Earlier this summer, I read the late Brennan Manning's book Patched Together. The book is a modern-day parable about Willie Juan, who grows up as somewhat of an outcast in a small town in Mexico. Willie Juan doesn't really fit in with the other kids in his village. His ethnic blend causes him to look different from the others, and he lives with his grandmother rather than with his father and mother. Because of Willie Juan's oddities, the other children constantly pick on him and pull embarrassing pranks on him. The only one of his peers who defends him or shows any kindness toward him is a little girl named Ana.
As the years go by, Willie Juan becomes increasingly skilled in wood-carving, and his craftsmanship is recognized by a wealthy American patron. Willie Juan leaves his poverty-stricken village in Mexico and moves to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He lives in a large mansion and enjoys the luxuries associated with his new found success. The struggles and hurts he experienced as a child have been left behind him, and he begins a life of acceptance, respect, and wealth.
More time goes by. Then one day Willie Juan happens upon someone he did not expect to see--Ana. The girl who had once been his only friend had become a young woman and moved to Santa Fe, where she worked among the poor. She lives in a cardboard shack only eight feet long, where she cares for several orphaned children.
Willie Juan quickly becomes enamored with Ana. He goes to visit her every day, and they take long walks along the river before he walks her back to her shack. In his own mind, Willie Juan vows to one day take Ana away from the poverty in which she lives. Finally, one day Willie Juan takes Ana's hand, professes his love for her, and asks her to marry him. Ana responds to Willie Juan's proposal by admitting that she also loves him. But she also loves the poor people among whom she works and lives, and she says that she would be happy to marry Willie Juan if he would come live and work with her there.
Willie Juan is confused by Ana's answer. It's not what he had been anticipating. He asks, "What? I don't understand. You mean to marry you I must live like you in a little cardboard shack with no water and no bathtub? I have worked so hard to get away from all that." Willie Juan had worked his whole life to attain what he had, but marrying Ana would mean giving all of it up, and he is unwilling to do that. So he goes home and tells himself that if Ana would not come to be with him, he would not go see her again.
As a reader, I wanted to have a little chat with Willie Juan at this point. You know that Ana is the person Willie Juan needs to be with. You are rooting for these two childhood friends to come together. But Willie Juan walks away because he is unwilling to sacrifice the life he had constructed for himself. In his mind, Ana just isn't worth it.
It's a good lesson on love, I think. When I reached this point in the story, I shut my book for a moment and thought about where Willie Juan had gone wrong, and the conclusion I came to is this:
Love is a willingness to bend.
Willie Juan thinks he loves Ana. But when faced with a choice between Ana and the comfort and wealth he has become used to, he chooses the comfort. He wants to marry Ana, but only if its on his terms.
Many people (including me) try to love others the same way that Willie Juan does. We say we love others, but only insofar as that love doesn't rattle our lives too much. But genuine love always costs something. It's always inconvenient. It always demands something of the lover.
A while back a friend of mine was telling me about his relationship with his wife and how he felt when they started dating. He said that if there had been something keeping him from her, he would have done anything to get back to her. He would have quit his job, dropped out of school, moved across the country...whatever it took. He has a furious, all-in type of love. And that may be the truest type of love.
The truth is that if you are only looking for friendships that won't make many demands on your time or attention, then your life will only consist of shallow, superficial friendships. And if, like Willie Juan, you want a husband or wife who will "fit in" with the life you've already planned for yourself, you're setting yourself up for either loneliness or frustration. And if you want a God who you can just "add on" to your life like an accessory, you won't find the real God.
I can be a bit of a planner. For most of my life, I've had a pretty good idea of what I would be doing in the future, and perhaps this has led to me thinking that's what I need to be doing in the future. For example, I decided where I would go for college when I was just beginning my high school career. I planned out what I would do with my summers months in advance. Then I chose to go to graduate school, thus locking down another three years. I've always liked to feel like I have some level of control over my life. But this can be a problem for me. I recognize that. I wonder how my social relationships have suffered because I have been unwilling to sacrifice my own plans, and I wonder how my connection with God can also suffer for the same reasons. Have I not been open to others because of how it might affect my plans? Have I kept God at arm's length for fear he would wash away the sandcastle I've worked so hard to build?
