Christian-eese

Something that's been bothering me lately is the way we talk about Christian "things." I hear people talking about their "faith story" or their conversion or their interaction with people and it's as if one now-cliche sentiment after another just rolls right off their tongues.

I get that all sorts of fields of belief and work and hobby have their own particular jargon or "talk" the participants use. This is understandable and makes sense, for it helps simplify and condense communication. However, I also have no doubt that some of the jargon we employ in our various groups can get watered down or start to morph in meaning. It can become flat out cheese ball (hence the title of this post), or, worse still, sometimes the jargon can become the full extent of the meaning it was originally intended to condense or simplify. Or it can take on an entirely different meaning--one far removed from its valid origin.

Here's an example. Christians will often ask "Have you made Jesus Lord of your life?" when they are "witnessing" (yet another term that has morphed in meaning). I've heard people ask something like this or refer to "making Jesus Lord of their life" at our chapel services, while those of us in attendance listen on, undisturbed or unperplexed.

But this phraseology is misleading and theologically inaccurate. If Jesus is Lord (and I'm fairly certain he thought and acted and was revealed as if this were so), then how do we make him so? We can't make him what he already is. Period.

Oh, you may be thinking, "Kent. Kent. Kent. You're nitpicking. What the person means is have they accepted him as Lord." Fine. That may be what people mean when they say this, but what is being said and what is meant don't jive. Eventually--and I'm sure we're already in this situation--eventually the inaccurate question or explanation is going to be taken for accurate. In this case, a person's claim to have "made Jesus Lord" reveals something far deeper than poor word choice. It most likely also shows that we think we're independent and that Jesus is of no concern or significance to us until WE make him have concern and significance.

But this just isn't the reality. While we may live and operate within this world as if we are independent, it doesn't mean that we are. What really happens is that we have the metaphorical scales removed from our eyes and hearts--our understanding is broadened or opened up--and we "see" that there is a God and that his Son is Lord. We don't then choose to make him Lord. He is. Rather, we accept that this is so. Or, to put it another way, we receive this as so. Both "accept" and "receive" are terms we use to refer to our coming to faith in Christ; both of these terms can be misapplied as can this "making Jesus Lord" phrase. However, these terms--as they are commonly defined--can also carry the ideas of admission of belief or understanding. In the dictionary, one of the definitions of "receive" is "to accept as authoritative, valid, true, or approved."

This way of putting things is much better than our casually uttered way of asking or stating something about making Jesus Lord. 

~~~*~~~
Again, some of you may thin I'm just slicing at words. Maybe I am. But this is only because I DON'T want meaning to get sliced. The gospel isn't that hard to understand or explain, but somehow we've come up with overly-simplistic terminology or jargon to discuss it... and we're losing the truth behind our words. This is a danger. This is bothersome. And, I'm starting to realize that it's making some of our once-sound beliefs seem cheesy. People are being turned off by it--believer and non-believers alike. 

Jesus is God

Have you ever heard someone say something like, "Jesus never actually claimed to be God"? This is true; Jesus never actually uttered the words, "I am God."

However, just because Jesus never said these exact words, doesn't mean he isn't divine or that he didn't think he is divine while on earth. He did. But, unlike twenty-first century critics, who prefer direct, specific claims, Jesus didn't find it necessary to speak in this manner. Rather, he demonstrated his divine authority and nature in his teachings and his actions.

A passage that shows this in multiple ways is Mark 2:1-12.

1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-he said to the paralytic- 11 "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

By my count, there are at least five interconnected proofs here that show that Jesus thought he was God and that he is, in fact, God.

1. Jesus offers or grants the paralytic forgiveness of sins. Only a person who has been wronged is in a position to offer forgiveness. Jesus speaks as one that is in the position of one who has been wronged.

2. Jesus can read the scribes' minds. The scribes grumble about point number one, but they do it in their hearts. Jesus knows exactly what they're thinking and feeling, so he asks a question--"Which is easier...?"--and then acts, proving his divinity in word, deed, and mind reading. (I missed this very obvious piece of evidence in my initial posting; thanks to my friend Steve for pointing it out to me.)

3. Jesus calls himself the "Son of Man." This term is an allusion to Daniel 7:13-14, which describes the Ancient of Days (God the Father) presenting dominion and glory and a kingdom to one like a son of man. Jesus is essentially claiming that he is this figure described and that he, indeed, has the authority granted him by God.  

4. The paralytic is actually healed. We could argue against proofs one and three and say that Jesus is merely presuming to be in the position to offer forgiveness. We could just say Jesus is mad or delusional. However, the fact that the paralytic actually rises and walks out of the house demonstrates that he's been healed and forgiven, as Jesus explains. Of course, people can't actually see forgiveness, but the audience still responds...

5. The crowd glorifies God. Even though people can't see forgiveness, they can see the paralized man rise and walk. Something great has happened and they respond in worship. No, it doesn't say the people actually glorified Jesus, but they are amazed at both the words and actions of Jesus. They know that in some way this event is beyond a mere faith healing.

6. The scribes' reasoning is that Jesus is God. Okay, this isn't entirely accurate, but bear with me. The scribes hear Jesus say,"your sins are forgiven," and they are outraged because God alone can forgive sins. They're right; this is the point exactly. The problem is, they refuse to believe or can't see that Jesus is not just claiming to act like God; he actually is God. Their premises lead to this very conclusion. Here's their logic laid out in standard (and stiff, I admit) syllogistic form:

All sin forgivers are God.

All Jesus is a sin forgiver.

The conclusion? Yes:

All Jesus is God.

