I turned 40 on Saturday.
I didn't have any sort of emotional crisis. The zero didn't bother me. I haven't felt the least depressed.
Life has been good, is good, and I anticipate it to continue to be good.
That doesn't mean there aren't some trials and tribulations or downs along the way, but I believe, preach, and teach that God is always active working in our lives to take those trials, tribulations, and downers and bring something good out of them. If I believe such a thing, it is awfully hard to become depressed when being drug through the mud and the muck. God will have the last word. Period. That word will be good. Period.
I think continually learning helps me stay focused and hopeful about things in life. This year provided several more learning opportunities which have nourished my mind and my soul. As per tradition, I will list several of those things below.
1. Reemphasizing God's grace. Perhaps this has been the most influential thing which has happened to me this past year. Confession time: I got caught up in preaching the "Law." For quite some time, I became quite convinced I needed to make Christianity relevant by preaching about all the things we needed to do as disciples of Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong, doing is important. How we act and the activities we engage in say an awful lot about our core convictions. But when you preach the Law, you will inevitably drive people away from the gospel. You will come across as self-righteous and holier than thou. No matter if you are preaching the truth in love or not--a good number will not hear this. They just won't. They will think you are out to get them.
Grace takes a different tact. Grace begins with what God has done, is doing, and will do. Grace begins with Jesus dying for us while we were/are still sinners. Most folks know the world isn't right. Most folks know they themselves aren't perfect. Most folks know they cannot fix themselves. Most folks know they cannot fix the world. Yet, they desperately want the world to be right. They desperately want peace and justice. They desperately want things to function smoothly. Grace invites us into the process of God's work. Grace lets us know God has mended the relationship between us and Him through Jesus. Grace invites us to contemplate this love which cost us nothing but cost God everything. Grace then invites us to respond to that love not through fear but through willing obedience.
"For God so loved the world..." Take a look at all my recent sermons if you will. You will find that phrase preached in each one for the last month or two. You will continue to see it. Grace is that important.
2. Recognizing what it means to be blessed. "I didn't accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but the Lord and I are on pretty good terms." So said my grandfather when my family and I visited him late last year. I've dreamed of making an impact in the world. I've dreamed of making a tremendous impact in the life of the church. I've dreamed of leading a resurgence in the Christian life and being the vessel by which thousands upon thousands are added to the church. I've dreamed of leading the growth of a congregation to where it swells and swells so that thousands worship every Sunday. Oh yes, I have dreamed such dreams.
Perhaps I made those dreams too important. Perhaps I've emphasized the things I want too much and did not spend enough time asking God what He wanted of me. Whatever it was, there was always a sense of dissonance deep within me because I wanted all that stuff to happen. Part of me still does, but it was beaten into submission by what my grandfather said. "I didn't accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but the Lord and I are on pretty good terms." Yes, because of His grace (see above), the Lord and I are on pretty good terms. That's enough. That's enough blessing for a lifetime. Now, I hope to help others see that they and the Lord are on pretty good terms as well. Grace.
3. Rekindling Relationships. I won't delve into the details on this one, but I will say that I truly am proud of my wife, of our marriage, and our commitment to raise our children together.
4. Learning to fish--A Child Shall Lead.... I like being outdoors. I really like hunting. Fishing was something I never really appreciated until this year. Being spurred on by my kids to fish was something I never anticipated happening, but it did. My eldest really, really wanted me to take her fishing before the end of the summer. I did, and it has now translated into a family affair. All the kids and adults in my household now have fishing equipment. I am now excited about taking them fishing and have even been known to go it alone at times.
