Have you ever found yourself having to reevaluate things that you believed and thought? And in the midst of doing that, have you ever discovered that things that you once thought and said in front of folks may have been wrong? And have you ever felt really embarrassed that you once believed as you did and were as outspoken as you once were?
I hate it when this happens.
You know, for years, I rebelled against using a lot of technology in church. I didn’t think it was a good idea to put my sermons online. If folks wanted to hear the sermon, they needed to come to church. We didn’t need screes in worship. Folks have a bulletin and hymn books. All of this stuff was just gimmicks anyway. What really counted was the Word of God and its power to change hearts. There was no need to dress things up. There was no need to put all of this extra stuff into it. Technology was just a bunch of fluff that was unnecessary.
But then in 2016, a study came out written by David Millard Haskell and Kevin Flatt. It was titled, “Theology Matters: Comparing the Traits of Growing and Declining Mainline Protestant Church Attendees and Clergy.” I read the study. The authors studied mainline protestant congregations in Canada where church decline has been even steeper than here in the U.S. This study confirmed what I had thought before: In every church that was growing, it was the Word of God and it’s power to change hearts that took center stage. It was a robust, orthodox, evangelical faith that took hold and helped bring people to Christ. But that was not the only thing these churches had in common. Guess what every one of those churches used? They made liberal use of technology in spreading the Gospel. They connected with people’s smart phones. They had screens in their worship areas. They connected online.
When I reached this point in my reading, I knew I was faced with a choice: recant what I had said earlier in my life or continue in my stubbornness. I could acknowledge what these researchers had found and get with the program, or I could turn a blind eye and pretend what they found didn’t really matter. Well, most of you know that every Sunday I am recording the sermon that is delivered here and putting it online. I’ve also started recording the Adult Bible study and putting that online as well. It’s a start, but if I take seriously what this study said, then this is the avenue that should be traveled. I’ve got to be humble enough to change my stance and do the things that help bring people to Christ.
That also means that I have to sometimes reevaluate the things that I have said throughout my time as a pastor and preacher. For instance, back in 2008, I preached a Palm Sunday sermon where I talked about how the Roman soldiers viewed what was happening when Jesus came riding in on that donkey. I said the following, “Straining his eyes, the captain [of the guard] looked and saw the focal point of the crowd’s attention. There, sitting on a donkey, was a man. He was waving to the crowd, smiling, and basking in their attention. ‘How odd these people are,’ thought the captain. ‘They celebrate a man riding on a donkey.’ With that, he turned to the rest of his men, ‘Stand down!’ he told them. ‘There is nothing to fear. They have no weapons.’ After saying this, he looked back down at the man on the steed. ‘Who is this?’ he wondered to himself. ‘Who is this man that so many welcome him in this manner?’”
I am no longer quite so sure that this Roman captain would have approached this situation in such a fashion. Through my readings and growth in understanding, I have come to see that the Romans were not ignorant of Jewish thought and belief. The Romans knew that the Jews were a cantankerous group of people. They had their factions and groups, for sure. There were Jewish folks who collaborated with the Roman occupiers–including the Puppet King Herod. This group was very, very small. There were other folks who begrudgingly worked with the Roman occupiers but who resented their rule to the nth degree–these were folks like the Pharisees. This was a much larger group. Then you had those who were in rebellion–those who assassinated Romans soldiers and diplomats at every chance claiming that they owed allegiance to God and God alone. These were the zealots. The vast, vast majority of the Jews believed that they were destined to be an independent kingdom, ruled by the Messiah who would bring them power and prestige throughout the world.
They only needed someone to follow.
They only needed someone who might have power and authority and might.
They only needed someone who seemed to fulfill the Old Testament prophesies.
And they had Jesus.
Oh, they had heard the stories of Jesus. They had heard about his miracles, and they had liked what they heard. He could produce food out of thin air. He could calm storms. He could heal the sick and raise the dead. He had untold of power.
Of course, there had been other stories that had caused a bit of consternation. In his hometown, the people had tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. On a couple of occasions, crowds had tried to stone him for things that he had said. But these were ignored for the time being. Perhaps he was controversial because he needed to stir people to action. Perhaps they were just misguided in their understanding of Jesus. Perhaps they just needed to channel their anger in the right direction–toward the Romans.
And those Romans were probably worried when they saw Jesus riding into Jerusalem on that donkey. They knew what that meant. They knew the Jewish tradition of how a king was to enter the city. The prophet Zechariah had talked about such matters hundreds of years earlier. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The fact that Jesus was doing this could only mean one thing: Rebellion. Jesus’ actions this day made himself public enemy number one in the eyes of the Roman occupiers.
And Jesus was no fool. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that riding in on that donkey was putting a target on his back. He knew that he would not be well received by the Romans. He knew they brooked no talk of rebellion or revolution. He knew they would not be happy at all.
But the crowd was. The crowd was exuberant. They wanted to get rid of the Romans. They wanted to get out from under their oppression. They wanted to get out from under their burdens of taxation. They wanted a true king, not the puppet king Herod who was of questionable Jewish heritage. They welcomed Jesus with open arms. They put palm branches and robes in his path. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
They were in a festive mood. Just as God had once saved them from the Egyptians by mighty deeds of power and might on the first Passover, God was now going to use Jesus and his acts of power and might to deliver them from the Romans on this Passover.
But what the crowd did not understand was that Jesus was throwing down the gauntlet not only to the Romans, but to his fellow Jews. Jesus was not only challenging the Roman’s ideas of power and might and authority, he was also challenging his fellow Jews to examine their own ideas of what they thought the kingdom of God would look like–to examine their own relationship with God. And once the crowd discovered this, their shouts would change. Their shouts would go from “Hosanna!” to “Crucify him!”
Why? They were not willing to reevaluate their understandings. They were not willing to change their belief in the face of new information.
Look at it this way. All their lives, these folks had been told that the Messiah was coming. They had been taught that their Messiah would usher in a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity, and power for the Kingdom of Israel. They had been taught that the Messiah would overthrow their enemies with the strength and power of God. Israel would no longer be subject to anyone. Israel would be feared and respected throughout the world. Israel would be the top dog, and it would be an honor and a joy to be a part of this kingdom!! That’s why they celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
Ah, but when Jesus challenged this notion of the kingdom; when Jesus began telling everyone that his kingdom was not of this world; when Jesus told everyone that they should love the Romans–the enemies of the Jews–and bless them when they were persecuted; this was more than they could handle. This was more than they could bear. This wasn’t how the Messiah was supposed to act. In their eyes, Jesus became a false Messiah. He deserved crucifixion. But why couldn’t they accept what Jesus was saying?
Here’s the question: what were the people really longing for? What did the people most desire? What did the people have their hearts set on? Prosperity. Peace. Honor. Power. Riches. These were the things that the people craved. These were the things promised in the Kingdom. They were longing for these things more than they were actually longing for the rule of God. In other words, they wanted what God could give them, they did not actually want to submit to God themselves.
And Jesus would not accept that.
Jesus does not accept that.
Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.”
Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Jesus says, “The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Jesus says set your deepest heart’s desire upon God and nothing else.
You know, the crowds that gathered that Palm Sunday were waving their palms for the wrong reasons. They wanted a king who would deliver them from the Romans. They didn’t want a king who would confront them with their own selfish desires and demand repentance. But that is who Jesus was and is. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He already reigns over the universe, but he wants to reign most of all in our hearts. But as long as our hearts cling to the desires of wealth, power, prestige, possessions, or whatever we so choose, he can never be king. Oh, we may make him a king for a day or for a few hours, but he will never be Lord of our lives.
Maybe it’s a good thing that next year when Lent begins, these palm fronds will be burned and used to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday. It’s a good reminder of how we should welcome Jesus. It’s a good reminder that all of the things that would draw us away from Jesus should burn away leaving a desire for repentance and a clean heart; leaving a desire to have Jesus sit enthroned upon our hearts as the Lord and Master of our lives.
And hear now the good news. Hear now where Jesus is going. Hear now what Jesus will do to capture your heart that you may fall in love with your Lord and Savior. For He will not rain down fire and brimstone on your head for failing to follow Him. He will not impose His will on you by force. He will not try to scare you into trusting Him or believing in Him. He will not ride that donkey to a great throne of power and might.