~~~*~~~
No, these six so-called proofs aren't as clean or unassailable as many of us would like. For many of us, they won't prove conclusively that Jesus believed that he is God, much less that he is God. Even so, Mark is dropping hint after hint that this is the case. The scribes were on the right track, but they couldn't--wouldn't--follow their reasoning to its logical end.

Here's the question: Will you? Can you?

The Jesus in-between

You may be what we call a "creedal" Christian. That is, you adhere to or profess (or both) one or more of the creeds that have been passed on within the church for centuries.

The creeds came into existence as the early church worked to weed out error or outright heresy in many people's belief about Jesus and the Bible. What is interesting to note is that the creeds are, for the most part, silent about a large and extremely important portion of Jesus' life.  

Take a look:

The Apostles Creed says of Jesus, "I believe... Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead."

The Nicene Creed says,

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end. 

Notice anything? When we recite these creeds, we are completely silent about the portion of Jesus' life that covers, well, his life.

Now this could be for any number of reasons. The creeds were written to address error, after all; perhaps there wasn't much debate about the nature and meaning of Jesus' day to day life, his preaching, teaching, and working of miracles. Also, if the gospels were presented alongside the recitation of the creeds, then the life of Jesus would be read and heard in the churches.

I consider myself credal, and I recite them regularly. I am, in no way, saying "Down with the creeds!" However, what happens if we focus only on what the creeds say about Jesus? In other words, what happens if we only focus on his virgin birth and his death, burial and resurrection... but not on his life and teaching itself? What happens then? 

