasizes personal morality above corporate morality and reassures its members they are right with God because of what they are doing. And if you are not showing forth exemplary moral righteousness in your life, then you are excluded. There is good news for those who are striving to live a moral life and law for those who aren't.
It depends upon how one hears the Scripture...
Let's now travel to the left hand side of Christianity in the U.S. The implicit message in many of these congregations is, "Jesus died for you, so work for justice and peace in the world. God has a preferential place in His heart for the poor, and so we must work to eradicate poverty, hunger, injustice, and ensure that everyone has access to health care. We must work to make the kingdom of God happen right here on earth for those who are in need." Notice the emphasis. Notice also what is missing: any personal responsibility for living an upright and moral life. The "left" hand side of Christianity emphasizes corporate morality over personal morality, and it reassures its members they are right with God because of what they are doing in their struggle for justice or solidarity with the poor. And if you are not showing forth exemplary means of working for justice, then you are excluded. There is good news for those who are striving to work for justice and peace and law for those who aren't.
It depends upon how one hears the Scripture...
I submit that these tracts are absorbed in the Law and have missed the Gospel. I submit that each of these tracts are absorbed in works/righteousness instead of living by grace.
Grace does not divide. The Gospel does not draw lines. The Gospel abolishes, destroys, manhandles all the exclusionary tactics of the Law. The Law can be seen as good news for some, bad news for others. The Gospel is good news of great joy for ALL PEOPLE!!!
At the heart of the Gospel is the God made flesh who died for us, reconciling us unto God WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS. At the heart of the Gospel is the God made flesh who took upon Himself all our sin, all our guilt, all our shame, all our hopelessness, all of our pain, all of our misery, all of our suffering, even death itself to defeat it and give us hope that transcends any and every distinction we might like to draw.
Note: Each "side" as defined above will give lip service to this, but it is not at the core of their teaching. Not in the least. The core of the teaching is works/righteousness, not grace. This works/righteousness plays out as lines get quickly drawn between these two branches of Christianity, and they wantonly attack each other as failing to embody of what God wants us to do.
The Gospel, the good news of God's reconciliation of the world through Jesus, does not allow anyone to make any sort of distinction because all fall morally short and corporately short. No one can measure up to the moral standard of life as articulated by Jesus. Neither can anyone measure up to fully working for justice and peace. Yet, many congregations harp and harp and harp on these things. It's no wonder people eventually leave. They become discouraged because they simply cannot fulfill what is demanded of them.
Not so with grace. The embodiment of Grace leads one to accept both moral and corporate responsibility. It leads one to strive to live an upright life abstaining from personal sin to the best of one's ability, and it leads one to engage in helping the needy, poor, and distressed to the best of one's ability. Not because one feels guilty or believes one is going to change the world into the image of the kingdom of God, but because of joyful obedience to the God who first suffered and died for us.
Good news must be preached before people are willing to respond. Good news, not just for some, but for everyone.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
There are Moments
I hate running.
I have said so in this blog before.
And yet, I continue to run at least four times a week. Mind you, I am neither sprinting nor doing any sort of distance running. I do interval training, and if I could drop it and still see results in toning and shaping my body, I would. But unless I do something which burns fat, my goal of becoming healthier and avoiding knee surgery in the future will not become achievable.
So I run, and I hate it.
Most of the time.
But there are moments, brief moments when something intriguing happens.
My body does not feel like it is exerting anything. My feet seem to glide over the pavement. My breathing seems effortless. It's a really nice feeling. But then I come crashing back to reality. It doesn't last for any length of time. But it's there. It's happened more than once. It's real.
I've had such moments in my faith life as well.
When I reflect upon the words of Jesus--His ethical and moral commands, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if giving it all up would be easier:
If anyone begs from you...give.
If you are angry with someone, you've committed murder.
If you've looked at another with lust in your heart, you've committed adultery.
Take the log out of your own eye before you judge another.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the sick and imprisoned.