5. Learning to shoot--becoming a dead shot. It's much more fun to hunt now that I am reasonably sure I will hit and kill whatever I aim at. Changing rifles and really, really practicing on shooting made such a tremendous difference in my hunting this year. I managed to drop 13 pigs with nearly every shot being a head shot--even at 200 yards. There were a few shoulder shots, but that was because of bullets passing through the head and hitting another pig. Such shooting would have been unheard of the year before. Further evidence of becoming a much better shot came early in the year when I managed to hit a turkey in the neck with a hunting rifle. Even my dad managed to compliment me on that shot, and dad is not easily impressed. :-)
6. Learning to Keep it Simple. Every pastor should have to teach 3-5 year olds in Sunday School. You cannot hide behind large theological terms. You cannot hide behind scholarly methods of biblical interpretation. You have to teach it straight and simple, and it's wonderfully challenging and freeing at the same time.
7. Learning to Eat the Right Portions. I managed to drop 42 pounds by adjusting how I eat. I downloaded a calorie counter and was amazed at the amount of calories I was putting into my body on a daily basis. By becoming much more strict in what I ate, the pounds dropped off leaving me only 8 pounds heavier than I was when I attended high school. Now, I am in maintenance mode staying within the proper range to stay where I am at. The calorie counter and I now seem to be a permanent thing, and that's not too bad a thing at all.
I am sure there are other things I could list if I thought longer, but these will suffice for now. I wish everyone a great year and that your learning might keep you young.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Monday, December 23, 2013
Christmas Greetings
In the days of Christmas rush,
how does one just say hush?
To quiet the soul when all is awry
and the pressure mounts to buy, buy, BUY!
Ornaments, presents, a perfect tree
Christmas dinner–the biggest turkey!
For everyone must be satisfied,
and no one must have damaged pride.
The end result of all this stress?
Heartburn, headache, great big mess.
Stop. Just a moment. Stop.
Silent night. Holy night.
All is calm. All is bright.
Allow the head some time to clear
Remember the One who will appear.
As a babe in swaddling clothes.
In a manger the story goes.
Come to bring us peace on earth,
to help us know our surest worth.
Live in Him, the Word made Flesh.
In this crazy world be not enmeshed.
Have a Merry Christmas!
(The Country Preacher will be on hiatus until January of next year. He will be taking some time away from blogging and other such responsibilities to spend time with his family and friends. He knows this will severely affect the number of hits he gets per day, but some things are just more important than others. I hope most of my readers will agree and stay away from cyber-relationships and focus on the incarnate, flesh and blood type.)
how does one just say hush?
To quiet the soul when all is awry
and the pressure mounts to buy, buy, BUY!
Ornaments, presents, a perfect tree
Christmas dinner–the biggest turkey!
For everyone must be satisfied,
and no one must have damaged pride.
The end result of all this stress?
Heartburn, headache, great big mess.
Stop. Just a moment. Stop.
Silent night. Holy night.
All is calm. All is bright.
Allow the head some time to clear
Remember the One who will appear.
As a babe in swaddling clothes.
In a manger the story goes.
Come to bring us peace on earth,
to help us know our surest worth.
Live in Him, the Word made Flesh.
In this crazy world be not enmeshed.
Have a Merry Christmas!
(The Country Preacher will be on hiatus until January of next year. He will be taking some time away from blogging and other such responsibilities to spend time with his family and friends. He knows this will severely affect the number of hits he gets per day, but some things are just more important than others. I hope most of my readers will agree and stay away from cyber-relationships and focus on the incarnate, flesh and blood type.)
Friday, December 20, 2013
GLAADly Shooting Ducks and Boycotting A&E
Just step back for a minute. Just a minute.
Don't try to judge whether or not Phil Robertson's comments were good, bad, or indifferent. Don't make this about free speech or freedom of religion. Don't try to judge whether or not A&E's decision to suspend Phil Robertson was good, bad, or indifferent. Don't make it about someone trying to push a particular agenda.
Step back to try and grasp a big picture scene. Try to see the competition between several worldviews clearly clashing in this ordeal. There are at least three that I can see, probably more.
First: GLAAD's worldview and how it plays out:
“Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil’s lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe,” GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said in a statement. “He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans – and Americans – who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families.”
Essentially: if you do not agree with us, then you are unclean "a stain" and those who associate with such a person should reevaluate their "friendship status." GLAAD also quite happily approved of A&E's decision to suspend Robertson affecting his financial status.