Instead, he will give up his heavenly power and glory. Even “though he is in the form of God, he will not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but he will empty himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he will humble himself and become obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” He will take your brokenness upon himself. He will take your pain upon himself. He will take your fear upon himself. He will take your distrust upon himself. He will take your sickness upon himself. He will take your anxiety upon himself. He will take your sin upon himself, and he will put it to death. He will die for you to cleanse your heart; to cleanse your being. And then he will pour his righteousness into you. He will pour his grace into you. He will pour his status as Son of God or Daughter of God into you. He will wash you, and he will clothe you. And He will do this not because you have earned it. Not because you have been all that you should be. Not because you are good. He will do this because He loves you. He loves you so much that he is willing to die for you. He wants that love to claim your heart so that you put your trust in him–you put your trust in the King.
Today, on this Palm Sunday, let us see past the pomp and circumstance. Let us see past the palm branches. Let us see past all the things that we think that Jesus can give us, and instead, let us see Jesus alone. Let us see the King of kings. Let us see the Lord of Lords. Let us see the one who has come to take our sin away. Let us behold our king. Amen.
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Power. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Monday, December 11, 2017
The Gospel Strengthens You
Whenever I begin teaching my confirmation students the Bible, I always start with Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. That verse reads, “In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth...” I ask them, “Who is the subject of this sentence?” Immediately, someone will yell out, “God!”
And I say, “That’s right. God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible. The first sentence of the Bible tells us who the entire book is about. The Bible is about God. Now, are we the subject of the Bible?”
The kids usually have to think about this for a moment or two, but the general consensus then becomes, “No.”
And I say, “That’s right. We are not the subject of the Bible. Now, we can certainly find ourselves in the story of the Bible. We can certainly relate to things in the Bible. There are certain things in the Bible that apply to us, but at the end of all of this, the Bible is not about us. The Bible is about God.”
As Paul finishes out his letter to the Romans, he wants to bring everyone back to this basic fact. When all is said and done; when all the chips are laid on the table; when all the facts are made known, ultimately anything and everything about the Christian life comes back to God. Anything and everything about the Christian proclamation is about God and his wonderful, marvelous, overwhelming, action in and through Jesus Christ.
Paul finishes with a sentence that would have made his grammar teacher turn over in her grave. Paul runs things on and on and on as he seeks to bring folks to a place where they will give honor and glory to God. Listen to the words once again: “25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.”
Paul indicates that God is working to strengthen us according to the Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus. There are those who would like to say that Christianity is simply about enduring this life for a little while so that we can experience the true life of the world to come. They accuse Christians of ignoring the here and now and simply focusing on heaven, but this is not what Paul is indicating here. Paul is not talking about heavenly strength. He is talking about a strength that takes place here and now; a strength that can embolden us in this world; a strength that empowers us to truly live a life of freedom and joy. How is such a thing possible? I mean, when you look at much of the world today–including the Christian world, do we see such freedom? Do we see such joy? Do we see such strength? Maybe. But mostly not. Perhaps we need constant reminder of how the gospel of Jesus Christ strengthens us.
First, it says that we are sinners. This is the fundamental, basic starting point of the Gospel. We are all broken. We all fall short of the glory of God. We are all in need of a savior. This doesn’t quite seem like it is a position of strength. How can admitting that we are sinful be a position of strength? It seems like we are admitting weakness. It seems like we are admitting that we are flawed. It seems like we are admitting that we are in need.
And, indeed we are. But this is actually a point of strength. How? I remember watching “Spiderman” long ago, and the main villain in the movie has a potent line. The villain says, “The one thing people love more than a hero is to watch that hero fall, fail, die trying.” There is some truth to that statement. We admire someone who rises to the top, but we also become enamored in the drama of watching others trying to displace the person at the top. Why do you think we become so enamored with what goes on in politics? Why do you think we get so wrapped up in our candidates? Who will become strongest? Who will last? And who will find your opponent’s fatal flaw? Who will find the unforgivable sin? What story of brokenness will be used to topple the king of the hill?
But what if you are unafraid of your brokenness? What if you are unafraid of your flaws? What if you admit, honestly admit that you are a broken, flawed, sinful individual? What if someone comes up to you and says, “Aha! I heard you cuss the other day, and you shouldn’t do that! I’m going to tell everyone about what you did!” And you respond, “Yes, you are right. I have failed. I am flawed. I acknowledge this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Go ahead, tell everyone that I miss the mark.” What does anyone have over you then? What can anyone use against you? You’ve already admitted your weakness. You’ve already admitted your sin. No one can use it against you! When we admit that we are flawed, broken, sinful beings, we are free from the tyranny of having to be perfect people living perfect lives. We are freed from spending time, energy, and money trying to hide our imperfections. We are freed from hypocrisy for we readily admit that we do not do that which we ought to do. There is great freedom in admitting that one is flawed and imperfect.
Yet, one must be careful–so very careful. Because if you spend all of your time thinking that you are imperfect and flawed, you can become very, very depressed. You can become so wrapped up in your weakness that you grovel and wallow in sorrow. You can become so caught up in the doom and gloom that you think of yourself as a victim of karma, cosmic justice, or pure, bad luck. You are like Charlie Brown having just hung that ornament on that scrawny little tree and watching that tree bend over unable to bear the weight of that glass ball. You look up and say, “I broke it. I’ve ruined Christmas.”
Ah, but the gospel offers a strong corrective here. It reminds you that in spite of your brokenness; in spite of your flaws; in spite of your failures; in spite of the fact that you have fallen short of the glory of God, you are deeply, wonderfully, marvelously loved. For the God of the universe came down to earth to die for you. The God of the universe took on human flesh and gave Himself in your place so that you would not receive punishment for your sin. The God of the universe braved the fires of hell; braved the wrath of God on your behalf–certainly not because you were perfect and good, but because He is good. When you remember this amazing grace, you ascend from the depths of depression, sorrow, and victim-hood to claim your status as a beloved child of God–a daughter or son of the Most High. To know this status indeed brings strength!
Oh, and when you know that your worth and value comes from God and God alone, you find freedom. You find glorious freedom. I know that a lot of you Astros fans are still riding high from their first World Series win. It’s an awesome feeling when the team that you support wins the championship. But do you remember what it was like only a few short years ago? Do you remember what it was like when the Astros were in last place? What if you got your self-worth and value from how the Astros did? What if your every emotion hinged upon whether or not they won or lost? Sure, it feels good now, but what about when the cycle reverses? You see, when your value and self worth is tied to anything, you stand a very good chance of finding yourself high one minute and down low the next minute. If your value is tied to your stock portfolio, right now, you are feeling very good about yourself, but in 2009, you probably weren’t feeling very great. And if you really, really think about it, you are enslaved to where you get your value. You are completely dependent upon it for your satisfaction and worth. But when you get your value from God–you are freed from such things. Nothing in this world has control over you anymore. Talk about amazing strength!!
And so, your ego finds itself going neither too high–because you know that you are flawed–nor too low–because you are deeply loved. The good news of Jesus Christ makes you humble and strong all at the same time, and it brings you incredible freedom.
But we are not done yet! For there is more to the story that must be told. There is even more strength that comes! For we also know that we have a sure and certain hope! We know that God has an ultimate destination for our lives! This is very important to realize because, as C3PO said in Star Wars, “It seems to be our lot in life to suffer.” Indeed, it is. It is our lot in life to suffer. Everyone sooner or later suffers. We suffer the pain of broken relationships. We suffer the pain of betrayal. We suffer the pain of illness. We suffer the pain of job loss. We suffer the pain of broken expectations. We suffer the pain of injury. We suffer the pain of our bodies breaking down. We suffer the pain of death. Life is full of suffering. Life is full of injustice. Life is full of things that sometimes do not make any sense to us.
But God strengthens us through the power of the resurrection! God strengthens us by showing that His kingdom is breaking into the world. Jesus is the first fruits of that kingdom raised from death to life. For the resurrection shows that God will unmake all the evil that has ever befallen us. God will reverse all injustice, pain, suffering, and even death. When God’s kingdom arrives in its fullness, we will have a new heaven and a new earth and a new body. We will be in the presence of God, and He will wipe every tear from every eye. Suffering no longer leads us to despair. We may question it. We may raise our fist in anger against it. We will work to alleviate it, but it no longer devastates us for we now know God’s ultimate plan for our lives. We know that God’s plan is to make all things new. We have a sure and certain hope, and that hope gives us strength!
Put all of those things together. Know that this mystery remained hidden for a long, long time, but now it has been revealed. Now it has been made known to all the world. It has now been passed down to us through the writings of scripture, and it comes to us–to our very hearts. This is what God has done. This is what God does for us through Jesus Christ. It is nothing less than amazing. It is nothing less than wonderful. It is nothing less than fantastic! This is the God we come together to serve and worship and give glory and honor to. This is the one God who saves by grace. This is the one God who reveals true wisdom–a wisdom that is so contrary to the way the world works! This is the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Have you been grasped by this Gospel? Has this good news sunk deep down into your soul? If it has, you know that there is only one thing to do. Give glory to God! Raise your voice in song to God! Tell everyone what God has done!! So ends the book of Romans–with a call for all of us to give such glory, praise and worship to our God. May His work in Jesus Christ grasp us through and through. Amen.
