First off, what's a “disciple”? Do we use the dictionary definition: “a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another?”[1] I think looking to Jesus’ expectations provides more distinction. In his classic The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman lays out Jesus’ plan for implementing the Great Commission, making disciples as we go, teaching them all that Jesus taught.[2] Though he approaches the subject from the perspective of one planning to mentor others, his thoughts will help we who intend to be Jesus’ disciples.
After selecting His disciples, Jesus used a combination of association, consecration, impartation, and demonstration to prepare them for delegation, supervision, and reproduction. In this picture, delegation, supervision, and reproduction comprise the goal – we ultimately do the kingdom work of Jesus and help others do the same – and the balance consists of preparation.
In order to prepare ourselves for the Jesus’ work, we need to associate with Him, be with Him. Being with Him will give us something much bigger than knowledge about God. “With Him” will impart experience that begins to mold our hearts. “With Him” will allow us to understand how He thinks about every facet of life we encounter. “With Him” will help us understand where we’ve come from, what ails the world, and how to apply Jesus’ healing touch.
Next, we must consecrate ourselves to Jesus. At the start, Jesus seemed to have only one rule for His disciples – follow, obey. The church had not come and no creed had been penned. They had only the obligation of loyalty. Parables, sermons, journeys, and encounters became the places of Jesus’ yoke from whence they learned. Nine times in the gospels, Jesus uttered a rather emphatic “follow me.” On one occasion, He says “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”[3] Crosses had one and only one purpose at the time, to make someone dead. And, we can count on it. If a cross comes into play, the executioner will extract a cost and someone will die. I may pay with my fear, my pride, my self-directed decisions, my comfort, or my time, but if I want to follow Jesus, I will pay. I must, as Paul says, be willing to put to death the deeds of the body.[4] We must clearly understand the details of our agreement with Jesus if we expect to become His disciples.
For Jesus to impart Himself to us, we must want to receive Him. He wants to give Himself to us, but never barges in. He waits for the invitation, something I find a mystery. The Creator God who imagined the cosmos and spoke it into existence waits for our nod. Preparing ourselves by being with Him and setting ourselves aside for Him will indicate our willingness to receive Him. Then, Jesus will proceed to interact with our spirits through His Spirit – confirming our relationship,[5] interceding to the Father,[6] and loving us,[7] actually giving Himself to us.
[1] disciple. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.classic.reference.com/browse/disciple (accessed: June 07, 2009).
[2] Matthew 28:19-20a.
[3] Mark 9:23
[4] Romans 8:13
[5] 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15
[6] Romans 8:26
[7] Romans 5:5
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Transforming Discipleship
In the previous post, we discussed the process of transforming discipleship based on the five pillars of ministry in Ephesian 4:11. What does life look like if I engage this process? Well, Paul continues in Ephesians chapter 4 to paint the picture. Not just any picture, but one of those masterpieces that you’ll come back to over and over because the depth, nuance, and detail of the artist continue to communicate enlarged meaning. Listen to how Paul describes the results of the five pillars of ministry in our lives. The transformed disciple will:
- Stand prepared for the great privilege and work of service (Eph. 4:12)
- Contribute to the potential of the body of Christ to build itself up (Eph. 4:12)
- Press forward toward unity of faith with other believers (Eph. 4:13)
- Reach maturity in the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph. 4:13)
- Attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13)
- Grow up intellectually, refusing to remain undeveloped in thought (Eph. 4:14)
- Gain confidence in Christianity as a worldview and withstand the strong wind and heavy waves of false worldviews (Eph. 4:14)
- Speak the truth in love (and as a prerequisite, know the truth) (Eph. 4:15)
- Grow up into Jesus in every aspect of life (Eph. 4:15)
- Find her place in the body of Christ and participate in its growth, in building it up (Eph. 4:16)
- Engage a mode of thinking that banishes futility and results in prosperous living (Eph. 4:17)
- Acquire an enlightened understanding of how the world works (Eph. 4:18)
- Become literate in the ways of Jesus (Eph. 4:18)
- Obtain a softened heart that is attuned to the word and touch of God (Eph. 4:18)
- Put off the old self, the former way of life (Eph. 4:22)
- Experience newness in the attitudes of his mind, in his heart (Eph. 4:23)
- Put on the new self that God created to be like Himself, full of true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24)
- Become an imitator of God in the way a small child puts on his father’s hat and shoes (Eph. 5:1)
- Live a life of love, an imitation of Jesus, becoming a fragrant sacrifice to God (Eph. 5:2)
Does this sound enticing? Did you feel a flutter of excitement as you read it?