Worldview: Our way is the right way, and if you don't agree with us, there should be punitive measures taken to deal with you.
Second: The response by those supporting Phil:
Boycott A&E until they bring Phil back! We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion! Phil is suffering persecution by the PC police!
Worldview: If you do something to someone we care about, we will take retributive steps against you.
Third: Phil Robertson's worldview:
Homosexuality is a sin, and as a culture we have begun having a much higher tolerance for things the Bible calls sin. However:
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job,” Robertson told GQ. “We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus – whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later.”
and
“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. “However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”
Essentially: I may disagree with you, but I can respect you without judgment. We are all created in the image of God, and we would be better off if we loved God and loved each other.
Tell me, which worldview do you want to live in?
Note: There are considerably more worldviews out there. For a worldview which is atheistic and pro-gay yet still take GLAAD and A&E to task calling for respect read here.
Don't try to judge whether or not Phil Robertson's comments were good, bad, or indifferent. Don't make this about free speech or freedom of religion. Don't try to judge whether or not A&E's decision to suspend Phil Robertson was good, bad, or indifferent. Don't make it about someone trying to push a particular agenda.
Step back to try and grasp a big picture scene. Try to see the competition between several worldviews clearly clashing in this ordeal. There are at least three that I can see, probably more.
First: GLAAD's worldview and how it plays out:
“Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil’s lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe,” GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz said in a statement. “He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans – and Americans – who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families.”
Essentially: if you do not agree with us, then you are unclean "a stain" and those who associate with such a person should reevaluate their "friendship status." GLAAD also quite happily approved of A&E's decision to suspend Robertson affecting his financial status.
Worldview: Our way is the right way, and if you don't agree with us, there should be punitive measures taken to deal with you.
Second: The response by those supporting Phil:
Boycott A&E until they bring Phil back! We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion! Phil is suffering persecution by the PC police!
Worldview: If you do something to someone we care about, we will take retributive steps against you.
Third: Phil Robertson's worldview:
Homosexuality is a sin, and as a culture we have begun having a much higher tolerance for things the Bible calls sin. However:
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job,” Robertson told GQ. “We just love ‘em, give ‘em the good news about Jesus – whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ‘em out later.”
and
“I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. “However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”
Essentially: I may disagree with you, but I can respect you without judgment. We are all created in the image of God, and we would be better off if we loved God and loved each other.
Tell me, which worldview do you want to live in?
Note: There are considerably more worldviews out there. For a worldview which is atheistic and pro-gay yet still take GLAAD and A&E to task calling for respect read here.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Do All Things Happen for a Reason?
I have been struck by a couple of conversations in the past week regarding this question.
Perhaps you have dealt with this in your life, particularly when facing the trials and tribulations of life.
More than a few times, I hear someone wrestling with troublesome events by saying, "There is a reason for this. God has a reason for this. I may not know what it is, but I know He has a reason for this."
I think I understand why people say such things. I think it has something to do with a philosophical conundrum which has defied human reason, and, in fact, has become an argument that some use to say God does not exist. The conundrum follows:
If God is all powerful and all good, then He has the ability to abolish evil. If He does not abolish evil, then He is not all good. If He cannot abolish evil, then He is not all powerful.
In order to preserve the sovereignty and goodness of God, many, including myself, have said, "We must give allowance that we cannot see the big picture and that God has a reason for allowing certain things to happen as they do." --Everything has a reason.
I think we must address a couple of points--first the idea of God's power.
I believe God is all powerful in the sense that there is no entity which has greater power than God; however, I believe God gave up some of His own power. That may sound blasphemous, but hear me out.
God gave to creation free will. God does not manipulate our hearts and minds to force us to act in a certain fashion. If He did, we would simply be robots, mere puppets on a string. (I love John Lennox's comment regarding this. Paraphrasing: If I went home to a robot wife and hit a button on the computer which made her say, "I love you," it wouldn't be too particularly satisfying." God forcing us to love and obey Him would have the same effect.)