The simple answer is we develop a skewed perspective of Jesus. The serious reality of this is that we fall danger to thinking that the gospel and the purpose of Jesus was merely to conquer death and save us from our sins. These things are so, but if we only focus on them, we miss the key point of Jesus' life: He was bringing the kingdom of God to earth. Jesus began his ministry with the words "The kingdom of God is at hand" (Matthew 4:7--"kingdom of heaven"; Mark 1:15). The rest of his words and actions proved that this is so. His resurrection (which the creeds aptly proclaim) is God's confirmation of this reality.

~~~*~~~

There is obviously much more to say on this. For more on this topic, see N.T. Wright's recent book, How God Became King. His general goal in the book is to explain the reality of Jesus' kingship and urge readers to remember the period of Jesus' life that is often forgotten, the period between his birth and his death, burial, resurrection.

Just for the sake of discussion, how often do you consider the significance and meaning of Jesus' life? Has your Christianity become more about Jesus' birth and death and resurrection than about the word and goal of his life's mission? In other words, do you think more in terms of your personal salvation or Jesus' kingship over the earth? 

A prayer

I needed a prayer today and thought you might too.

Lord, you are good. You are patient and kind. Your love is steadfast, unflagging, undeterred. Today, in this moment, I remember these things... I actually feel them somehow, and am thankful that my mind and heart are aware--more of the whole of me is aware of you. In a word, you seem more real to me; thus I feel more real to me. Oh, I know my sensing your presence doesn't make you any more so (how could it? I'm not God, my sense can't make you any more real), but I am glad for the sensation. For the reminder of you.

Today there is wind and cloud in the sky. I hope to feel the wind and see the cloud. I hope to feel the floor under my thin-soled bare feet, hear the talking and laughing and conflict in my children's voices and play, to smell the scents of a place where life is lived. I hope to feel and hear and smell and see...

I hope to sense as much as I can of what is outside and in, and to be thankful for all, for all is from you and the parts that we have skewed you can and will renew. (Thanks for accidental rhymes.)

I pray for my good friend who has been ill; may he be made well, but more than that, may he see and savor Christ today. May he smile. I pray for my other friend's little boy. I'm thankful for his faith and for the laughter and texture of life they're experiencing, for the encouragement they're giving, even in the face of cancer. Through their struggle, somehow, you've drawn open my heavy eyes and the eyes and hearts of our community. (Remarkable.) There are many more in my life who are ill, who are struggling, who are suffering. Your mercy on them, I pray; heal their wounds, their systems, their relationships. In all this, heal their minds, hearts, souls and imaginations.

I pray for whoever might be reading this strung-together prayer. May they be opened up, may their senses, minds, imaginations be jump-started or jogged or whatever they need today. May they know the hope of the gospel; may it enliven all of them (in the sense of numbers and in the sense of their entire, whole individual being... but you knew what I meant, right?).

We have need, all of us; you fill it. Remind us of this again and again today. May the kingdom come be ever in our eyes and actions.

In the name of Christ, our hope, our savior, our bridegroom, our shepherd. Our king. Our sign, given to show your love. (We smile.)
Amen.

Faith is active... it moves

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen... And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.~Hebrews 11:1,6.

27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
~~~*~~~

Faith leads to action. Yes, faith is something that we somehow have within ourselves--in our hearts, heads, imaginations--but genuine faith must act. If we're talking about religious faith, then we can add that faith moves toward its object.

You may have heard the chair faith analogy. It goes something like this: Let's say you have a chair, a dining room chair for example. You might see the chair everyday, walking past it as you go to the kitchen or to the living room to watch television. You may even touch it sometimes as you pass. You certainly believe it's there. However, you don't have faith in the chair until you actually sit in it, moving toward it in response to your belief in its existence and its purpose.

No, this analogy isn't perfect, yet despite its simplicity, we see that for faith to be faith it has to act. In this case, the action is sitting down, letting the chair serve its function. But the chair can't move toward us. It just takes up space or props the door open or dresses up the room or whatever, until we sit down. Jesus, on the other hand, DOES move toward us when we come toward him in faith. We see this time and again in the gospels. A demon possessed person, a blind person, a deaf person, a representative of a dead person will come to him in faith and he will respond to them, come toward them... reward them, as the writer to the Hebrews says. He seems only too glad to bless, to heal, to cleanse of sin.

Some of the time, Jesus will say something like "your faith has made you well" or, as in the excerpt above, "According to your faith be it done to you." Does this mean that the faith heals the person? Not technically. Faith doesn't heal or forgive. Faith moves toward its object, namely Christ, and HE heals.

Remember, a large part of Jesus' ministry on earth (the central part?) was bringing in the kingdom. Faith, which moves toward its object, is the guiding attitude of the kingdom, for by it people come into the kingdom and by it they live within the kingdom.

Also, faith, specifically faith in Jesus and what he can do, is what gives meaning to the many signs that Jesus performs in the Gospels. Otherwise, these signs and wonders and healings are meaningless--unaccountable events without significance. Time and again, those with faith in what Jesus says and can do come to him. They move toward him.