I don't want to be someone who is controlled by preset plans or self-imposed duty. I want to be a person who is motivated by love--someone who is willing to sacrifice his own interests for the sake of others and someone who is open to others and to God, regardless of how inconvenient it may be. Someone who is willing to bend.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
The Kingdom: Membership and Inclusion
Last week I wrote a post in which I argued that the most significant characteristic of a citizen in God's kingdom is simply a realization that no one deserves to be in that kingdom, but that citizenship is dependent entirely on the mercy and grace of God. The kingdom is given to the poor in spirit and to the children who recognize their helplessness. It is withheld from the rich who bank on their self-sufficiency, as well as from the "righteous" who believe their efforts grant them with a visa into God's kingdom.
When the only entrance requirement is recognition of one's own insufficiency, the type of people who make up a kingdom may look different from what you would expect. Think of it like a football team. Normally, the requirements for being on a football team are athleticism, skill, knowledge, strength, and speed. But what if there were a team for which the requirement was only that players acknowledge their own athletic inability? What if making the team meant confessing that you weren't all that fast or strong, and that you don't know how to throw or catch a ball? I suppose that team would look a lot less like the New England Patriots and a lot more like the Bulldogs, my 4th grade team that didn't win a single game all season long.
If citizenship in God's kingdom depended on the candidate's own abilities or history, then you would expect the kingdom to be made up of a certain type of person. It would be filled with rich people. Morally upstanding people. Influential people. Powerful people. And, as far as the hearers of Jesus' teaching were concerned, Jewish people. (And kosher, bacon-abstaining Jews at that).
However, in light of Jesus' unexpected qualifications for leadership, the people of his kingdom look much different that you might expect. In Matthew 21, Jesus is challenged by the "chief priests and elders of the people" (people who, I assume, would have considered themselves first in line for God's kingdom). Jesus tells them a story about a father with two sons. One of the sons vows obedience to the father but then ignores his instructions. The other son first blows off the father's instructions but then ends up obeying. At the end of the story, Jesus points out that it's the son who actually did what his father asked who did the father's will, and then he says something very surprising: "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you."
The kingdom isn't full of Pharisees, priests, and kings. It's filled with swindlers, prostitutes, Gentiles, and sinners. Why? Because they understood they didn't deserve to be in God's kingdom. They knew that they needed Jesus. They poured perfume on the Messiah's feet instead of criticizing his every move. They invited Jesus to dinner instead of complaining about his unwashed hands. They surrendered to him instead of crucifying him. And so, "people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God" (Lk. 13:29).
One day, God's kingdom will come to its full realization. And when that day happens, I imagine I will run into some people that I didn't expect to be there. I assume also that many people will run into me and be surprised that I'm there too. But that's the beauty of the kingdom. It includes people you wouldn't expect, because it runs by God's rules and not our own. I'm glad that the kingdom isn't for the powerful or self-righteous, because I'm not powerful, and I'm rarely right.
We are what the band Switchfoot calls "a church of the dropouts, the losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools." It's an unexpected team. Not the type of citizenship most kings would choose.
Of course, not many kings possess the grace, mercy, and love that ours does.
When the only entrance requirement is recognition of one's own insufficiency, the type of people who make up a kingdom may look different from what you would expect. Think of it like a football team. Normally, the requirements for being on a football team are athleticism, skill, knowledge, strength, and speed. But what if there were a team for which the requirement was only that players acknowledge their own athletic inability? What if making the team meant confessing that you weren't all that fast or strong, and that you don't know how to throw or catch a ball? I suppose that team would look a lot less like the New England Patriots and a lot more like the Bulldogs, my 4th grade team that didn't win a single game all season long.
If citizenship in God's kingdom depended on the candidate's own abilities or history, then you would expect the kingdom to be made up of a certain type of person. It would be filled with rich people. Morally upstanding people. Influential people. Powerful people. And, as far as the hearers of Jesus' teaching were concerned, Jewish people. (And kosher, bacon-abstaining Jews at that).
However, in light of Jesus' unexpected qualifications for leadership, the people of his kingdom look much different that you might expect. In Matthew 21, Jesus is challenged by the "chief priests and elders of the people" (people who, I assume, would have considered themselves first in line for God's kingdom). Jesus tells them a story about a father with two sons. One of the sons vows obedience to the father but then ignores his instructions. The other son first blows off the father's instructions but then ends up obeying. At the end of the story, Jesus points out that it's the son who actually did what his father asked who did the father's will, and then he says something very surprising: "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you."