And I say, “That’s right. God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible. The first sentence of the Bible tells us who the entire book is about. The Bible is about God. Now, are we the subject of the Bible?”
The kids usually have to think about this for a moment or two, but the general consensus then becomes, “No.”
And I say, “That’s right. We are not the subject of the Bible. Now, we can certainly find ourselves in the story of the Bible. We can certainly relate to things in the Bible. There are certain things in the Bible that apply to us, but at the end of all of this, the Bible is not about us. The Bible is about God.”
As Paul finishes out his letter to the Romans, he wants to bring everyone back to this basic fact. When all is said and done; when all the chips are laid on the table; when all the facts are made known, ultimately anything and everything about the Christian life comes back to God. Anything and everything about the Christian proclamation is about God and his wonderful, marvelous, overwhelming, action in and through Jesus Christ.
Paul finishes with a sentence that would have made his grammar teacher turn over in her grave. Paul runs things on and on and on as he seeks to bring folks to a place where they will give honor and glory to God. Listen to the words once again: “25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.”
Paul indicates that God is working to strengthen us according to the Gospel and the proclamation of Jesus. There are those who would like to say that Christianity is simply about enduring this life for a little while so that we can experience the true life of the world to come. They accuse Christians of ignoring the here and now and simply focusing on heaven, but this is not what Paul is indicating here. Paul is not talking about heavenly strength. He is talking about a strength that takes place here and now; a strength that can embolden us in this world; a strength that empowers us to truly live a life of freedom and joy. How is such a thing possible? I mean, when you look at much of the world today–including the Christian world, do we see such freedom? Do we see such joy? Do we see such strength? Maybe. But mostly not. Perhaps we need constant reminder of how the gospel of Jesus Christ strengthens us.
First, it says that we are sinners. This is the fundamental, basic starting point of the Gospel. We are all broken. We all fall short of the glory of God. We are all in need of a savior. This doesn’t quite seem like it is a position of strength. How can admitting that we are sinful be a position of strength? It seems like we are admitting weakness. It seems like we are admitting that we are flawed. It seems like we are admitting that we are in need.
And, indeed we are. But this is actually a point of strength. How? I remember watching “Spiderman” long ago, and the main villain in the movie has a potent line. The villain says, “The one thing people love more than a hero is to watch that hero fall, fail, die trying.” There is some truth to that statement. We admire someone who rises to the top, but we also become enamored in the drama of watching others trying to displace the person at the top. Why do you think we become so enamored with what goes on in politics? Why do you think we get so wrapped up in our candidates? Who will become strongest? Who will last? And who will find your opponent’s fatal flaw? Who will find the unforgivable sin? What story of brokenness will be used to topple the king of the hill?
But what if you are unafraid of your brokenness? What if you are unafraid of your flaws? What if you admit, honestly admit that you are a broken, flawed, sinful individual? What if someone comes up to you and says, “Aha! I heard you cuss the other day, and you shouldn’t do that! I’m going to tell everyone about what you did!” And you respond, “Yes, you are right. I have failed. I am flawed. I acknowledge this beyond a shadow of a doubt. Go ahead, tell everyone that I miss the mark.” What does anyone have over you then? What can anyone use against you? You’ve already admitted your weakness. You’ve already admitted your sin. No one can use it against you! When we admit that we are flawed, broken, sinful beings, we are free from the tyranny of having to be perfect people living perfect lives. We are freed from spending time, energy, and money trying to hide our imperfections. We are freed from hypocrisy for we readily admit that we do not do that which we ought to do. There is great freedom in admitting that one is flawed and imperfect.
Yet, one must be careful–so very careful. Because if you spend all of your time thinking that you are imperfect and flawed, you can become very, very depressed. You can become so wrapped up in your weakness that you grovel and wallow in sorrow. You can become so caught up in the doom and gloom that you think of yourself as a victim of karma, cosmic justice, or pure, bad luck. You are like Charlie Brown having just hung that ornament on that scrawny little tree and watching that tree bend over unable to bear the weight of that glass ball. You look up and say, “I broke it. I’ve ruined Christmas.”
Ah, but the gospel offers a strong corrective here. It reminds you that in spite of your brokenness; in spite of your flaws; in spite of your failures; in spite of the fact that you have fallen short of the glory of God, you are deeply, wonderfully, marvelously loved. For the God of the universe came down to earth to die for you. The God of the universe took on human flesh and gave Himself in your place so that you would not receive punishment for your sin. The God of the universe braved the fires of hell; braved the wrath of God on your behalf–certainly not because you were perfect and good, but because He is good. When you remember this amazing grace, you ascend from the depths of depression, sorrow, and victim-hood to claim your status as a beloved child of God–a daughter or son of the Most High. To know this status indeed brings strength!
Oh, and when you know that your worth and value comes from God and God alone, you find freedom. You find glorious freedom. I know that a lot of you Astros fans are still riding high from their first World Series win. It’s an awesome feeling when the team that you support wins the championship. But do you remember what it was like only a few short years ago? Do you remember what it was like when the Astros were in last place? What if you got your self-worth and value from how the Astros did? What if your every emotion hinged upon whether or not they won or lost? Sure, it feels good now, but what about when the cycle reverses? You see, when your value and self worth is tied to anything, you stand a very good chance of finding yourself high one minute and down low the next minute. If your value is tied to your stock portfolio, right now, you are feeling very good about yourself, but in 2009, you probably weren’t feeling very great. And if you really, really think about it, you are enslaved to where you get your value. You are completely dependent upon it for your satisfaction and worth. But when you get your value from God–you are freed from such things. Nothing in this world has control over you anymore. Talk about amazing strength!!
And so, your ego finds itself going neither too high–because you know that you are flawed–nor too low–because you are deeply loved. The good news of Jesus Christ makes you humble and strong all at the same time, and it brings you incredible freedom.
But we are not done yet! For there is more to the story that must be told. There is even more strength that comes! For we also know that we have a sure and certain hope! We know that God has an ultimate destination for our lives! This is very important to realize because, as C3PO said in Star Wars, “It seems to be our lot in life to suffer.” Indeed, it is. It is our lot in life to suffer. Everyone sooner or later suffers. We suffer the pain of broken relationships. We suffer the pain of betrayal. We suffer the pain of illness. We suffer the pain of job loss. We suffer the pain of broken expectations. We suffer the pain of injury. We suffer the pain of our bodies breaking down. We suffer the pain of death. Life is full of suffering. Life is full of injustice. Life is full of things that sometimes do not make any sense to us.
But God strengthens us through the power of the resurrection! God strengthens us by showing that His kingdom is breaking into the world. Jesus is the first fruits of that kingdom raised from death to life. For the resurrection shows that God will unmake all the evil that has ever befallen us. God will reverse all injustice, pain, suffering, and even death. When God’s kingdom arrives in its fullness, we will have a new heaven and a new earth and a new body. We will be in the presence of God, and He will wipe every tear from every eye. Suffering no longer leads us to despair. We may question it. We may raise our fist in anger against it. We will work to alleviate it, but it no longer devastates us for we now know God’s ultimate plan for our lives. We know that God’s plan is to make all things new. We have a sure and certain hope, and that hope gives us strength!
Put all of those things together. Know that this mystery remained hidden for a long, long time, but now it has been revealed. Now it has been made known to all the world. It has now been passed down to us through the writings of scripture, and it comes to us–to our very hearts. This is what God has done. This is what God does for us through Jesus Christ. It is nothing less than amazing. It is nothing less than wonderful. It is nothing less than fantastic! This is the God we come together to serve and worship and give glory and honor to. This is the one God who saves by grace. This is the one God who reveals true wisdom–a wisdom that is so contrary to the way the world works! This is the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Have you been grasped by this Gospel? Has this good news sunk deep down into your soul? If it has, you know that there is only one thing to do. Give glory to God! Raise your voice in song to God! Tell everyone what God has done!! So ends the book of Romans–with a call for all of us to give such glory, praise and worship to our God. May His work in Jesus Christ grasp us through and through. Amen.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Powerball, Fig Trees, Temples, Curses, and the Relevance of Christianity (Part 1)
I sometimes marvel at how some say that the Christian faith needs to be made relevant to our day and age. After all, these folks argue, the main events of Christianity happened nearly 2000 years ago. How can it still be relevant to what is going on today? Such things make me scratch my head in wonder because Christianity isn’t simply a system and code of ethics–it runs much deeper as it seeks to address the fundamental problem with human nature. And, I would argue that human nature hasn’t changed much in the past 2000 years in the least. How so?