Some have argued: well, why doesn't God limit our ability to perform evil. Hello! Ever hear of a conscience? But, I digress.
Because we have free will, God may know our chosen course of action, but He does not always intervene. Intervention at all times would mean that we would never learn any lessons (pain is a great teacher), and we would simply become objects of God's control once again--kind of like those robotic toys running around in those enclosed areas in the mall. They can go all over the place and run into things, but they are cordoned off in a particular area and are still toys.
So, then why does it seem like after some time, thought, and reflection, it looks like many things happen for a reason?
I submit to you, that most of God's intervention takes place AFTER tumultuous events occur. God's intervention occurs as He begins working to make good come out of the things we suffer--either by our own free will or because of the freedom of nature.
As God works in our lives to bring transformation, we begin to see something unfold which has brought us to a new level of understanding, a new level of love, a new level of compassion, or what have you. God did not cause evil to befall us; He didn't intervene because of the freedom bestowed to His creation; yet, He began working to transform that evil into something good.
Sometimes, we can see this almost instantaneously. Sometimes it takes years, even decades, but when we finally see it, we have a "reason" for what happened. However, that reason wasn't there before the event, it only came after God's intervention and healing work in the world.
Do all things happen for a reason? No.
Can God work to make it seem that way? Yes, and I am convinced He does.
Perhaps you have dealt with this in your life, particularly when facing the trials and tribulations of life.
More than a few times, I hear someone wrestling with troublesome events by saying, "There is a reason for this. God has a reason for this. I may not know what it is, but I know He has a reason for this."
I think I understand why people say such things. I think it has something to do with a philosophical conundrum which has defied human reason, and, in fact, has become an argument that some use to say God does not exist. The conundrum follows:
If God is all powerful and all good, then He has the ability to abolish evil. If He does not abolish evil, then He is not all good. If He cannot abolish evil, then He is not all powerful.
In order to preserve the sovereignty and goodness of God, many, including myself, have said, "We must give allowance that we cannot see the big picture and that God has a reason for allowing certain things to happen as they do." --Everything has a reason.
I think we must address a couple of points--first the idea of God's power.
I believe God is all powerful in the sense that there is no entity which has greater power than God; however, I believe God gave up some of His own power. That may sound blasphemous, but hear me out.
God gave to creation free will. God does not manipulate our hearts and minds to force us to act in a certain fashion. If He did, we would simply be robots, mere puppets on a string. (I love John Lennox's comment regarding this. Paraphrasing: If I went home to a robot wife and hit a button on the computer which made her say, "I love you," it wouldn't be too particularly satisfying." God forcing us to love and obey Him would have the same effect.)
Some have argued: well, why doesn't God limit our ability to perform evil. Hello! Ever hear of a conscience? But, I digress.
Because we have free will, God may know our chosen course of action, but He does not always intervene. Intervention at all times would mean that we would never learn any lessons (pain is a great teacher), and we would simply become objects of God's control once again--kind of like those robotic toys running around in those enclosed areas in the mall. They can go all over the place and run into things, but they are cordoned off in a particular area and are still toys.
So, then why does it seem like after some time, thought, and reflection, it looks like many things happen for a reason?
I submit to you, that most of God's intervention takes place AFTER tumultuous events occur. God's intervention occurs as He begins working to make good come out of the things we suffer--either by our own free will or because of the freedom of nature.
As God works in our lives to bring transformation, we begin to see something unfold which has brought us to a new level of understanding, a new level of love, a new level of compassion, or what have you. God did not cause evil to befall us; He didn't intervene because of the freedom bestowed to His creation; yet, He began working to transform that evil into something good.
Sometimes, we can see this almost instantaneously. Sometimes it takes years, even decades, but when we finally see it, we have a "reason" for what happened. However, that reason wasn't there before the event, it only came after God's intervention and healing work in the world.
Do all things happen for a reason? No.