If you desire such a transformed life, I urge you to participate with two or three others in a long-term covenant discipleship group. Certainly, you can work growth in your relationship with Jesus on your own. But, if you intend walk away from the frustration of Romans chapter 7 (“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”) to the full life of Romans chapter 8 (“through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death”), you need to engage engage Jesus in the context of several transparent relationships. Only then will the deep transformation we long for become ours.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
True Righteousness and Holiness
“He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-12 (The Message)
Over a decade ago, I listened to a series of sermons on Ephesians 4:11-12 which characterized the “gifts” described as the five pillars of ministry in the church: apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching. Jesus certainly gives these discrete gifts to specific individuals, but they also describe a full pallet of activity Jesus intends for each of us.
We should share in the creative activity of establishing beachheads for kingdom work (apostles). We must tirelessly speak the Truth into our spheres of influence (prophets). Our lives ought to be characterized by relationships which provide natural opportunities for gospel conversation (evangelists). Loving others as ourselves requires that we care for each other and tend to our collective needs (pastors). We can’t know Jesus the living Word without encountering the written Word (teachers).
I have gifts that differ from yours and God calls each of us to various ministry activities. However, not having the gift of evangelism does not allow me to ignore developing relationships with those in my sphere of influence, praying for those folks, and having gospel colored conversations. In this sense, Jesus calls each of us to apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching work.
Discipleship efforts that combine these five pillars of ministry will create a solid, stable, secure foundation on which the ministry of the entire Body can rest. Doing so will renew our minds, transform our hearts, and result in sincere lives. We’ll “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). When the fruit of this type of transforming discipleship fills the Body, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers will abound. The ministry of the Body will explode beyond the church walls and begin taking new ground, expanding the boundaries of the Kingdom of God among us. Discipling as we go in this manner fulfills Jesus’ commission to the church.
Transforming discipleship requires that we know about God, but knowledge about Him differs from knowing Him. Knowing more about who God is will expose our hearts to that knowledge through the gate of the mind. However, only renewing our minds will result in transformation. We must do more than know Truth. We must use it to renew our thinking, to begin thinking Christianly. This will allow us the shift gears and begin experiencing heart transformation. That change will drive a new way of living, in “true righteousness and holiness.”
Can we find a fast lane to transformation? Not really, change takes time. But, God has made us a certain way and only methods that recognize how He put us together will flourish. Created in His image, He created us for relationship – relationship with Him and with the people around us. Embarking on the journey towards transformation with two or three others in a covenantal and transparent relationship agrees with the DNA of our souls. Engaging Truth in the right context will have lasting, transformational effects.
Ephesians 4:11-12 (The Message)
Over a decade ago, I listened to a series of sermons on Ephesians 4:11-12 which characterized the “gifts” described as the five pillars of ministry in the church: apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching. Jesus certainly gives these discrete gifts to specific individuals, but they also describe a full pallet of activity Jesus intends for each of us.
We should share in the creative activity of establishing beachheads for kingdom work (apostles). We must tirelessly speak the Truth into our spheres of influence (prophets). Our lives ought to be characterized by relationships which provide natural opportunities for gospel conversation (evangelists). Loving others as ourselves requires that we care for each other and tend to our collective needs (pastors). We can’t know Jesus the living Word without encountering the written Word (teachers).
I have gifts that differ from yours and God calls each of us to various ministry activities. However, not having the gift of evangelism does not allow me to ignore developing relationships with those in my sphere of influence, praying for those folks, and having gospel colored conversations. In this sense, Jesus calls each of us to apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching work.
Discipleship efforts that combine these five pillars of ministry will create a solid, stable, secure foundation on which the ministry of the entire Body can rest. Doing so will renew our minds, transform our hearts, and result in sincere lives. We’ll “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). When the fruit of this type of transforming discipleship fills the Body, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers will abound. The ministry of the Body will explode beyond the church walls and begin taking new ground, expanding the boundaries of the Kingdom of God among us. Discipling as we go in this manner fulfills Jesus’ commission to the church.
Transforming discipleship requires that we know about God, but knowledge about Him differs from knowing Him. Knowing more about who God is will expose our hearts to that knowledge through the gate of the mind. However, only renewing our minds will result in transformation. We must do more than know Truth. We must use it to renew our thinking, to begin thinking Christianly. This will allow us the shift gears and begin experiencing heart transformation. That change will drive a new way of living, in “true righteousness and holiness.”