Well, let’s start by hitting the biggest headlines of this past week–the headlines that threw most of our nation into a frenzy. I am talking Powerball. I mean, millions of people were throwing billions of dollars at the chance to win an absolutely huge amount of cash. The thought of 1.5 billion dollars captivated the thoughts and hearts of many people. Why? Why did the thought of obtaining such a huge amount of money hit so many people?
I think most of us know the answer to that question. Despite the cliche that “money can’t buy everything,” we still act like it can. I mean, as a nation, we are a slave to our pocketbooks. Most of us think we never have enough. Most of us think, “If I just had more money, everything would be okay. I would be able to buy the things I want. Do the things I want to do. Not have to be beholden to any one or any thing.” Now, I want to be clear, there are those who do not fall into this trap. There are those who have gotten past such things, but that’s not everyone–not by a long shot. In fact, remember, the payout on the Powerball is based upon how many people have bought tickets. That means 1.5 billion is a small percentage of what people actually spent to obtain tickets. That means people spent billions and billions of dollars on this scheme, and the real winners are the states who have put together the lottery. Oops. Did I just name the state as also wanting money and desiring money to do all sorts of things? Yes, I guess I just did. So, what is happening here? Individuals are captivated by the dollar. States and governments are captivated by the dollar. Individuals, corporations, governments, and the like are all captivated by the dollar. And no one seems to be satisfied with what they have. They all want more.
Let’s break for a moment and see just how Jesus’ encounter with a fig tree and his cleansing of the temple tie in with this just beautifully. Let’s look and see how the Bible is still as relevant to today as it was when Jesus walked the earth.
Last week, we saw Jesus enter into Jerusalem hailed as the Messiah–the King of the Jews. We saw how Jesus walked into the temple, looked around, and as the hour was late, walked out and went camping. It was kind of anti-climatic, and I talked last week how Jesus was interested in a different temple and a different throne–the temple of our hearts and the throne of the cross. Today, we see just how Jesus begins to make that clear in His teaching and His actions.
In the morning, Jesus and His disciples are headed back to Jerusalem, and Jesus gets hungry. He sees a fig tree in the road ahead that is all leafed out. Jesus approaches the tree in hopes of finding a bite to eat, but when He gets to the tree, there is no fruit. The gospel writer Mark the tells us, “it was not the season for figs.” Perhaps, much to our surprise, Jesus invokes a curse on this fig tree. “May no one ever eat from you again.” What has happened to Jesus? Has He suddenly been overcome by natural human emotion and anger? Shouldn’t the Son of God have known it wasn’t the time for figs? Why curse this poor, little tree for not having figs when it wasn’t supposed to?
Now, if you don’t know anything about fig trees or the ancient Jewish culture, you would think exactly that. You would think Jesus positively cruel and petty. But there is more than meets the eye here. Personally, I wouldn’t have known such things without doing a bit of homework, but here is what I discovered in my studies this week. You see, fig trees actually have two times when they bear fruit. They actually begin producing their first crop of fruit before they leaf out in the spring. This fruit is called paggim in Hebrew.
Let me read to you what Mark Edwards says in his commentary about this encounter:
After the fig harvest from mid-August to mid-October, the branches of fig trees sprout buds that remain undeveloped throughout the winter. These buds swell into small green knops known in Hebrew as paggim in March-April, followed shortly by the sprouting of leaf buds on the same branches, usually in April. The fig tree thus produces fig knops before it produces leaves. Once a fig tree is in leaf one therefore expects to find branches loaded with paggim in various stages of maturation. This is implied in 11:13 where Jesus, seeing a fig tree in full foliage, turns aside in hopes of finding something edible. In the spring of the year the paggim are of course not ripened into mature summer figs, but they can be eaten, and often are by natives. (Hosea 9:10, Cant 2:13) The tree in v. 13 however, turns out to be deceptive, for it is green in foliage, but when Jesus inspects it he finds no paggim; it is a tree with the signs of fruit, but with no fruit.
And what kind of tree is it that bears signs of fruit but has no fruit? Well, let me rephrase the question: what good is a fig tree that leafs out and looks beautiful but produces no fruit? You know the answer. It’s a worthless tree–especially in an arid, rocky climate like Palestine. Jesus knows by the lack of fruit that this tree is rotten. There is something wrong with it. On the outside, it looks great, but on the inside, it is no good. “May no one ever eat fruit of you again.”
Is it any coincidence then, that immediately following this encounter with the fig tree, we move to the Temple? Well, it really isn’t. For the two stories are intimately related. The Temple of Jerusalem at this time was a thing of beauty. It took up roughly 1/3 of the entire city of Jerusalem. The stones were massive. The columns were huge. It was the center of Jewish worship and life. Throngs of pilgrims visited every year–not only Jews, but Gentiles as well. Jesus looks at what is going on in the Temple, and blows a fuse. He enters into the temple and disrupts the sacrificial system overturning tables, scattering coin, and preventing people from bringing any sort of goods into the temple. The question is why?
I mean, when I was in college, I took a class on Judaism, and the professor, who was Jewish was apologetic toward the buying and selling that was going on in the Temple. After all, the rabbi argued: the Bible was very clear on what kind of animals needed to be used for sacrifice. The Bible was also very clear about what kind of money could be used to pay your temple tax and give your tithe. The sellers and money changers were providing a service to the people who were there to sacrifice. The fact that they would make a little bit of money off the sales and exchanges was just good business. Jesus really didn’t need to get so angry and disruptive!
I can appreciate my professor’s need to defend the practices of those within his faith, especially in a Christian college environment. But my professor left off a few details–details that I only came across this past week in my studies. William Lane, in his commentary points out that the selling of sacrificial animals in the temple was not a long-standing practice. Historical evidence shows that the buying and selling of sacrificial animals in the Temple was begun by the High Priest Caiaphas sometime around 30 A.D.–which, coincidentally(?) is right around when Jesus began His public ministry. Why would Caiaphas institute such buying and selling in the Temple? There was really no need considering that there were four certified market places for the selling of sacrificial animals right outside the city of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Why sell animals in the Temple when there were perfectly good markets right outside of town?
Well, think about this for a moment: during Passover, hundreds of thousands of Jews made their way to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. That’s a lot of sheep, goats, and doves to be offered. That’s a load of animals that needed to be bought. Why shouldn’t the Temple benefit from those sales? Wouldn’t it be good business for the Temple authorities to allow businesses to come in and set up shop to sell their animals–especially if the Temple authorities charged a fee or received a portion of the sales money to line their pockets? Doesn’t this make economic sense for the Temple? You would think so, but remember this: the priests actually got paid by receiving a part of the sacrifice that was offered. The priests therefore, during Passover had more than enough meat and leather and such to sell and gain income. The priests were rolling in dough, but they wanted more.
So they allowed merchants to set up shop in the Temple. Of course, there was only one place for these merchants to set up: the courtyard of the Gentiles. Please remember, the Temple was set up in tiered layers for worship. First, you had the court of the Gentiles where all people were allowed to worship. Second, you had the court of women where ritually cleansed women were allowed to worship. Then you had the court of Jewish men. Finally you had the court of the priests which surrounded the Holy of Holies where only one person was allowed to enter once per year. Now, think about that tiered system, and then think about which layer you would use–as a Jew if you were going to allow the buying and selling of animals.
Of course, you are going to use the court of the Gentiles. It’s the largest area, and it’s also the “least important” area for Jews. Who cares about the Gentiles who have come to worship and pray. They are the least of all in God’s eyes. The Jewish people were of the most import–after all, they were the chosen ones. This was reinforced by signs that appeared on a wall separating the courtyard of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Mark Edwards says again, “The sanctuary was separated from the Court of the Gentiles by a wall, called Soreq, on which the following warning was posted at intervals in Greek, Latin, and Aramaic: “No foreigner may enter within the railing and enclosure that surround the Temple. Anyone apprehended shall have himself to blame for his consequent death.”