The kingdom isn't full of Pharisees, priests, and kings. It's filled with swindlers, prostitutes, Gentiles, and sinners. Why? Because they understood they didn't deserve to be in God's kingdom. They knew that they needed Jesus. They poured perfume on the Messiah's feet instead of criticizing his every move. They invited Jesus to dinner instead of complaining about his unwashed hands. They surrendered to him instead of crucifying him. And so, "people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God" (Lk. 13:29).
One day, God's kingdom will come to its full realization. And when that day happens, I imagine I will run into some people that I didn't expect to be there. I assume also that many people will run into me and be surprised that I'm there too. But that's the beauty of the kingdom. It includes people you wouldn't expect, because it runs by God's rules and not our own. I'm glad that the kingdom isn't for the powerful or self-righteous, because I'm not powerful, and I'm rarely right.
We are what the band Switchfoot calls "a church of the dropouts, the losers, the sinners, the failures, and the fools." It's an unexpected team. Not the type of citizenship most kings would choose.
Of course, not many kings possess the grace, mercy, and love that ours does.
Friday, June 7, 2013
The Kingdom: Membership and Dependence
What qualifies a person for membership in God's kingdom?
If I were writing the bylaws of the kingdom of God, I could come up some pretty good entrance requirements. Maybe a person would have to submit a lengthy application with letters of recommendation and a personal interview. Maybe they would have to perform good deed, like helping the poor or bringing peace of the Mid-East. Maybe they would have to successfully play a game of "Name That Tune," using hymns and Michael W. Smith songs. Maybe they would have to run an obstacle course like on that show Wipeout or win a hot dog eating contest.
I can think of a lot of qualities that ought to precede entrance into the kingdom: Personal righteousness. A solid family history. Lots of money. Talent. Intelligence.
And yet, when you read the gospel, you find that the most important qualification for membership in God's kingdom is the realization that none of these things matter. Those who are welcomes into the kingdom are those who recognize that they have nothing to offer but rather are completely dependent on the grace of God.
This doesn't happen in any other sphere of life. When you're applying to a college, you don't want to tell the dean, "I know my grades are terrible, and I certainly don't deserve to attend this university, but I'm hoping you'll let me in anyway." At a job interview, you shouldn't say, "I'm completely unqualified for this job, sure. But maybe you can give me the job out of your mercy and kindness?" And an immigrant who applies for U.S. citizenship shouldn't come to their test saying, "I don't know what that banner is with the stars and stripes on it, and I've never even heard of George Washington."
Everywhere else, citizenship and membership depends on what you do to earn it. But for God's kingdom, membership depends on understanding that nothing you do can earn it.
Jesus begins his Kingdom Manifesto by saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the persecuted" (Matt. 5:3-10).
Nowhere in that list does one find "Blessed are the rich. Blessed are the powerful. Blessed are the talented. Blessed are the self-righteous. Blessed are the trophy-winners. Blessed are those in influential positions. Blessed are the ones who have achieved much. Blessed are the stylish. Blessed are the popular." In fact, more often than not, these qualities are what prevent people from entering God's kingdom.
Jesus once said that the kingdom of God belongs to those who receive it like a little child (Lk. 18:15-17). Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of a child is that a child is completely dependent on others. A child can't feed himself; he needs to be fed. A child can shelter himself; he needs to be housed. A child can't get himself places; he needs to be driven. A child needs others in order to survive, and most kids who tried to run away when they were five came to this realization by the time they got to the other side of the street.
Shortly after Jesus welcomes the children, a rich and powerful up-and-comer asks him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Lk. 18:18ff.) After some back-and-forth between the man and Jesus, it boils down to the command, "Sell all that you have and distribute tot he poor, and yo will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At this, the man turns around and walks home, unwilling to give up his possessions for the sake of following Jesus. As the man walks away with his head down, Jesus says to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
I think it's no accident that the gospels pair this story with the account of Jesus and children. The children receive the kingdom because they are dependent on God and know that they don't qualify for the kingdom by their own rights. The rich man fails to enter the kingdom because, even though he had kept the commandments since he was a boy, was too attached to the treasure he had attained for himself to forsake it and receive a kingdom he could do nothing to earn.