Can God work to make it seem that way? Yes, and I am convinced He does.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
And Onto Polygamy
Imagine seeing this article from CNN just a decade or two ago. Bet you wouldn't have seen it. Or thought of it. This stuff used to be on the extreme fringes of society, but now, it's making opinion headlines.
And it is little wonder.
Ethics in our nation has made a monumental shift over the years. I have argued (based on the work of Richard Neuhaus) that our nation's great experiment was to have our laws founded on Judeo-Christian principles without establishing Christianity as the formal, national religion. There were numerous reasons for this, and I will not go into those again.
What has progressively happened is a tectonic shift away from those Judeo-Christian principles and an ethics based in science/reason.
I personally am not worried about this shift in our nation. The Church in all of its expressions has existed and even thrived in cultures which were hostile to it. And our nation is far from hostile to religious expression. It just no longer bases much of its moral law upon it.
Once gay marriage would have been unheard of. Now, several states allow it, and the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.
Polygamy is next on that slope. Strictly adhering to the Constitution, I see nothing that can prevent polygamy laws from being struck down. Consenting adults are basically allowed to do as they please.
Now, before anyone starts saying, "Polygamy isn't Christian." Please, take a look at your Bible. Polygamy is never outlawed in Scripture. There is only one prohibition against it, and that is only for a bishop of the Church. In fact, some of the greatest pillars of the faith in the Old Testament practiced polygamy in some form or another: Abraham, Jacob, and David to name a few. In each case, polygamous relationships led to some pretty unhealthy results--which is one of the reasons I do not support such a thing--but it is important to note that God remained silent about such marriages.
Christian tradition in reading Scripture and seeing the negative results of polygamous marriage has discerned God's expectation for marriage to be between one man and one woman.
In the culture which surrounds us now, I believe the Church must be a faithful witness to this in spite of the laws which change. I believe we must be ready to argue, without anger, angst, and with respect to others who share a different view, for the sanctity of the one man/one woman relationship--allowing for the brokenness of relationships and the reality of divorce; never condoning it as God's will, but offering grace and mercy. We must be ready to defend our position with much more than, "God said it should be that way, and the Bible says so too."
Remember, the Bible never condemns polygamy. If we meet someone who knows what the Bible says, we will lose the argument right then and there. It is important to know the reasons behind our teaching, and I encourage everyone to study up on the matter.
We will need to know our stuff more and more as our culture and laws become more and more secular and reason based.
And it is little wonder.
Ethics in our nation has made a monumental shift over the years. I have argued (based on the work of Richard Neuhaus) that our nation's great experiment was to have our laws founded on Judeo-Christian principles without establishing Christianity as the formal, national religion. There were numerous reasons for this, and I will not go into those again.
What has progressively happened is a tectonic shift away from those Judeo-Christian principles and an ethics based in science/reason.
I personally am not worried about this shift in our nation. The Church in all of its expressions has existed and even thrived in cultures which were hostile to it. And our nation is far from hostile to religious expression. It just no longer bases much of its moral law upon it.
Once gay marriage would have been unheard of. Now, several states allow it, and the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act.
Polygamy is next on that slope. Strictly adhering to the Constitution, I see nothing that can prevent polygamy laws from being struck down. Consenting adults are basically allowed to do as they please.
Now, before anyone starts saying, "Polygamy isn't Christian." Please, take a look at your Bible. Polygamy is never outlawed in Scripture. There is only one prohibition against it, and that is only for a bishop of the Church. In fact, some of the greatest pillars of the faith in the Old Testament practiced polygamy in some form or another: Abraham, Jacob, and David to name a few. In each case, polygamous relationships led to some pretty unhealthy results--which is one of the reasons I do not support such a thing--but it is important to note that God remained silent about such marriages.
Christian tradition in reading Scripture and seeing the negative results of polygamous marriage has discerned God's expectation for marriage to be between one man and one woman.