Think about this for a moment. Think about the attitude expressed on that sign. Think about the attitude the Temple authorities had toward the Gentiles by setting up a marketplace in the only place they were allowed to worship. Does it sound like they were really trying to get people to worship God? Do these actions really show that the Temple authorities had a heart for helping people–even foreigners come to know the living God? No. Not in the least. As N.T. Wright said, “The Temple had been intended to symbolize God’s dwelling with Israel for the sake of the world; the way Jesus’ contemporaries had organized things, it had come to symbolize not God’s welcome to the nations but God’s exclusion of them.” Is it any wonder why Jesus goes berserk? This Temple, which was supposed to be a house of prayer for all people had just been commandeered to take money from those selling sacrificial animals on the Mount of Olives and exclude the vast majority of the world’s people from praying in a holy place. Den of thieves indeed!
And, of course, Jesus’ actions were a direct assault on the Temple authorities. They were a direct condemnation and judgement of their actions, so they sought to kill Him. Jesus had dared challenge them. Yet, in reality, Jesus had just exposed them. The wonderful, beautiful Temple, had just been exposed as a profiteering scheme instead of a place of worship. And when you are exposed as committing great wrong, you either admit your mistake or silence the one who is pointing out your mistake. The Temple authorities made no bones about what they intended, but they feared the crowd because the crowd knew Jesus was right.
The next day, Jesus and His disciples are walking by the fig tree, and Peter notices that the tree is withered and dead. “Look,” Peter exclaims. “The tree that you cursed is withered from the roots up.”
There is an obvious lesson here. The fig tree and the temple share the same problem. From the root, it is bad. From the root, both will wither. Both may have looked great from the outside, but once the inner workings were revealed, they were found to be corrupt. And that corruption will lead to death.
I wish I could tell you this morning that such corruption does not affect you and I, but that whole lottery think this past week proves otherwise. We too are corrupt within. We too are rotting from within. We too have put our trust in external things and do not depend upon God. We too work to make sure our outside looks great, but we hide the inner workings of our hearts and personal lives to disguise our own short comings.
Let me point at myself here using the example of the lottery. You see, I remember very well the first time I played the lottery. It was in my hometown, and I bought a scratch off ticket. It was a football themed one, and I actually won $20. So, what did I do? I cashed the ticked and resolved to give the money to the church. Sounds very cool from the outside, doesn’t it. Well, let me reveal to you the inner workings of my heart.
You see, I figured if I showed God how generous I was; if I showed God that I was going to give these first fruits to Him; then He would let me win more. Of course, I would give some of those winnings to Him, but I would keep the vast majority for myself. I had some really selfish motives because I was centered on myself. I wanted the safety, security, and freedom that money could by, and I was going to use God to get it. Is it any wonder why I rarely won anything more than a dollar whenever I tried to play the lottery after that?
You see, human nature doesn’t change much. Even after thousands of years, hearts still do not change. Hearts still want the safety, security, and freedom that money buys. The false idol of money still rules over many, many hearts. The question is, if the false god of safety, security, and freedom that money can buy rules the temple of our hearts, and Jesus wants to be in that temple Himself. How can He displace that false god? How can He make sure we know that we have safety, security and freedom without money?
Well, next Sunday, we will delve into this as we deal with those last few verses. Those verses will lead us straight to the cross and to God’s wonderful love that He showed there through Jesus. We will hear the Good News that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe 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 might be saved through Him.” We will see how this news cleanses our hearts and gives us even more than money can buy. Amen.
Well, let’s start by hitting the biggest headlines of this past week–the headlines that threw most of our nation into a frenzy. I am talking Powerball. I mean, millions of people were throwing billions of dollars at the chance to win an absolutely huge amount of cash. The thought of 1.5 billion dollars captivated the thoughts and hearts of many people. Why? Why did the thought of obtaining such a huge amount of money hit so many people?
I think most of us know the answer to that question. Despite the cliche that “money can’t buy everything,” we still act like it can. I mean, as a nation, we are a slave to our pocketbooks. Most of us think we never have enough. Most of us think, “If I just had more money, everything would be okay. I would be able to buy the things I want. Do the things I want to do. Not have to be beholden to any one or any thing.” Now, I want to be clear, there are those who do not fall into this trap. There are those who have gotten past such things, but that’s not everyone–not by a long shot. In fact, remember, the payout on the Powerball is based upon how many people have bought tickets. That means 1.5 billion is a small percentage of what people actually spent to obtain tickets. That means people spent billions and billions of dollars on this scheme, and the real winners are the states who have put together the lottery. Oops. Did I just name the state as also wanting money and desiring money to do all sorts of things? Yes, I guess I just did. So, what is happening here? Individuals are captivated by the dollar. States and governments are captivated by the dollar. Individuals, corporations, governments, and the like are all captivated by the dollar. And no one seems to be satisfied with what they have. They all want more.
Let’s break for a moment and see just how Jesus’ encounter with a fig tree and his cleansing of the temple tie in with this just beautifully. Let’s look and see how the Bible is still as relevant to today as it was when Jesus walked the earth.
Last week, we saw Jesus enter into Jerusalem hailed as the Messiah–the King of the Jews. We saw how Jesus walked into the temple, looked around, and as the hour was late, walked out and went camping. It was kind of anti-climatic, and I talked last week how Jesus was interested in a different temple and a different throne–the temple of our hearts and the throne of the cross. Today, we see just how Jesus begins to make that clear in His teaching and His actions.
In the morning, Jesus and His disciples are headed back to Jerusalem, and Jesus gets hungry. He sees a fig tree in the road ahead that is all leafed out. Jesus approaches the tree in hopes of finding a bite to eat, but when He gets to the tree, there is no fruit. The gospel writer Mark the tells us, “it was not the season for figs.” Perhaps, much to our surprise, Jesus invokes a curse on this fig tree. “May no one ever eat from you again.” What has happened to Jesus? Has He suddenly been overcome by natural human emotion and anger? Shouldn’t the Son of God have known it wasn’t the time for figs? Why curse this poor, little tree for not having figs when it wasn’t supposed to?
Now, if you don’t know anything about fig trees or the ancient Jewish culture, you would think exactly that. You would think Jesus positively cruel and petty. But there is more than meets the eye here. Personally, I wouldn’t have known such things without doing a bit of homework, but here is what I discovered in my studies this week. You see, fig trees actually have two times when they bear fruit. They actually begin producing their first crop of fruit before they leaf out in the spring. This fruit is called paggim in Hebrew.
Let me read to you what Mark Edwards says in his commentary about this encounter:
After the fig harvest from mid-August to mid-October, the branches of fig trees sprout buds that remain undeveloped throughout the winter. These buds swell into small green knops known in Hebrew as paggim in March-April, followed shortly by the sprouting of leaf buds on the same branches, usually in April. The fig tree thus produces fig knops before it produces leaves. Once a fig tree is in leaf one therefore expects to find branches loaded with paggim in various stages of maturation. This is implied in 11:13 where Jesus, seeing a fig tree in full foliage, turns aside in hopes of finding something edible. In the spring of the year the paggim are of course not ripened into mature summer figs, but they can be eaten, and often are by natives. (Hosea 9:10, Cant 2:13) The tree in v. 13 however, turns out to be deceptive, for it is green in foliage, but when Jesus inspects it he finds no paggim; it is a tree with the signs of fruit, but with no fruit.
And what kind of tree is it that bears signs of fruit but has no fruit? Well, let me rephrase the question: what good is a fig tree that leafs out and looks beautiful but produces no fruit? You know the answer. It’s a worthless tree–especially in an arid, rocky climate like Palestine. Jesus knows by the lack of fruit that this tree is rotten. There is something wrong with it. On the outside, it looks great, but on the inside, it is no good. “May no one ever eat fruit of you again.”
Is it any coincidence then, that immediately following this encounter with the fig tree, we move to the Temple? Well, it really isn’t. For the two stories are intimately related. The Temple of Jerusalem at this time was a thing of beauty. It took up roughly 1/3 of the entire city of Jerusalem. The stones were massive. The columns were huge. It was the center of Jewish worship and life. Throngs of pilgrims visited every year–not only Jews, but Gentiles as well. Jesus looks at what is going on in the Temple, and blows a fuse. He enters into the temple and disrupts the sacrificial system overturning tables, scattering coin, and preventing people from bringing any sort of goods into the temple. The question is why?
I mean, when I was in college, I took a class on Judaism, and the professor, who was Jewish was apologetic toward the buying and selling that was going on in the Temple. After all, the rabbi argued: the Bible was very clear on what kind of animals needed to be used for sacrifice. The Bible was also very clear about what kind of money could be used to pay your temple tax and give your tithe. The sellers and money changers were providing a service to the people who were there to sacrifice. The fact that they would make a little bit of money off the sales and exchanges was just good business. Jesus really didn’t need to get so angry and disruptive!