And, time and again, he moves toward them.
~~~*~~~

The same is true for us. If we say we have faith, we will exercise it by moving toward him, by responding to his commands. Because faith... is active.

How's your faith? Do you find that it moves you to act?

MLK--a salute to a brother in Christ

This is a modified post I did last year. It turns out, I'm still in repentance and sanctification transit on this topic, so I'm saying much the same thing I said last year. 

~~~*~~

Martin Luther King. This is the day we celebrate his life and legacy. For many, it's just a given that we should honor him. For me, this has not always been the case. Being in disagreement isn't a sin--and that was my chief qualm with King, not race. Even so, I need to make confession today. Again.

No, mine is not a confession of racism, though I'm probably guilty of racism to some degree--either in the past or today. And, if race hasn't been the issue for me, then mere difference has been. (Maybe I'm guilty of differrentism. Yeah. Differentism is when a person alienates another simply because the other is different in some way. [I'm not sure if differentism is real word, but I'm adding it to my vocabulary today.] It's probably worse than racism. Both have the effect of denying the hope of the gospel, which is union and communion with God in Christ.) 

Okay. So here is my confession: I didn't give Martin Luther King, Jr. a fair listening when I first read him. No, it wasn't a race matter, as I've already said. It was a differentism matter. He didn't sound biblical enough to me--or biblical as I understood the theology of the Bible. Because of this, I didn't hear what he had to say, despite how rhetorically powerful his "I have a Dream" speech and his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

See, I missed the point. Entirely. I missed King's point and I missed the point of the gospel. Maybe King did slide into a sort of Social Gospel mentality (or maybe he was accused of such). And I'm not sure if he assumed too much hope in the power of the government to remedy the divide of the races or not. Regardless, he did long for unity of people. And, I think at the heart of this unity, he had Christ in mind, the only person in whom true unity can be found.

I confess that I don't necessarily agree with everything Martin Luther King, Jr. said and did. But I also confess that he probably understood the heart of the gospel better than I have inthe past and perhaps better than I do today.

In his own words, King (somewhat hesitantly, I gather) agreed that he was a drum major. In a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, he said, "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say."

So today, I salute this drum major. I salute this brother in Christ. I salute his work for the bettering, not just of his race, but of all Americans, all people. I salute his hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I salute his efforts to take action because of that gospel. May he be remembered for this heart and drive of his message today, and not just because of what he did for race relations and liberty. So with Bono on the live version of "Pride," I'll say, "For the Reverend Martin Luther King, sing."

Jesus Journal #23

A few weeks ago I began working through what Glen Stassen calls the fourteen triads of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. After taking up the topics of murder/anger, lust, and divorce, Jesus addresses the issue of taking oaths. Before reading the text, remember that many of the people in Jesus' immediate audience were Pharisees and scribes. Jesus is directly answering them and offering a transformative initiative for them and his other hearers:

Matthew 5:33-37
33 "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.

This triad can be broken down as follows:
a. Traditional or older teaching: "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to The Lord what you have sworn."
b. Vicious cycle: constant swearing by things other than God's name.
c. Transforming initiative: Let your yes be "Yes" and your no be "No."

~~~*~~~
Jesus' point isn't necessarily "Don't swear at all." He is really addressing the attitude behind the swearing--the intention. We can pick this up from noting how he begins and ends the triadic teaching. He opens saying "You shall not swear falsely." Jesus is harkening back (in summary form) to several passages from the Law that the Pharisees knew, but were misapplying in order to keep up their show of honesty in their various swearings (see Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21). They knew they shouldn't swear falsely by GOD'S name, but they figured that if their dealings were a bit shady or if they needed to emphasize their so-called honesty, they could get away with swearing on things other than God's name.

But this just leads to a vicious cycle of swearing... and dishonesty and evil. Jesus ends the triad by saying "anything more [than yes or no] comes from evil." Again, Jesus is getting at the heart of the issue, which is the intention in the swearing and not necessarily the swearing itself. His examples which demonstrate the vicious cycle of swearing demonstrate the folly of such a practice. He demonstrates that ALL that a person could swear on is God's in the first place: heaven, earth, Jerusalem--even man and his head--belong to God. In other words, all this manipulative swearing in order to avoid swearing on God's name ends a person in still swearing on God. And the swearers are still being false, are still speaking with false intention, which is the bigger issue.

As Stasson explains, "Jesus is naming and criticizing a practice based on a relationship of distrust, deceit and manipulation." Such a relationship is obviously unhealthy. It cycles back and forth, around and around. There is no freedom and no trust in such a circumstance.

So, true to form, Jesus offers a simple solution: We need to be true to our word. As with the other transformative initiatives, the concept is simple, but the practice may prove otherwise, especially if we've been living and operating in our relationships by an ethic of distrust, deceit and manipulation. But all of us get this idea: Be true. Speak True. Pursue truthfulness.