Heck, that's just the basics. There's more. A lot more, and it simply isn't easy to follow. It's difficult. Far easier to fail than to succeed. So, why even try? Why even continue to strive for perfection when perfection is unachievable?
There are moments. Holy moments. Moments when I know God is real. Moments when I know His presence and hear His voice. Yes, they have happened in my life. Some may call me crazy; irrational, I know. But I am not alone in sensing God and hearing His voice. There are others, and their sense is very much the same as mine.
When those times of questioning occur...
When those times of doubt occur...
I remember the One who suffered and died, for He is the one who has spoken to me and given me His presence at critical moments in my life. He sets the bar high for me (and all who follow Him) knowing we cannot fully reach it; however, if He set it any lower, we might actually achieve it and become self-righteous.
And as we reach for that goal, responding to what He has done first to us, our spiritual muscles are honed and shaped. He is ever working and molding us from within--a lifetime process of making us more and more like Him.
It's tough. Sometimes, it hurts and brutally. It would be easier to quit.
But, there are moments...
I have said so in this blog before.
And yet, I continue to run at least four times a week. Mind you, I am neither sprinting nor doing any sort of distance running. I do interval training, and if I could drop it and still see results in toning and shaping my body, I would. But unless I do something which burns fat, my goal of becoming healthier and avoiding knee surgery in the future will not become achievable.
So I run, and I hate it.
Most of the time.
But there are moments, brief moments when something intriguing happens.
My body does not feel like it is exerting anything. My feet seem to glide over the pavement. My breathing seems effortless. It's a really nice feeling. But then I come crashing back to reality. It doesn't last for any length of time. But it's there. It's happened more than once. It's real.
I've had such moments in my faith life as well.
When I reflect upon the words of Jesus--His ethical and moral commands, sometimes I cannot help but wonder if giving it all up would be easier:
If anyone begs from you...give.
If you are angry with someone, you've committed murder.
If you've looked at another with lust in your heart, you've committed adultery.
Take the log out of your own eye before you judge another.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.
Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Feed the hungry.
Give drink to the thirsty.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the sick and imprisoned.
Heck, that's just the basics. There's more. A lot more, and it simply isn't easy to follow. It's difficult. Far easier to fail than to succeed. So, why even try? Why even continue to strive for perfection when perfection is unachievable?
There are moments. Holy moments. Moments when I know God is real. Moments when I know His presence and hear His voice. Yes, they have happened in my life. Some may call me crazy; irrational, I know. But I am not alone in sensing God and hearing His voice. There are others, and their sense is very much the same as mine.
When those times of questioning occur...
When those times of doubt occur...
I remember the One who suffered and died, for He is the one who has spoken to me and given me His presence at critical moments in my life. He sets the bar high for me (and all who follow Him) knowing we cannot fully reach it; however, if He set it any lower, we might actually achieve it and become self-righteous.
And as we reach for that goal, responding to what He has done first to us, our spiritual muscles are honed and shaped. He is ever working and molding us from within--a lifetime process of making us more and more like Him.
It's tough. Sometimes, it hurts and brutally. It would be easier to quit.
But, there are moments...
Monday, September 9, 2013
Can We Just Skip this Part?
How many of you have ever wanted to have your dessert first? Be honest. If you are like me, you have. On numerous occasions. Forget having to eat the main course. Forget having to eat your vegetables. Forget cleaning your plate. Bring on the apple pie. Bring on the ice cream. Bring on the cookies. Bring on everything that is sweet and sends your taste buds into ecstacy. Let’s just skip to the good part.
It’s kind of like watching movies when I was a teen. I loved those action/adventure movies of the ‘80s. Yeah, I got hooked on Rocky, Rambo, Commando and anything with Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwartznegger, and Sylvester Stallone. But invariably, there would be slow moments between all the action sequences. More than a few times, I’d grab the remote control and fast forward through the slow stuff to get to the action sequences–the stuff I considered to be the good stuff.