I can appreciate my professor’s need to defend the practices of those within his faith, especially in a Christian college environment. But my professor left off a few details–details that I only came across this past week in my studies. William Lane, in his commentary points out that the selling of sacrificial animals in the temple was not a long-standing practice. Historical evidence shows that the buying and selling of sacrificial animals in the Temple was begun by the High Priest Caiaphas sometime around 30 A.D.–which, coincidentally(?) is right around when Jesus began His public ministry. Why would Caiaphas institute such buying and selling in the Temple? There was really no need considering that there were four certified market places for the selling of sacrificial animals right outside the city of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Why sell animals in the Temple when there were perfectly good markets right outside of town?
Well, think about this for a moment: during Passover, hundreds of thousands of Jews made their way to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. That’s a lot of sheep, goats, and doves to be offered. That’s a load of animals that needed to be bought. Why shouldn’t the Temple benefit from those sales? Wouldn’t it be good business for the Temple authorities to allow businesses to come in and set up shop to sell their animals–especially if the Temple authorities charged a fee or received a portion of the sales money to line their pockets? Doesn’t this make economic sense for the Temple? You would think so, but remember this: the priests actually got paid by receiving a part of the sacrifice that was offered. The priests therefore, during Passover had more than enough meat and leather and such to sell and gain income. The priests were rolling in dough, but they wanted more.
So they allowed merchants to set up shop in the Temple. Of course, there was only one place for these merchants to set up: the courtyard of the Gentiles. Please remember, the Temple was set up in tiered layers for worship. First, you had the court of the Gentiles where all people were allowed to worship. Second, you had the court of women where ritually cleansed women were allowed to worship. Then you had the court of Jewish men. Finally you had the court of the priests which surrounded the Holy of Holies where only one person was allowed to enter once per year. Now, think about that tiered system, and then think about which layer you would use–as a Jew if you were going to allow the buying and selling of animals.
Of course, you are going to use the court of the Gentiles. It’s the largest area, and it’s also the “least important” area for Jews. Who cares about the Gentiles who have come to worship and pray. They are the least of all in God’s eyes. The Jewish people were of the most import–after all, they were the chosen ones. This was reinforced by signs that appeared on a wall separating the courtyard of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Mark Edwards says again, “The sanctuary was separated from the Court of the Gentiles by a wall, called Soreq, on which the following warning was posted at intervals in Greek, Latin, and Aramaic: “No foreigner may enter within the railing and enclosure that surround the Temple. Anyone apprehended shall have himself to blame for his consequent death.”
Think about this for a moment. Think about the attitude expressed on that sign. Think about the attitude the Temple authorities had toward the Gentiles by setting up a marketplace in the only place they were allowed to worship. Does it sound like they were really trying to get people to worship God? Do these actions really show that the Temple authorities had a heart for helping people–even foreigners come to know the living God? No. Not in the least. As N.T. Wright said, “The Temple had been intended to symbolize God’s dwelling with Israel for the sake of the world; the way Jesus’ contemporaries had organized things, it had come to symbolize not God’s welcome to the nations but God’s exclusion of them.” Is it any wonder why Jesus goes berserk? This Temple, which was supposed to be a house of prayer for all people had just been commandeered to take money from those selling sacrificial animals on the Mount of Olives and exclude the vast majority of the world’s people from praying in a holy place. Den of thieves indeed!
And, of course, Jesus’ actions were a direct assault on the Temple authorities. They were a direct condemnation and judgement of their actions, so they sought to kill Him. Jesus had dared challenge them. Yet, in reality, Jesus had just exposed them. The wonderful, beautiful Temple, had just been exposed as a profiteering scheme instead of a place of worship. And when you are exposed as committing great wrong, you either admit your mistake or silence the one who is pointing out your mistake. The Temple authorities made no bones about what they intended, but they feared the crowd because the crowd knew Jesus was right.
The next day, Jesus and His disciples are walking by the fig tree, and Peter notices that the tree is withered and dead. “Look,” Peter exclaims. “The tree that you cursed is withered from the roots up.”
There is an obvious lesson here. The fig tree and the temple share the same problem. From the root, it is bad. From the root, both will wither. Both may have looked great from the outside, but once the inner workings were revealed, they were found to be corrupt. And that corruption will lead to death.
I wish I could tell you this morning that such corruption does not affect you and I, but that whole lottery think this past week proves otherwise. We too are corrupt within. We too are rotting from within. We too have put our trust in external things and do not depend upon God. We too work to make sure our outside looks great, but we hide the inner workings of our hearts and personal lives to disguise our own short comings.
Let me point at myself here using the example of the lottery. You see, I remember very well the first time I played the lottery. It was in my hometown, and I bought a scratch off ticket. It was a football themed one, and I actually won $20. So, what did I do? I cashed the ticked and resolved to give the money to the church. Sounds very cool from the outside, doesn’t it. Well, let me reveal to you the inner workings of my heart.
You see, I figured if I showed God how generous I was; if I showed God that I was going to give these first fruits to Him; then He would let me win more. Of course, I would give some of those winnings to Him, but I would keep the vast majority for myself. I had some really selfish motives because I was centered on myself. I wanted the safety, security, and freedom that money could by, and I was going to use God to get it. Is it any wonder why I rarely won anything more than a dollar whenever I tried to play the lottery after that?
You see, human nature doesn’t change much. Even after thousands of years, hearts still do not change. Hearts still want the safety, security, and freedom that money buys. The false idol of money still rules over many, many hearts. The question is, if the false god of safety, security, and freedom that money can buy rules the temple of our hearts, and Jesus wants to be in that temple Himself. How can He displace that false god? How can He make sure we know that we have safety, security and freedom without money?
Well, next Sunday, we will delve into this as we deal with those last few verses. Those verses will lead us straight to the cross and to God’s wonderful love that He showed there through Jesus. We will hear the Good News that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe 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 might be saved through Him.” We will see how this news cleanses our hearts and gives us even more than money can buy. Amen.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Are We Naturally Born Racists?
This title in the July/August "Reader's Digest" was timely given the events that took place in Charleston, SC when Dylann Roof murdered nine men and women because of the color of their skin.
There has been much discussion and reaction to this event--much of it particularly misguided in my estimation. I mean, some have used this shooting as a platform to rid the nation of symbols of the Confederacy. But removing the Confederate flag from public grounds will do very little to address the real, underlying issue regarding racism and prejudice. There is much more to this issue--much which is not being discussed.
I am going to take just a moment to deal with particular definitions in this subject. I think it is important to do so because if we cannot agree on terminology, then we cannot agree on solutions. Therefore, in this post, I will define
Racism as prejudice with power. (A definition I was exposed to in college.)
Prejudice as an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. (from Merriam-Webster's third definition)
It is important, I think, to deal with prejudice. The appropriation of power, history shows, changes over time. It rises and falls among groups over and over and over again. If prejudice is combined with that power, racism occurs.
The Nature of Power
The philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche penned many influential writings which actually underpin much of our surrounding culture these days. Philosophically, Nietzsche removed transcendence from reality. Essentially what he said was: human reason cannot prove any sort of reality above and beyond this world. Therefore, what is our motivation for doing things? What is our reason for engaging in whatever activity we engage in?
Nietzsche's answer was: will to power. Essentially, we strive to put ourselves in the most advantageous position possible. We strive to get our own way; to make our own lives easier; to put ourselves in a position of power and authority so that we do not answer to anyone.
One might argue Nietzsche's basic postulates; however, I don't think he is far from the truth. For Christianity also says that humankind tends to act with its own self-interests in mind. Christianity states that humankind tends to seek autonomous authority where we answer to no one and make our own decisions without regard to anyone else--but with regard to our own well-being. This is the original sin of the garden of Eden where humankind wanted the knowledge of good and evil so that it no longer needed reference to the One who created them.
"What does this have to do with racism?" you might ask. Everything, I think.
The Nature of Prejudice
I personally do not believe we are naturally racist or prejudice, but we become prejudice very, very fast. In the July/August issue of Reader's Digest an article caught my eye. It was titled "Are We Naturally Born Racists?" I encourage you to read the article in its entirety to see the research that the following quotes are based upon. [The research is based on the IAT, and if you would like to take the test you can find it here.] I found the following one particularly fascinating:
"Humans are tribal creatures, showing strong bias against those we perceive as different from us and favoritism toward those we perceive as similar. In fact, we humans will divide ourselves into in-groups and out-groups even when the perceived differences between specific groups are completely arbitrary." Reader's Digest, July/August 2015 "Are We Naturally-Born Racists?" Pp. 113-114.
Let that sink in just a moment before reading the next one.