In the culture which surrounds us now, I believe the Church must be a faithful witness to this in spite of the laws which change. I believe we must be ready to argue, without anger, angst, and with respect to others who share a different view, for the sanctity of the one man/one woman relationship--allowing for the brokenness of relationships and the reality of divorce; never condoning it as God's will, but offering grace and mercy. We must be ready to defend our position with much more than, "God said it should be that way, and the Bible says so too."
Remember, the Bible never condemns polygamy. If we meet someone who knows what the Bible says, we will lose the argument right then and there. It is important to know the reasons behind our teaching, and I encourage everyone to study up on the matter.
We will need to know our stuff more and more as our culture and laws become more and more secular and reason based.
Monday, December 16, 2013
The Kingdom of Heaven and Violence
There is a fascinating line in our Gospel lesson today. Matthew 11:12 reads, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” During our staff meeting this week, we read this gospel lesson, and many of us were struck by this particular verse. Why?
Well, we are not exactly used to seeing the kingdom of heaven and violence butted up against each other. During this time of preparation for the arrival of our Savior, we dream about peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Last Sunday, our choir sang a cantata entitled, “And On Earth Peace.” We hear Jesus say to those of us who follow Him, “My peace I leave with you.” Indeed, for many of us the term “kingdom of heaven” conjures up a time of peace without conflict or strife. And yet, here Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” What on earth is going on here?
I think we need to put this into a little bit of context so that we might be able to understand it better. And, we are going to have to dig a little deeper than the texts which are printed in our bulletin.
I’d like to ask you a moment to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10. Let’s do a fast walk through this chapter as we see what leads up to those words about the kingdom of heaven and violence.
In Matthew 10, verses 1 through 15, Jesus calls the twelve disciples and sends them out to proclaim the gospel, giving them authority over demons and illness. He gives them instructions on what to do and how to go about doing it. In verses 16 through 23, Jesus tells His disciples what they can expect, and some of it is not too pretty. “See I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves...they will had you over to councils and flog you...you will be dragged before kings and governors because of me...” Preaching the gospel will not be a walk in the park. Tough things will happen to you when you follow me, Jesus says. Yet, a word of hope in verse 26 and following, “So have no fear of them...Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell...every hair on your head is counted. Do not be afraid.”
And here is an interesting little snippet beginning in verse 34, “34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
Jesus finishes with a few words about welcoming and who will not lose any sort of reward. Throughout this chapter, Jesus talks about the proclamation of and the breaking in of God’s kingdom, and the results of what happens when His disciples bring it. Not all of it is pretty. In fact, the proclamation of the Gospel oftentimes stirs up a hornet’s nest, and people react–sometimes violently. “You will be dragged before the councils and flogged in the synagogues...”
Our appointed text for the day comes next, and John, who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus is a bit confused. He’s sitting in prison because he dared to speak an unkind word about Herod. He hears all the stuff about Jesus, but he also knows he is suffering because of his proclamation. We can speculate about all the reasons John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if Jesus is the Messiah, but given the context of what comes before and what follows, let me suggest John is wondering why Jesus isn’t getting him out of jail.
If the kingdom of heaven is arriving, and Jesus is the promised Messiah, why isn’t Jesus exercising power and authority to bring release to all the prisoners? John certainly is a prisoner. Perhaps John is asking, “Haven’t I been faithful? Haven’t I proclaimed the coming of the Word? Haven’t I done that which I am supposed to do? If Jesus is the one coming to free us, why am I still here, in prison, suffering? Shouldn’t I be free?”
Jesus tells John’s followers, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.” Jesus unequivocally tells John, “Your wait is over. I am performing the things the expected Messiah is to perform.”
John’s followers go away. We have no record of whether or not John accepts Jesus’ words to be true. We have no idea whether or not this satisfied John as he sat there in that cold prison eventually beheaded because of a woman’s jealousy.
What we do know is that Jesus has some strong words to say about John. “Truly I tell you among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” If this is the case, then why is he in prison?