It's the tax collector who prays simply, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" who goes home justified (Lk. 18:13-14). And it's the Laodiceans, who claim, "I am rich. I have prospered, and I need nothing" who are about to be vomited from Christ's mouth (Rev. 3:16-17).
A few weeks ago I preached the funeral for a long-time member of my church. As I talked with her family and friends in preparation for the service, I learned that she had lived in Cincinnati for a number of years but then returned to her small rural hometown in order to care for her ailing parents. During that period of time, she often repeated Psalm 91 to herself. This Psalm begins, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
That's the attitude of the citizen of God's kingdom. Such a person has made God their dwelling-place, their refuge, their fortress, and their trust.
It's a kingdom filled with people who know they don't belong there.
And in God's eyes, that's the best kind of kingdom to have.
If I were writing the bylaws of the kingdom of God, I could come up some pretty good entrance requirements. Maybe a person would have to submit a lengthy application with letters of recommendation and a personal interview. Maybe they would have to perform good deed, like helping the poor or bringing peace of the Mid-East. Maybe they would have to successfully play a game of "Name That Tune," using hymns and Michael W. Smith songs. Maybe they would have to run an obstacle course like on that show Wipeout or win a hot dog eating contest.
I can think of a lot of qualities that ought to precede entrance into the kingdom: Personal righteousness. A solid family history. Lots of money. Talent. Intelligence.
And yet, when you read the gospel, you find that the most important qualification for membership in God's kingdom is the realization that none of these things matter. Those who are welcomes into the kingdom are those who recognize that they have nothing to offer but rather are completely dependent on the grace of God.
This doesn't happen in any other sphere of life. When you're applying to a college, you don't want to tell the dean, "I know my grades are terrible, and I certainly don't deserve to attend this university, but I'm hoping you'll let me in anyway." At a job interview, you shouldn't say, "I'm completely unqualified for this job, sure. But maybe you can give me the job out of your mercy and kindness?" And an immigrant who applies for U.S. citizenship shouldn't come to their test saying, "I don't know what that banner is with the stars and stripes on it, and I've never even heard of George Washington."
Everywhere else, citizenship and membership depends on what you do to earn it. But for God's kingdom, membership depends on understanding that nothing you do can earn it.
Jesus begins his Kingdom Manifesto by saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are the persecuted" (Matt. 5:3-10).
Nowhere in that list does one find "Blessed are the rich. Blessed are the powerful. Blessed are the talented. Blessed are the self-righteous. Blessed are the trophy-winners. Blessed are those in influential positions. Blessed are the ones who have achieved much. Blessed are the stylish. Blessed are the popular." In fact, more often than not, these qualities are what prevent people from entering God's kingdom.
Jesus once said that the kingdom of God belongs to those who receive it like a little child (Lk. 18:15-17). Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of a child is that a child is completely dependent on others. A child can't feed himself; he needs to be fed. A child can shelter himself; he needs to be housed. A child can't get himself places; he needs to be driven. A child needs others in order to survive, and most kids who tried to run away when they were five came to this realization by the time they got to the other side of the street.
Shortly after Jesus welcomes the children, a rich and powerful up-and-comer asks him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Lk. 18:18ff.) After some back-and-forth between the man and Jesus, it boils down to the command, "Sell all that you have and distribute tot he poor, and yo will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At this, the man turns around and walks home, unwilling to give up his possessions for the sake of following Jesus. As the man walks away with his head down, Jesus says to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
I think it's no accident that the gospels pair this story with the account of Jesus and children. The children receive the kingdom because they are dependent on God and know that they don't qualify for the kingdom by their own rights. The rich man fails to enter the kingdom because, even though he had kept the commandments since he was a boy, was too attached to the treasure he had attained for himself to forsake it and receive a kingdom he could do nothing to earn.
It's the tax collector who prays simply, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" who goes home justified (Lk. 18:13-14). And it's the Laodiceans, who claim, "I am rich. I have prospered, and I need nothing" who are about to be vomited from Christ's mouth (Rev. 3:16-17).
A few weeks ago I preached the funeral for a long-time member of my church. As I talked with her family and friends in preparation for the service, I learned that she had lived in Cincinnati for a number of years but then returned to her small rural hometown in order to care for her ailing parents. During that period of time, she often repeated Psalm 91 to herself. This Psalm begins, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
That's the attitude of the citizen of God's kingdom. Such a person has made God their dwelling-place, their refuge, their fortress, and their trust.