And who of us in life wouldn’t like to fast forward through all the boring, meaningless, and bad stuff in our lives so that we could just enjoy the good stuff? Who of us wouldn’t like to skip the difficult stuff and enjoy the rewarding times? Most of us probably would in a heart beat. And most of us would probably like to do the same thing with our lives of faith.
I mean, take one look at our Gospel lesson for today. Incidentally, gospel, the literal translation of that word from the Greek is “good news.” Let’s read this again and see just what kind of “good news” Jesus proclaims:
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them,
(Good news #1): 26‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (Good news #2) 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. (Good news #3) 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
After I finish reading this little snippet, I can’t help but ask, “Can’t we just skip this part?” I mean, can’t we just gloss over this teaching and live our lives as happily and as merrily as we can? Can’t we skip that part about hating our family; hating life; carrying the cross; and giving up our possessions? Can’t we just explain this stuff away and say that Jesus is simply joking or using exaggeration to make a point?
There are more than a few people who indeed skip past these teachings. There are more than a few people who disregard them and explain them away. There are even a few preachers who blatantly teach a theology which ignores these words completely.
Yeah, in some ways, I’m taking a shot at the guy just down the road. You know, I have a number of folks who post his sayings to their Facebook timelines. Like the following one: “When you realize that God has put a blessing on your life, and you go out each day with the attitude that something good is going to happen to you, that’s when God can do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.” Or here’s another one, “God doesn’t take you through challenges just to leave you beaten down. No, it’s time for you to rise up and claim everything that belongs to you.”
And here’s what Jesus says belongs to you, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
What an interesting contrast. Let’s kind of put this in theological terms. The guy down the road is representative of a thread of Christianity that likes to skip the cross–to fast forward through the crucifixion and go straight to Easter. The resurrection is all the good of life. The resurrection is all the greatness of God. The resurrection is what it is all about: healing, wholeness, redemption, graciousness, eternal life, the presence of God in all its fullness. Yeah, we love that stuff. It’s fantastic. It’s more than the icing on the cake–it’s the whole cake in all its deliciousness.
But you can’t have the resurrection without the crucifixion. You cannot have the empty tomb without the cross. You cannot have eternal life without death. And a lot of times, we don’t want to talk about that. We don’t want to talk about going down those paths. We want the sweet stuff, but we don’t want to endure the heaviness.
Yet, we as Christians must ask the tough questions, and one of those questions is: which is closer to the Truth? Which is closer to the reality of life? Which is closer to the life that Jesus revealed to us and called us to live as His followers?
Listen to this quote from Bret Blair: The mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers. The Italian freedom fighter Garibaldi offered his men only hunger and death to free Italy. Winston Churchill told the English people that he had nothing to offer them but "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" in their fight against the enemies of England. Jesus demanded that his followers carry a cross. A sign of death.
Andrew died on a cross
Simon was crucified
Bartholomew was flayed alive
James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded
The other James (son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Peter was crucified upside down
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged
The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion. No. It’s much, much more. It’s a religion that demands your entire life. The good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly, everything. It demands a willingness to suffer, to die, to walk away from all that is precious and dear in our lives, to give up our possessions. There is part of our faith that doesn’t necessarily come across as “good news”–at least while we are going through it. For carrying a cross isn’t “good news.” The cross means death, pain, and suffering. Christianity is not for the faint hearted.
But it is for those who can keep the end in mind. It is for those who believe that on the other side of the cross is the resurrection. It is for those who willingly count the cost and say, “The Lord will never leave me or forsake me. The Lord is my helper. What have I to fear?” The answer is: nothing. When we live God’s Word daily, we know that we will bear the cross, but we do not fear such a burden because we know the end. Amen.
It’s kind of like watching movies when I was a teen. I loved those action/adventure movies of the ‘80s. Yeah, I got hooked on Rocky, Rambo, Commando and anything with Bruce Willis, Jean Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwartznegger, and Sylvester Stallone. But invariably, there would be slow moments between all the action sequences. More than a few times, I’d grab the remote control and fast forward through the slow stuff to get to the action sequences–the stuff I considered to be the good stuff.