Can we find a fast lane to transformation? Not really, change takes time. But, God has made us a certain way and only methods that recognize how He put us together will flourish. Created in His image, He created us for relationship – relationship with Him and with the people around us. Embarking on the journey towards transformation with two or three others in a covenantal and transparent relationship agrees with the DNA of our souls. Engaging Truth in the right context will have lasting, transformational effects.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Gospel Agreement
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Matthew 28:1. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb. Mark 16:2. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. Luke 24:1. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. John 20:1.
Critics of the New Testament often talk about the dissimilarities or presumed conflicts between the gospels. That red herring holds no water with the resurrection. If you fail to notice that the Mary and Mary went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, the fact that haven’t cracked open even one of the gospels becomes obvious.
Jesus has inspired more books in the last 2,000 years than any other historical figure. I would guess the resurrection takes first place in the number of discussions contained in this massive body of writing. For the believer, the resurrection marks the contextual middle of temporal history.
Everything before the resurrection prepares for it and it colors everything after. For thousands of years, a small middle-eastern people group foreshadowed the resurrection through rituals, prophecy, and writings. For thousands of years after the resurrection, the Christian faith, fueled by the power of the resurrection spread to the corners of the world and became the bedrock of western civilization.
The volume of specific historical and logical proofs for the actual, physical, time-space event of Jesus’ resurrection bury competing explanations six feet under. Though these proofs provide us with intellectual comfort by confirming that our faith sees through the lens of fact, our changed lives provide the most significant personal proof.
On the eternal scale, Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of all the rest. If Jesus had died and not risen, the promise of new life would have been born still. Because Jesus lives, union with Him – moving beyond the restoration of the first man-God relationship to a more glorious destiny - becomes possible.
The fellowship enjoyed by the apostles who walked with Him continues with us through the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:18-21). We speak to Him in prayer (e.g., 2 Cor. 12:8) and He speaks to us through the Spirit (John 16:13-15; 2 Cor. 12:9). We dwell in Him and He dwells in us (John 14:20). I now live by Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20) and I put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). Because the resurrection vindicates Jesus, we receive justification (Rom. 4:25; 5:18-9). His identity is exchanged with ours and in Him we were crucified and died (Gal. 2:20), raised (Col. 3:1), seated in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), and are made sons (Gal. 4:4-5). We become heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:29), a spiritual house and holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). We not only have union with Jesus, but with Father and the Spirit (John14:16; Eph 2:18).
Critics of the New Testament often talk about the dissimilarities or presumed conflicts between the gospels. That red herring holds no water with the resurrection. If you fail to notice that the Mary and Mary went to the tomb early on the first day of the week, the fact that haven’t cracked open even one of the gospels becomes obvious.
Jesus has inspired more books in the last 2,000 years than any other historical figure. I would guess the resurrection takes first place in the number of discussions contained in this massive body of writing. For the believer, the resurrection marks the contextual middle of temporal history.
Everything before the resurrection prepares for it and it colors everything after. For thousands of years, a small middle-eastern people group foreshadowed the resurrection through rituals, prophecy, and writings. For thousands of years after the resurrection, the Christian faith, fueled by the power of the resurrection spread to the corners of the world and became the bedrock of western civilization.
The volume of specific historical and logical proofs for the actual, physical, time-space event of Jesus’ resurrection bury competing explanations six feet under. Though these proofs provide us with intellectual comfort by confirming that our faith sees through the lens of fact, our changed lives provide the most significant personal proof.
On the eternal scale, Jesus’ resurrection marks the beginning of all the rest. If Jesus had died and not risen, the promise of new life would have been born still. Because Jesus lives, union with Him – moving beyond the restoration of the first man-God relationship to a more glorious destiny - becomes possible.
The fellowship enjoyed by the apostles who walked with Him continues with us through the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:18-21). We speak to Him in prayer (e.g., 2 Cor. 12:8) and He speaks to us through the Spirit (John 16:13-15; 2 Cor. 12:9). We dwell in Him and He dwells in us (John 14:20). I now live by Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20) and I put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). Because the resurrection vindicates Jesus, we receive justification (Rom. 4:25; 5:18-9). His identity is exchanged with ours and in Him we were crucified and died (Gal. 2:20), raised (Col. 3:1), seated in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), and are made sons (Gal. 4:4-5). We become heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:29), a spiritual house and holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). We not only have union with Jesus, but with Father and the Spirit (John14:16; Eph 2:18).