~~~*~~~
I know my words are often less than true and they spring from my heart which is the same. But I'm planning on trusting in the transformative power of God's Spirit to help me live by this transforming principle.

And what of you today? Do you speak true? Pursue truthfulness? Is your yes "Yes" and your no "No"?

If we live by this principle, I have no doubt that we will find the vicious cycle of deceit fading... and truth and the power of the gospel flowing from our mouths and leaving a pleasant wake behind us.

General thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

I do intend to go through each of the fourteen triads in the Sermon on the Mount, but today I wanted to post some thoughts by N.T. Wright on these matters. He says it so plainly in his deceptively simplistic commentary Matthew for Everyone.

It is true that all this that Jesus directs in Matthew 5:21-48 is difficult, maybe impossible. Seeking to make peace instead of festering in anger, name calling, and heaping insults is sometimes difficult. Fighting lust and being true to our word and staying true to our spouse seem to be concepts that we've thrown out the door in America. Retaliation against those that shame us or wrong us? It's almost a given. And loving enemies is almost all the way out of the question (and the imagination) for many of us.

So, yes, the Sermon on the Mount asks a lot of us. It advises us in somewhat startling ways.

But it's not just advice; it comes in the midst of the good news. These six transforming initiatives? N.T. Wright reminds us that Jesus lived them himself, and "opened up the new way of being human so that all who follow him can discover it... The Sermon on the Mount isn't just about us... It's about Jesus himself. This was the blueprint for his own life... The Sermon on the Mount isn't just about how to behave. It's about discovering the living God in the loving, and dying, Jesus, and learning to reflect that love ourselves into the world that needs it so badly."

Christian, be encouraged today. Our Lord went before us and he goes before us still. What he advises, commands, exhorts, he lived himself. He empowers us to do the same through his Spirit dwelling in us. May we be salt and light to this world as we walk in this power and seek to live out new, transformed--and TRANSFORMING--lives.

Thanksgiving: Sky Ranch

Yesterday, my family went out to Sky Ranch for the dedication of a newly constructed prayer wall and chapel. Sky Ranch is a camping organization that has campuses in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. The primary camp is located outside of Van, TX, which is where we were yesterday afternoon. The ceremony was a good reminder of all that Sky Ranch has meant to me in my life. As I listened to Chris Witt (a twenty year employee of Sky Ranch and a friend from the days when I worked there as well), I was impressed with the sense that I owe a debt of gratitude to this organization.

So, in keeping with the week of Thanksgiving, I thought it fitting that I start out by stating my thanks to God for Sky Ranch. Without doubt, God used the counselors and staff to play a significant role in shaping my young-man self, and thus who I am today.

I first attended Sky Ranch as an eleven year old. I remember being apprehensive about the experience. I'd never been away from home before for more than a few days. Thankfully, my brother was there with me. Together we discovered a world of adventure and fun: water sliding, blobbing, sailing, swimming, horseback riding, shooting, etc. It was the best week of my young life. But I think a large part of why the experience was so great was the counselors that spent the days with us. My counselors were the lifeblood of the experience. It was so cool that we got to hang out with college students for a whole week. But these weren't just college students (I barely understood what that meant at the time, to be honest; it didn't really register in my head.) They were friends and mentors and teachers.

That first summer was the first time I heard the gospel. I didn't fully grasp the concept, but I liked what I heard and I knew that somehow the gospel was what was driving those counselors to do what they were doing for the summer. The gospel was their reason for spending time with me and my brother for the week. 