"In other words, if you give people the slightest push toward behaving tribally, they'll happily comply. So if race is the basis on which tribes are identified, expect serious problems." Reader's Digest, July/August 2015 "Are We Naturally-Born Racists?" P.114.
We only need the slightest push to begin drawing lines in the sand and acting tribally.
It Should Seem Obvious, but...
In my Sunday School adult class we have spoken at length about race issues and whether or not racism is on the decline. Racist behavior I think is significantly less because of the Civil Right's Movement; however racist attitudes, I think, have not abated. The above research perhaps gives us an insight as to why.
One of the gentlemen in my class who is over seventy recalled in the early days in the Cat Spring, TX community how Germans and Czechs drew sharp lines of distinction. Intermarriage was "verboten". Drinking beer socially was acceptable, but that was about it. The two groups sought to be distinct and separate. They clung to their differences. Over time, those barriers faded, and the cultural distinction is almost gone.
"Why?" one might ask. These groups were divided based upon clinging to a particular culture and language that kept them distinct. As time passed and generations lost many cultural practices and children learned English only, the differences evaporated. There were no longer lines that caused divisions. Remember, the brain needs only a slight push to draw the boundaries and become tribal. When language and cultural distinctions evaporated, tribalism vanished.
That's not easily done with physical attributes, is it?
One cannot simply wait 60 years for skin color to change. It won't. Intermarriage will not produce a "greying" of color anytime soon. This distinction will remain regardless of our best efforts to become colorblind. You cannot help but see the differences. And if our brains just need the slightest push...
We will become tribal. Not we will, we are tribal.
This is not just a "white" problem. This is not just a "black" problem. This is not just a "brown" problem. This is a human problem that demands a radical answer.
Society's Answers
Society over and over again has tried to teach us that no matter what is outside, we all bleed red. This is most certainly true.
Society has taught us since the overthrow of the Jim Crow laws that skin color is irrelevant compared to our identity as human beings. This is most certainly true.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech resounds with words that touch many of us to our very core--the dream of a nation where we are judged by the content of our character instead of the color of our skin.
If these truths are embraced by many and believed by many, why do we still find such division? Why do we still see so few integrated neighborhoods? Why is Sunday morning still the most segregated morning of the week? Why do kids congregate among kids of their same color?
We only need the slightest push toward tribalism.
Do we naturally disregard these ideals and continue to cling to our respective culture of color?
I think we do. And no matter how much you point to the ideal, human nature has a tendency of taking over--whether we want it to or not!
Why?
Because of two things: 1) In the deepest recesses of our hearts we want to be with others who are just like us. Our brains make distinctions and cling to them, so nothing less than a total restructuring of our brain's natural state needs to occur. 2) Our Western, enlightenment society still tells us to cling to our racial identity! Embrace the color of your skin! Let no one tell you, your skin color is bad or wrong or ugly! This is central and core to your being!
And in one way it is, but in another way, it perpetuates the problem. For if I cling to my skin color and if my skin color is central to my being, then those who do not share my skin color are categorized as different by my brain--whether I want my brain to do this or not. And we only need a slight nudge toward tribalism...
The Gospel's Answer
Christianity proposes another answer--one that is much more difficult, but much more liberating and all encompassing.
The Christian answer begins with dying to self. That's a hard thing to swallow because we love ourselves. We do everything we can to preserve ourselves. Evolution has bred us to look out for ourselves and protect everything about us--not only my physical self, but also my identity. I am who I am, and no one is going to tell me to be otherwise!
Yet, Jesus says, "Find your identity in me. Don't look to your race, gender, ethnicity, or social status. Don't look to your wallet or your possessions. Don't find your sense of self-worth in how many Facebook likes you get or in how many degrees you possess. Find your worth, value, and identity in me."
St. Paul articulated this in brilliant fashion when he penned the words of Galatians 3:27-28, "For as many of you as are baptized in Christ Jesus have clothed yourself with Christ. For there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. All of you are one in Christ Jesus."
The White Privilege Accusation
When my wife and I adopted our first daughter (who is bi-racial), I sat down to fill out my parochial report for my congregation. As I contemplated the report, I became very uncomfortable. You see, my denomination wants me (on the basis of my best judgement) to write down the racial/ethnic composition of my congregation. As I looked at the places to fill in such categories, I unequivocally thought about my own family. Do I look at my daughter and think, "Oh, she is bi-racial. Her skin tone is black."? NO. UNEQUIVOCALLY, NO!!!! I simply see her as my daughter.
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally...
I filled in the blank under "other" for the entire congregation. I wrote in "Children of God."
I ended up in a heated discussion with someone in Chicago, IL where our church offices are located. I was accused of having viewing the topic with white privilege and that "with all deference to St. Paul's theology, the Division for such and such requires these numbers."
So you are putting the Division for such and such ahead of the clear biblical witness? Which one do you think I am going to listen to?
"You are speaking from a position of white privilege."
Now, I am going to go back to Nietzsche because Nietzsche was remarkable in his assessment of human nature. He says we all seek our own will to power. We don't, by default, seek the greater good. We don't, by default, seek the betterment of society. Nietzsche argues (and rather successfully since much of philosophy has been trying to deal with him for the last 100+ years) that we only seek things that have some direct benefit to ourselves. It's a great understanding of original sin.
The claim that folks like myself are speaking from a position of white privilege is nothing more than a power play to lessen the force of a particular segment of society and increase the power of other voices within that same society. In this case, the claim of white privilege places a priority on the voices of people of color (putting them into ascendance of power) while making secondary (putting them in a lower position) the voices of people labeled as "white." It's a power play, plain and simple.
I expect to be soundly bashed for that comment, but I think I am on solid ground with my assertion. The claim of white privilege allows society to continue to draw lines based upon skin color, and:
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally.
Toward a Solution
Christianity offers a pathway forward because of the nature of the Gospel.
The Gospel does not allow anyone to take the moral high road. It does not allow anyone to place his or her race in a position of moral superiority or authority. For Jesus died for us WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS.
The Gospel also does not allow anyone to wallow in victim hood. For the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE BOUGHT YOU WITH GREAT PRICE showing your immense value to Him.
These two things try to address something that society cannot touch: the heart. For it is the heart which seeks power and privilege. It is the heart which has selfish intentions, and it is these selfish intentions and desires for self-preservation that lead us to isolate ourselves from others and draw our boundaries.
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally...
But if those lines are destroyed because all have sinned.
And if those lines are destroyed because God's desire is to redeem all.
Then, no racial group can claim to be better than another with these two fundamental understandings. There is something that cuts us down at the knees while at the same time building us up. There is something that humbles us in our interactions with God and with one another without making us feel like we are worthless.
I simply cannot look at a person of a different color and see myself as better than him or her when I know that I was and am a sinner. I cannot look at a person of a different color and see myself as somehow superior when I know that person is made in the image of God and clothed with the righteousness of Christ--the same garment I am clothed in!!! I cannot see myself belonging to another group based upon ethnicity or skin color when all has been covered by Jesus.
And for those who are not part of the Christian faith, I am not commissioned to see them as anything less than fellow human beings who need to hear the Gospel just as much as I needed to hear it.
For certain the Church has not done a very good job of following through on the implications of the Gospel, but I believe part of this is due to the fact that we've forgotten the nature of that very Gospel. But that is another topic for a later date.
There has been much discussion and reaction to this event--much of it particularly misguided in my estimation. I mean, some have used this shooting as a platform to rid the nation of symbols of the Confederacy. But removing the Confederate flag from public grounds will do very little to address the real, underlying issue regarding racism and prejudice. There is much more to this issue--much which is not being discussed.
I am going to take just a moment to deal with particular definitions in this subject. I think it is important to do so because if we cannot agree on terminology, then we cannot agree on solutions. Therefore, in this post, I will define
Racism as prejudice with power. (A definition I was exposed to in college.)
Prejudice as an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. (from Merriam-Webster's third definition)
It is important, I think, to deal with prejudice. The appropriation of power, history shows, changes over time. It rises and falls among groups over and over and over again. If prejudice is combined with that power, racism occurs.
The Nature of Power
The philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche penned many influential writings which actually underpin much of our surrounding culture these days. Philosophically, Nietzsche removed transcendence from reality. Essentially what he said was: human reason cannot prove any sort of reality above and beyond this world. Therefore, what is our motivation for doing things? What is our reason for engaging in whatever activity we engage in?
Nietzsche's answer was: will to power. Essentially, we strive to put ourselves in the most advantageous position possible. We strive to get our own way; to make our own lives easier; to put ourselves in a position of power and authority so that we do not answer to anyone.