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Strong and Courageous
When Joshua took the reigns of the people from Moses, the Lord prepared him with specific instructions and the admonition “be strong and courageous.” A few verses later the He tells Joshua to “be strong and very courageous.” Then the Lord finishes off these first nine verses of Joshua chapter one with a third “be strong and courageous.”
When my wife says something to me once, I sometimes don’t “hear” it. That rarely happens when she repeats it three times. It seems we might want to give the Creator of everything a little more attention (this is not to suggest my wife does not have god-like qualities…is that clear Dear?). So, what’s up with being strong and courageous?
We call a person courageous when he follows his will even though the rest of his person tells him to turn and run screaming like a little girl. A courageous person exercises control over how he will or will not act. Real courage and real strength display themselves in self-control.
If I control something, it means that I choose what it will do. If I choose what that thing controlled will do, then things exist that it could do, but I have chosen it will not do. Rational people make such decisions – what to do or not do – based on the fabric of their values. Values precede actions and courageous action requires courageous values.
In my past criminal defense practice, I once represented a young man with paranoid schizophrenia. Not only did Alex live in an unreal world, all his imaginary friends were out to get him. I recall clearly visiting him for the first time in lock-up – he babbled on about how his case was based on the “water law” and that he should be free. Actually, Alex had stolen a car and led the police on a high speed chase up and down Highway 5 – no water there. After that first meeting Alex and I attended a hearing in which Alex repeatedly interrupted the judge with comments that culminated the announcement that he was going to marry the young and pretty public defender who had represented Alex before me. The judge ended the hearing with a wry smile and a quick “good luck Mr. Trask.” Alex had no basis whatsoever for his decisions. Alex was not a rational person and his values were imaginary.
Where should we rational folk get our values, our standards for self-control - the drivers of courage? For the serious believer, that question borders on the rhetorical. God’s Word provides the ultimate standard for man’s values, thoughts, and actions. After “be strong and courageous,” God spoke his final preparatory command to Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
In order to have the Word available at the point of courage begging decisions, I must give it the necessary time to soak in and “richly dwell” my heart. I must meditate on, savor, ponder, and wonder over the Word if I plan to act courageously. Do you have the right stuff to initiate courageous action? If not, what will you commit to becoming strong and courageous?
When my wife says something to me once, I sometimes don’t “hear” it. That rarely happens when she repeats it three times. It seems we might want to give the Creator of everything a little more attention (this is not to suggest my wife does not have god-like qualities…is that clear Dear?). So, what’s up with being strong and courageous?
We call a person courageous when he follows his will even though the rest of his person tells him to turn and run screaming like a little girl. A courageous person exercises control over how he will or will not act. Real courage and real strength display themselves in self-control.
If I control something, it means that I choose what it will do. If I choose what that thing controlled will do, then things exist that it could do, but I have chosen it will not do. Rational people make such decisions – what to do or not do – based on the fabric of their values. Values precede actions and courageous action requires courageous values.
In my past criminal defense practice, I once represented a young man with paranoid schizophrenia. Not only did Alex live in an unreal world, all his imaginary friends were out to get him. I recall clearly visiting him for the first time in lock-up – he babbled on about how his case was based on the “water law” and that he should be free. Actually, Alex had stolen a car and led the police on a high speed chase up and down Highway 5 – no water there. After that first meeting Alex and I attended a hearing in which Alex repeatedly interrupted the judge with comments that culminated the announcement that he was going to marry the young and pretty public defender who had represented Alex before me. The judge ended the hearing with a wry smile and a quick “good luck Mr. Trask.” Alex had no basis whatsoever for his decisions. Alex was not a rational person and his values were imaginary.
Where should we rational folk get our values, our standards for self-control - the drivers of courage? For the serious believer, that question borders on the rhetorical. God’s Word provides the ultimate standard for man’s values, thoughts, and actions. After “be strong and courageous,” God spoke his final preparatory command to Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
In order to have the Word available at the point of courage begging decisions, I must give it the necessary time to soak in and “richly dwell” my heart. I must meditate on, savor, ponder, and wonder over the Word if I plan to act courageously. Do you have the right stuff to initiate courageous action? If not, what will you commit to becoming strong and courageous?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
What makes you laugh?
Think about it – getting hit by a baseball is probably not funny. But, if it happens to an unsuspecting dad tossing a pitch to his four-year old son who’s swinging a plastic bat of cartoon proportions and the video camera is taping…I dare you not to laugh. A baby in a high chair isn’t hilarious by himself. Neither is buying and selling securities. But when the baby can talk and his pitch about a securities brokerage is interrupted by call on his cell phone to which he replies “hey girl, can I hit you back?” Well, that’s just plain funny.