“12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Hope you are still following along with me, because skip down just a few verses, and let’s round out the context, “18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Jesus points out something very, very true in this statement. Both He and John are messengers about the kingdom of heaven. Both of them are polar opposites. John was the wild prophet out in the wilderness “neither eating or drinking,” and those intent on discrediting John said, “He has a demon.” Jesus, is the opposite. Jesus eats and drinks, and those seeking to discredit Him say, “Look, a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
This statement very much reminds me of the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholas’ character screams at the top of his lungs, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”
You want the kingdom of heaven? You can’t handle the kingdom of heaven!
Herod tried to silence it and it’s arrival by imprisoning John the Baptist.
Humanity tried to silence it by crucifying Jesus.
There are those who still try to silence it today.
Last week, I got my hair cut, and a very interesting exchange took place in the barber shop. We managed to get on the topic of heaven and hell, and one of the barbers there said, “I don’t agree with those pastors and priests who visit a guy who is on death row after that guy has murdered or raped. They listen to that guy and then come out and say, ‘He is forgiven.’ I don’t think so. I was taught that if you are a good person and you do the right things, then you are going to heaven. If you don’t and you do something like that, then you are going to hell. I think those guys are in hell.”
I responded, "I think there is a difference between God's forgiveness and the necessity for justice."
"I don't think so," was the reply.
"And so, is Moses in hell? Because he committed murder."
Silence for a moment. Then a half-hearted joke, "Maybe he should be."
"Don't mess with a pastor who knows the Bible. God operates differently than we do. God offers forgiveness."
It's called grace. The kingdom of heaven isn’t primarily about peace. When it arrives in its fullness, it will be. But in this time, the kingdom of heaven is primarily about grace. It’s about God’s reconciliation of the world unto Himself through Jesus Christ.
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 so that the world may be saved through Him.
Many don’t like that. Many don’t want grace to reign. Many want to make it about what we do or don’t do. Many want to make salvation contingent upon our work, but it is not. It’s about Jesus’ work. People wanted to silence Him then. Some want to silence us now.
But what do we do with grace? Do we allow violence to continue to reign over and above the kingdom of heaven? Do we allow our voices to become silent because of fear? Not if we have experienced the grace of God. Not if we have experienced the love of Christ poured out for us on the cross. Once we have experienced this in our inner most being, we simply cannot be silent. We have to spread the news. We have to tell the world what God has done, is doing, and will do. Go and tell what you hear and see. For this is what it means to live God’s Word daily. Amen.
Well, we are not exactly used to seeing the kingdom of heaven and violence butted up against each other. During this time of preparation for the arrival of our Savior, we dream about peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Last Sunday, our choir sang a cantata entitled, “And On Earth Peace.” We hear Jesus say to those of us who follow Him, “My peace I leave with you.” Indeed, for many of us the term “kingdom of heaven” conjures up a time of peace without conflict or strife. And yet, here Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” What on earth is going on here?
I think we need to put this into a little bit of context so that we might be able to understand it better. And, we are going to have to dig a little deeper than the texts which are printed in our bulletin.
I’d like to ask you a moment to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10. Let’s do a fast walk through this chapter as we see what leads up to those words about the kingdom of heaven and violence.
In Matthew 10, verses 1 through 15, Jesus calls the twelve disciples and sends them out to proclaim the gospel, giving them authority over demons and illness. He gives them instructions on what to do and how to go about doing it. In verses 16 through 23, Jesus tells His disciples what they can expect, and some of it is not too pretty. “See I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves...they will had you over to councils and flog you...you will be dragged before kings and governors because of me...” Preaching the gospel will not be a walk in the park. Tough things will happen to you when you follow me, Jesus says. Yet, a word of hope in verse 26 and following, “So have no fear of them...Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell...every hair on your head is counted. Do not be afraid.”
And here is an interesting little snippet beginning in verse 34, “34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
Jesus finishes with a few words about welcoming and who will not lose any sort of reward. Throughout this chapter, Jesus talks about the proclamation of and the breaking in of God’s kingdom, and the results of what happens when His disciples bring it. Not all of it is pretty. In fact, the proclamation of the Gospel oftentimes stirs up a hornet’s nest, and people react–sometimes violently. “You will be dragged before the councils and flogged in the synagogues...”