One might argue Nietzsche's basic postulates; however, I don't think he is far from the truth. For Christianity also says that humankind tends to act with its own self-interests in mind. Christianity states that humankind tends to seek autonomous authority where we answer to no one and make our own decisions without regard to anyone else--but with regard to our own well-being. This is the original sin of the garden of Eden where humankind wanted the knowledge of good and evil so that it no longer needed reference to the One who created them.
"What does this have to do with racism?" you might ask. Everything, I think.
The Nature of Prejudice
I personally do not believe we are naturally racist or prejudice, but we become prejudice very, very fast. In the July/August issue of Reader's Digest an article caught my eye. It was titled "Are We Naturally Born Racists?" I encourage you to read the article in its entirety to see the research that the following quotes are based upon. [The research is based on the IAT, and if you would like to take the test you can find it here.] I found the following one particularly fascinating:
"Humans are tribal creatures, showing strong bias against those we perceive as different from us and favoritism toward those we perceive as similar. In fact, we humans will divide ourselves into in-groups and out-groups even when the perceived differences between specific groups are completely arbitrary." Reader's Digest, July/August 2015 "Are We Naturally-Born Racists?" Pp. 113-114.
Let that sink in just a moment before reading the next one.
"In other words, if you give people the slightest push toward behaving tribally, they'll happily comply. So if race is the basis on which tribes are identified, expect serious problems." Reader's Digest, July/August 2015 "Are We Naturally-Born Racists?" P.114.
We only need the slightest push to begin drawing lines in the sand and acting tribally.
It Should Seem Obvious, but...
In my Sunday School adult class we have spoken at length about race issues and whether or not racism is on the decline. Racist behavior I think is significantly less because of the Civil Right's Movement; however racist attitudes, I think, have not abated. The above research perhaps gives us an insight as to why.
One of the gentlemen in my class who is over seventy recalled in the early days in the Cat Spring, TX community how Germans and Czechs drew sharp lines of distinction. Intermarriage was "verboten". Drinking beer socially was acceptable, but that was about it. The two groups sought to be distinct and separate. They clung to their differences. Over time, those barriers faded, and the cultural distinction is almost gone.
"Why?" one might ask. These groups were divided based upon clinging to a particular culture and language that kept them distinct. As time passed and generations lost many cultural practices and children learned English only, the differences evaporated. There were no longer lines that caused divisions. Remember, the brain needs only a slight push to draw the boundaries and become tribal. When language and cultural distinctions evaporated, tribalism vanished.
That's not easily done with physical attributes, is it?
One cannot simply wait 60 years for skin color to change. It won't. Intermarriage will not produce a "greying" of color anytime soon. This distinction will remain regardless of our best efforts to become colorblind. You cannot help but see the differences. And if our brains just need the slightest push...
We will become tribal. Not we will, we are tribal.
This is not just a "white" problem. This is not just a "black" problem. This is not just a "brown" problem. This is a human problem that demands a radical answer.
Society's Answers
Society over and over again has tried to teach us that no matter what is outside, we all bleed red. This is most certainly true.
Society has taught us since the overthrow of the Jim Crow laws that skin color is irrelevant compared to our identity as human beings. This is most certainly true.
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech resounds with words that touch many of us to our very core--the dream of a nation where we are judged by the content of our character instead of the color of our skin.
If these truths are embraced by many and believed by many, why do we still find such division? Why do we still see so few integrated neighborhoods? Why is Sunday morning still the most segregated morning of the week? Why do kids congregate among kids of their same color?
We only need the slightest push toward tribalism.
Do we naturally disregard these ideals and continue to cling to our respective culture of color?
I think we do. And no matter how much you point to the ideal, human nature has a tendency of taking over--whether we want it to or not!
Why?
Because of two things: 1) In the deepest recesses of our hearts we want to be with others who are just like us. Our brains make distinctions and cling to them, so nothing less than a total restructuring of our brain's natural state needs to occur. 2) Our Western, enlightenment society still tells us to cling to our racial identity! Embrace the color of your skin! Let no one tell you, your skin color is bad or wrong or ugly! This is central and core to your being!
And in one way it is, but in another way, it perpetuates the problem. For if I cling to my skin color and if my skin color is central to my being, then those who do not share my skin color are categorized as different by my brain--whether I want my brain to do this or not. And we only need a slight nudge toward tribalism...
The Gospel's Answer
Christianity proposes another answer--one that is much more difficult, but much more liberating and all encompassing.
The Christian answer begins with dying to self. That's a hard thing to swallow because we love ourselves. We do everything we can to preserve ourselves. Evolution has bred us to look out for ourselves and protect everything about us--not only my physical self, but also my identity. I am who I am, and no one is going to tell me to be otherwise!
Yet, Jesus says, "Find your identity in me. Don't look to your race, gender, ethnicity, or social status. Don't look to your wallet or your possessions. Don't find your sense of self-worth in how many Facebook likes you get or in how many degrees you possess. Find your worth, value, and identity in me."
St. Paul articulated this in brilliant fashion when he penned the words of Galatians 3:27-28, "For as many of you as are baptized in Christ Jesus have clothed yourself with Christ. For there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. All of you are one in Christ Jesus."
The White Privilege Accusation
When my wife and I adopted our first daughter (who is bi-racial), I sat down to fill out my parochial report for my congregation. As I contemplated the report, I became very uncomfortable. You see, my denomination wants me (on the basis of my best judgement) to write down the racial/ethnic composition of my congregation. As I looked at the places to fill in such categories, I unequivocally thought about my own family. Do I look at my daughter and think, "Oh, she is bi-racial. Her skin tone is black."? NO. UNEQUIVOCALLY, NO!!!! I simply see her as my daughter.
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally...
I filled in the blank under "other" for the entire congregation. I wrote in "Children of God."
I ended up in a heated discussion with someone in Chicago, IL where our church offices are located. I was accused of having viewing the topic with white privilege and that "with all deference to St. Paul's theology, the Division for such and such requires these numbers."
So you are putting the Division for such and such ahead of the clear biblical witness? Which one do you think I am going to listen to?
"You are speaking from a position of white privilege."
Now, I am going to go back to Nietzsche because Nietzsche was remarkable in his assessment of human nature. He says we all seek our own will to power. We don't, by default, seek the greater good. We don't, by default, seek the betterment of society. Nietzsche argues (and rather successfully since much of philosophy has been trying to deal with him for the last 100+ years) that we only seek things that have some direct benefit to ourselves. It's a great understanding of original sin.
The claim that folks like myself are speaking from a position of white privilege is nothing more than a power play to lessen the force of a particular segment of society and increase the power of other voices within that same society. In this case, the claim of white privilege places a priority on the voices of people of color (putting them into ascendance of power) while making secondary (putting them in a lower position) the voices of people labeled as "white." It's a power play, plain and simple.
I expect to be soundly bashed for that comment, but I think I am on solid ground with my assertion. The claim of white privilege allows society to continue to draw lines based upon skin color, and:
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally.
Toward a Solution
Christianity offers a pathway forward because of the nature of the Gospel.
The Gospel does not allow anyone to take the moral high road. It does not allow anyone to place his or her race in a position of moral superiority or authority. For Jesus died for us WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS.
The Gospel also does not allow anyone to wallow in victim hood. For the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE BOUGHT YOU WITH GREAT PRICE showing your immense value to Him.
These two things try to address something that society cannot touch: the heart. For it is the heart which seeks power and privilege. It is the heart which has selfish intentions, and it is these selfish intentions and desires for self-preservation that lead us to isolate ourselves from others and draw our boundaries.
The human brain only needs the slightest nudge to draw lines and act tribally...
But if those lines are destroyed because all have sinned.
And if those lines are destroyed because God's desire is to redeem all.
Then, no racial group can claim to be better than another with these two fundamental understandings. There is something that cuts us down at the knees while at the same time building us up. There is something that humbles us in our interactions with God and with one another without making us feel like we are worthless.
I simply cannot look at a person of a different color and see myself as better than him or her when I know that I was and am a sinner. I cannot look at a person of a different color and see myself as somehow superior when I know that person is made in the image of God and clothed with the righteousness of Christ--the same garment I am clothed in!!! I cannot see myself belonging to another group based upon ethnicity or skin color when all has been covered by Jesus.
And for those who are not part of the Christian faith, I am not commissioned to see them as anything less than fellow human beings who need to hear the Gospel just as much as I needed to hear it.
For certain the Church has not done a very good job of following through on the implications of the Gospel, but I believe part of this is due to the fact that we've forgotten the nature of that very Gospel. But that is another topic for a later date.
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