My brother and I attended Sky Ranch as campers for another four summers. I eventually decided that the one thing I wanted to be in life was a camp counselor. No. More than that, I wanted to be just like my counselors; I wanted to be for other kids what they had been for me. The summer after my last year as a camper, I finally embraced the gospel--or rather, was embraced by it. I prayed the sinner's prayer and knew what I wanted to do next. Work at Sky Ranch and share the gospel and my life with others.

So the summer after I turned sixteen I applied to work at camp. I wanted to be around the campers, but I wasn't old enough to be a counselor, so I took a job as rifle range manager. The following summer, I signed on to be archery manager. However, my chance to be a counselor came when one of the cabins lost an assistant counselor. The administration knew I wanted to be a counselor, and even though I was a couple years too young, they asked me to do the job. That six weeks as a camp counselor was surreal, and I don't remember much about it, but knew I wanted to do that again.

Well, before I graduated from college, I had worked at Sky Ranch for three more summers. Those were probably the best and most fulfilling summers of my life. I grew in grace and knowledge of Christ, even as I worked to love and serve and teach young kids of all ages to do the same. I'm not sure I ever became like my personal favorite counselors, but I did become my own version of what I thought they were.

I can only hope that I had an impact on some of those campers that were in my cabin those several summers. I will likely never know. However, I DO know that I am thankful for Sky Ranch. It was there that I heard the gospel and began to understand what it means. It was there that I saw the good life, the life of love and service, lived out. It was there that I began to live such a life. And, it was there that I met the woman who became my wife.

Although I hadn't been back to Sky Ranch in over ten years, yesterday I realized that I am a living embodiment of the Sky Ranch legacy. In more ways than I know, understand, or imagine, God has used that place to shape and sculpt me into what I have become and am becoming. For this, I give thanks. 

~~~*~~~

Any of you have a place that has meant much to you? Please feel free to tell your story here.

Jesus Journal #16

In the Sermon on the Mount, it seems as if Jesus is amping up the law. In other words, when he goes through the six traditional teachings (Matthew 5:21-48), he names the law or teaching his audience has heard, then he explains the real situation of their life in terms of that particular law.

For example, he says, "You have heard it said to those of old,'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'" This is the traditional teaching, well-known to all in his audience. Then, Jesus says that this particular law entails more than just avoiding murder: "everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to hell fire." So the command not to murder also means don't live angry, don't cast insults, don't call names (maybe even if they're accurate)... don't do live in the things that lead to murder. 

As Glen H. Stassen explains in his essay "The Fourteen Triads of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-7:12)," this teaching that Jesus adds here (and in the other fourteen triads) demonstrates a sort of vicious cycle of living. He calls the teaching a "diagnosis of a vicious cycle and its consequence." If this is right, then what Jesus is doing is acting as a physician, explaining the specifics of what the general law covers. Jesus' audience (including us) needs to be aware of this. 

But is there a way to fight this cycle of anger and insult? Can anyone obey the law in such detail? Jesus offers a solution, or a "transforming initiative," as Stassen puts it. In the case of this old teaching against murder, Jesus' transforming initiative is essentially don't murder, but also handle anger and insult by making peace with your brothers and with your accusers (see Matthew 5:23-26). 

So even though Jesus' diagnosis of the cycle shows the sobering reality that the law's general commands cover a wide variety of heart and social issues, he offers a way to live in God's Kingdom come. Even though the law weighs heavier and demands more than his hearers may have thought, he offers a transforming alternative. 

~~~*~~~

I can't keep the law "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment." Oh, I haven't actually taken someone's life. I haven't really even seriously considered doing so. But I can't even do much to get out of the cycles of anger, insult and name-calling. I know my kids can't. So what are we to do? We're to cling to Christ the King and live by his directive. And this directive of making peace, well, that's something I can attempt. And when I mess up, when I end up in that place where my friend or family member has something against me or where someone is accusing me, I can make efforts at peace. Right?

And what of you? Is this concept of making peace with brothers and accusers within your ability?