Why are these funny? In one instance, you have a real life event that is unexpected, unlikely, and out of place. In the other, you have two things put together than are, well unexpected, unlikely, and out of place. In both instances, absurdity makes us laugh.
I watched an original performance this evening that was packed with humor. From video shorts titled Awkward Moments with Roger in which insensitivity was taken to the absurd, to a rewrite of Shakespeare complete audience asides which paired modern marriage themes with the King’s English and men in tights (an absurd combination).
Much more important than the reason I laughed was what laughing did for me. For 90 minutes, I hadn’t a care in the world. I was transported from everything that pushes in and threatens to squelch a sense of joy to a place of emotional pleasure, freedom, and relief.
Behind that performance is some good theology. In fact behind every facet of life there is some good theology – there is not one shred of our existence that God has not thought about or that does not relate directly back to him. I mentioned this was an original performance. That means it was conceived in someone’s imagination and pushed into the world through their effort.
There was a first time in the universe when creative activity took place. God imagined the universe from the tiniest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy and everything in between. Then with no pattern or raw material, He spoke it into existence. Included in this miracle was man, created in the very image of God.
So, like God Himself, a creative mind began to think of humorous absurdities and how they might be played out in performance. Then creative performers came together under creative direction and performed a kind of incarnation where ideas took on form.
I was blessed tonight, not just because I laughed and experienced protection from some of the harshness of life, but because I saw the face of God in the work of His co-creative image bearers. I learned just a little more about how big, diverse, and marvelous God is. The memory of that experience is like a vacation photo that I can tuck away and pull out from time to time and enjoy. Those co-creative image bearers will continue to bless me for days to come. Every time I tell a story about Awkward Roger or Nick in tights, behind them I’ll see Jesus smiling.
Why are these funny? In one instance, you have a real life event that is unexpected, unlikely, and out of place. In the other, you have two things put together than are, well unexpected, unlikely, and out of place. In both instances, absurdity makes us laugh.
I watched an original performance this evening that was packed with humor. From video shorts titled Awkward Moments with Roger in which insensitivity was taken to the absurd, to a rewrite of Shakespeare complete audience asides which paired modern marriage themes with the King’s English and men in tights (an absurd combination).
Much more important than the reason I laughed was what laughing did for me. For 90 minutes, I hadn’t a care in the world. I was transported from everything that pushes in and threatens to squelch a sense of joy to a place of emotional pleasure, freedom, and relief.
Behind that performance is some good theology. In fact behind every facet of life there is some good theology – there is not one shred of our existence that God has not thought about or that does not relate directly back to him. I mentioned this was an original performance. That means it was conceived in someone’s imagination and pushed into the world through their effort.
There was a first time in the universe when creative activity took place. God imagined the universe from the tiniest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy and everything in between. Then with no pattern or raw material, He spoke it into existence. Included in this miracle was man, created in the very image of God.
So, like God Himself, a creative mind began to think of humorous absurdities and how they might be played out in performance. Then creative performers came together under creative direction and performed a kind of incarnation where ideas took on form.
I was blessed tonight, not just because I laughed and experienced protection from some of the harshness of life, but because I saw the face of God in the work of His co-creative image bearers. I learned just a little more about how big, diverse, and marvelous God is. The memory of that experience is like a vacation photo that I can tuck away and pull out from time to time and enjoy. Those co-creative image bearers will continue to bless me for days to come. Every time I tell a story about Awkward Roger or Nick in tights, behind them I’ll see Jesus smiling.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Yes Means Yes (well, it ought to)
In Jesus day, oaths were a common thing. Let’s imagine that I want my neighbor who lives just outside of Jerusalem to bring his family over tomorrow (he’s got way more kids than I do) to help me finish up harvesting my fields. If I can get it done now and to market early, I'll earn top dollar for the portion I trade with. To get his interest, I tell him that for each person he brings to help he can use one of my donkeys for a week. Fortunately, I have more donkeys than he has kids.
Over the years, my neighbor and I have made a few deals with each other and I haven’t always been real good about fulfilling my end of the bargain. So, my neighbor is naturally suspicious and initially declines my generous offer (come on, one donkey week for one kid day is a pretty good). I’m starting to worry (thinking about the extra profit I'm going to lose), so I pull out my ace in the hole – I swear by everything holy in the temple that I will fulfill my end of the bargain.