And who of us in life wouldn’t like to fast forward through all the boring, meaningless, and bad stuff in our lives so that we could just enjoy the good stuff? Who of us wouldn’t like to skip the difficult stuff and enjoy the rewarding times? Most of us probably would in a heart beat. And most of us would probably like to do the same thing with our lives of faith.
I mean, take one look at our Gospel lesson for today. Incidentally, gospel, the literal translation of that word from the Greek is “good news.” Let’s read this again and see just what kind of “good news” Jesus proclaims:
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them,
(Good news #1): 26‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. (Good news #2) 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. (Good news #3) 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
After I finish reading this little snippet, I can’t help but ask, “Can’t we just skip this part?” I mean, can’t we just gloss over this teaching and live our lives as happily and as merrily as we can? Can’t we skip that part about hating our family; hating life; carrying the cross; and giving up our possessions? Can’t we just explain this stuff away and say that Jesus is simply joking or using exaggeration to make a point?
There are more than a few people who indeed skip past these teachings. There are more than a few people who disregard them and explain them away. There are even a few preachers who blatantly teach a theology which ignores these words completely.
Yeah, in some ways, I’m taking a shot at the guy just down the road. You know, I have a number of folks who post his sayings to their Facebook timelines. Like the following one: “When you realize that God has put a blessing on your life, and you go out each day with the attitude that something good is going to happen to you, that’s when God can do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond.” Or here’s another one, “God doesn’t take you through challenges just to leave you beaten down. No, it’s time for you to rise up and claim everything that belongs to you.”
And here’s what Jesus says belongs to you, “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
What an interesting contrast. Let’s kind of put this in theological terms. The guy down the road is representative of a thread of Christianity that likes to skip the cross–to fast forward through the crucifixion and go straight to Easter. The resurrection is all the good of life. The resurrection is all the greatness of God. The resurrection is what it is all about: healing, wholeness, redemption, graciousness, eternal life, the presence of God in all its fullness. Yeah, we love that stuff. It’s fantastic. It’s more than the icing on the cake–it’s the whole cake in all its deliciousness.
But you can’t have the resurrection without the crucifixion. You cannot have the empty tomb without the cross. You cannot have eternal life without death. And a lot of times, we don’t want to talk about that. We don’t want to talk about going down those paths. We want the sweet stuff, but we don’t want to endure the heaviness.
Yet, we as Christians must ask the tough questions, and one of those questions is: which is closer to the Truth? Which is closer to the reality of life? Which is closer to the life that Jesus revealed to us and called us to live as His followers?
Listen to this quote from Bret Blair: The mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers. The Italian freedom fighter Garibaldi offered his men only hunger and death to free Italy. Winston Churchill told the English people that he had nothing to offer them but "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" in their fight against the enemies of England. Jesus demanded that his followers carry a cross. A sign of death.
Andrew died on a cross
Simon was crucified
Bartholomew was flayed alive
James (son of Zebedee) was beheaded
The other James (son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death
Thomas was run through with a lance
Matthias was stoned and then beheaded
Matthew was slain by the sword
Peter was crucified upside down
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows
Philip was hanged
The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion. No. It’s much, much more. It’s a religion that demands your entire life. The good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly, everything. It demands a willingness to suffer, to die, to walk away from all that is precious and dear in our lives, to give up our possessions. There is part of our faith that doesn’t necessarily come across as “good news”–at least while we are going through it. For carrying a cross isn’t “good news.” The cross means death, pain, and suffering. Christianity is not for the faint hearted.
But it is for those who can keep the end in mind. It is for those who believe that on the other side of the cross is the resurrection. It is for those who willingly count the cost and say, “The Lord will never leave me or forsake me. The Lord is my helper. What have I to fear?” The answer is: nothing. When we live God’s Word daily, we know that we will bear the cross, but we do not fear such a burden because we know the end. Amen.
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