Our appointed text for the day comes next, and John, who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus is a bit confused. He’s sitting in prison because he dared to speak an unkind word about Herod. He hears all the stuff about Jesus, but he also knows he is suffering because of his proclamation. We can speculate about all the reasons John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if Jesus is the Messiah, but given the context of what comes before and what follows, let me suggest John is wondering why Jesus isn’t getting him out of jail.
If the kingdom of heaven is arriving, and Jesus is the promised Messiah, why isn’t Jesus exercising power and authority to bring release to all the prisoners? John certainly is a prisoner. Perhaps John is asking, “Haven’t I been faithful? Haven’t I proclaimed the coming of the Word? Haven’t I done that which I am supposed to do? If Jesus is the one coming to free us, why am I still here, in prison, suffering? Shouldn’t I be free?”
Jesus tells John’s followers, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.” Jesus unequivocally tells John, “Your wait is over. I am performing the things the expected Messiah is to perform.”
John’s followers go away. We have no record of whether or not John accepts Jesus’ words to be true. We have no idea whether or not this satisfied John as he sat there in that cold prison eventually beheaded because of a woman’s jealousy.
What we do know is that Jesus has some strong words to say about John. “Truly I tell you among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” If this is the case, then why is he in prison?
“12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Hope you are still following along with me, because skip down just a few verses, and let’s round out the context, “18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
Jesus points out something very, very true in this statement. Both He and John are messengers about the kingdom of heaven. Both of them are polar opposites. John was the wild prophet out in the wilderness “neither eating or drinking,” and those intent on discrediting John said, “He has a demon.” Jesus, is the opposite. Jesus eats and drinks, and those seeking to discredit Him say, “Look, a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”
This statement very much reminds me of the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholas’ character screams at the top of his lungs, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”
You want the kingdom of heaven? You can’t handle the kingdom of heaven!
Herod tried to silence it and it’s arrival by imprisoning John the Baptist.
Humanity tried to silence it by crucifying Jesus.
There are those who still try to silence it today.
Last week, I got my hair cut, and a very interesting exchange took place in the barber shop. We managed to get on the topic of heaven and hell, and one of the barbers there said, “I don’t agree with those pastors and priests who visit a guy who is on death row after that guy has murdered or raped. They listen to that guy and then come out and say, ‘He is forgiven.’ I don’t think so. I was taught that if you are a good person and you do the right things, then you are going to heaven. If you don’t and you do something like that, then you are going to hell. I think those guys are in hell.”
I responded, "I think there is a difference between God's forgiveness and the necessity for justice."
"I don't think so," was the reply.
"And so, is Moses in hell? Because he committed murder."
Silence for a moment. Then a half-hearted joke, "Maybe he should be."
"Don't mess with a pastor who knows the Bible. God operates differently than we do. God offers forgiveness."
It's called grace. The kingdom of heaven isn’t primarily about peace. When it arrives in its fullness, it will be. But in this time, the kingdom of heaven is primarily about grace. It’s about God’s reconciliation of the world unto Himself through Jesus Christ.
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 so that the world may be saved through Him.
Many don’t like that. Many don’t want grace to reign. Many want to make it about what we do or don’t do. Many want to make salvation contingent upon our work, but it is not. It’s about Jesus’ work. People wanted to silence Him then. Some want to silence us now.
But what do we do with grace? Do we allow violence to continue to reign over and above the kingdom of heaven? Do we allow our voices to become silent because of fear? Not if we have experienced the grace of God. Not if we have experienced the love of Christ poured out for us on the cross. Once we have experienced this in our inner most being, we simply cannot be silent. We have to spread the news. We have to tell the world what God has done, is doing, and will do. Go and tell what you hear and see. For this is what it means to live God’s Word daily. Amen.
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.
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