I could still be a creep and not do what I say, but in our culture, an oath really means something. As long as I intend to keep my oath and actually keep it, I have fulfilled the law. This causes my neighbor to think twice. His experience tells him to thumb his nose at me and walk away, but once I throw my oath out there, he’s really starting to think about it.
These are the circumstances Jesus addresses in Matthew 5 when he says “you have heard it said . . . do not break your oath . . . but I tell you, do not swear at all.” Why did I make an oath to my neighbor? To get him to do something he probably would not have done otherwise. It was an effort to bypass his understanding and judgment and trigger his will – in my favor. The evil that Jesus is addressing is not broken oaths, but an inherently wrong approach to other human beings. If I act this way, throwing out oaths to get what I want, I’m no longer dealing with a person, but a thing to be moved about to achieve certain results. It becomes impossible for me to recognize the image of God woven into that person. It’s more akin to luring my pet dog with a treat.
In our day and age, oaths are relegated to courtrooms and inaugurations. At best, they are declarations that hold us accountable to perjury laws. On the other hand, we’ve worked manipulation into a fine art form of sublime variations making it difficult to identify the boundaries of truth. This truth fog requires our attention if we want to live out the Kingdom perspective Jesus bring us.
Presentations, pitches, advertising, spin, and the like present ripe opportunities for varying degrees of manipulation and it’s often hard to spot. If I want my yes to be yes, I need to determine (whether a little or a lot) if I'm to circumvent the hearer’s understanding and judgment and get to their will. To what degree am I willing to reduce my message to technical correctness which leans on the hearer to look below the surface and dig for truth? Do I eliminate any information that might be peripheral, but necessary for the hearer to make a fully informed decision? Am I more concerned about persuading than the content of my message or the well being of the hearer?
I’m not pretending this is an easy task. It would be much easier with the old righteousness – as long as I didn’t take the Lord’s name in vain and I did what my oath promised, I fulfilled my duty. But Jesus calls us to a new righteousness – the kind that flows from a transformed heart. It’s messier to be sure, but it sets relationships right in a way the old righteousness never could.
Over the years, my neighbor and I have made a few deals with each other and I haven’t always been real good about fulfilling my end of the bargain. So, my neighbor is naturally suspicious and initially declines my generous offer (come on, one donkey week for one kid day is a pretty good). I’m starting to worry (thinking about the extra profit I'm going to lose), so I pull out my ace in the hole – I swear by everything holy in the temple that I will fulfill my end of the bargain.
I could still be a creep and not do what I say, but in our culture, an oath really means something. As long as I intend to keep my oath and actually keep it, I have fulfilled the law. This causes my neighbor to think twice. His experience tells him to thumb his nose at me and walk away, but once I throw my oath out there, he’s really starting to think about it.
These are the circumstances Jesus addresses in Matthew 5 when he says “you have heard it said . . . do not break your oath . . . but I tell you, do not swear at all.” Why did I make an oath to my neighbor? To get him to do something he probably would not have done otherwise. It was an effort to bypass his understanding and judgment and trigger his will – in my favor. The evil that Jesus is addressing is not broken oaths, but an inherently wrong approach to other human beings. If I act this way, throwing out oaths to get what I want, I’m no longer dealing with a person, but a thing to be moved about to achieve certain results. It becomes impossible for me to recognize the image of God woven into that person. It’s more akin to luring my pet dog with a treat.
In our day and age, oaths are relegated to courtrooms and inaugurations. At best, they are declarations that hold us accountable to perjury laws. On the other hand, we’ve worked manipulation into a fine art form of sublime variations making it difficult to identify the boundaries of truth. This truth fog requires our attention if we want to live out the Kingdom perspective Jesus bring us.
Presentations, pitches, advertising, spin, and the like present ripe opportunities for varying degrees of manipulation and it’s often hard to spot. If I want my yes to be yes, I need to determine (whether a little or a lot) if I'm to circumvent the hearer’s understanding and judgment and get to their will. To what degree am I willing to reduce my message to technical correctness which leans on the hearer to look below the surface and dig for truth? Do I eliminate any information that might be peripheral, but necessary for the hearer to make a fully informed decision? Am I more concerned about persuading than the content of my message or the well being of the hearer?
I’m not pretending this is an easy task. It would be much easier with the old righteousness – as long as I didn’t take the Lord’s name in vain and I did what my oath promised, I fulfilled my duty. But Jesus calls us to a new righteousness – the kind that flows from a transformed heart. It’s messier to be sure, but it sets relationships right in a way the old righteousness never could.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)