It's a kingdom filled with people who know they don't belong there.
And in God's eyes, that's the best kind of kingdom to have.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
The Kingdom: Value
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Against, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matt. 13:44-46)The value of a thing is revealed by what you're willing to give up to attain it.
I love these two little parables that Jesus tells in Matthew 13. Everyone dreams at some point about stumbling across some sort of treasure. We want to be Jed Clampett, shootin' at some food only to discover a bubblin' crude. And if you're like me, sometimes you acquire an old coin, maybe a nickel minted in 1968, and you think, "Hey, I bet this is worth a lot of money!" But then you find out it's only worth five cents.
I've never found treasure in my backyard or in my piggy bank. But the man in the parable does. (I always wonder exactly how he discovered this treasure in the field. I imagine he tripped over a corner of a treasure chest sticking out of the ground and did a face-plant there in the field. Because face-plants are always funny, even in Jesus' time). But when he recognized the value of the treasure (maybe it was a whole box of Honus Wagner baseball cards), he goes home, sells all his stuff (certainly not a safe or conservative financial decision) and buys the field so that he can acquire the treasure.
It's the same story with the merchant. While rummaging through the merchandise at the market, he comes across a fantastic pearl, and realizing its worth, he also sells all he has and buys it. Perhaps he then kept it with him at all times, called it "My Precious," and began referring to himself as a plural.
Jesus says his kingdom is like the treasure and like the pearl. It is the most valuable thing imaginable, so any sacrifice is worth attaining it. The value of the kingdom is a common theme in Jesus' teaching. As he travels around Galilee among people caught up in family responsibilities, the need to make a living, and difficult political situations, he tells them that the most significant thing they can do is enter into God's kingdom. The value of all else pales in comparison.
Other passages in the gospel highlight the value of the kingdom. There are some who have made themselves eunuchs--that is, abstained from marriage--for the sake of the kingdom (Matt. 19:12). If your eye causes you to sin, you are told to pluck it out it's better to enter the kingdom with a pirate-y patch than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell (Mk. 9:47). And those who leave "home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom" will receive back exponentially more (Luke 18:29).
There are some in the gospels who fail to recognize the value of the kingdom, so they refuse to make sacrifices in order to be part of it. The rich young ruler wants to follow Jesus, but he's too attached to his wealth to give it up. And the bad news is that many people today, especially in American culture, frequently look more like the young ruler than anything else.
We all want a kingdom that can fit in with our lives as we've already crafted them. But the reality is that the kingdom doesn't fit into our lives. The kingdom demands our lives.
But the wonderful thing is that the kingdom is worth it. No amount of money, popularity, pleasure, or power compares with what is gained by citizenship in the kingdom. Why? Because God's kingdom is where God reigns, and he's the only king who is truly just, righteous, and loving. And that's worth buying the field.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Kingdom: Future
Oh hey!
So I've been sadly, though probably not noticeably, absent from the blogging scene for some time. I feel that a lame attempt at an excuse is necessary. You see, I got really lazy for a while...and then that laziness resulted in me becoming really busy for a while. But now, the busyness is done, and the laziness is being overcome for the next half hour at least, so it may be time to write a new post.
Before my hiatus, I had said I was going to write a series of blog posts on the topic of the kingdom of God. A couple months ago I performed a simple inductive study on the uses of the phrase "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" in the New Testament, and I was impressed by some of the themes that weave their way through biblical discourse on this topic. In my first post, I pointed out that the kingdom of God is imminent. In Mark 1:15, Jesus begins his ministry by preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel." In some way, the kingdom became present with the advent of Jesus, and it continues to be so today. This is different from the way many, including my younger self, think of the kingdom. The "kingdom of God," isn't just another name for heaven or eternal life. It's present now and has contemporary relevance on our lives.
Does this mean, however, that the kingdom as it exists today is the extent of its nature? Is this all there is? I don't think so. The New Testament is adamant that the kingdom is a present reality, but at the same time, it is also still to come. It exists now, but it will exist in a fuller sense later on. The kingdom will be consummated, brought to full realization.
In Matthew 24-25, Jesus speaks of "that day and hour" and "the coming of the Son of Man." In the midst of this discussion, he begins a parable by saying, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom" (Matt. 25:1). The kingdom of God, therefore, has something to do with the return of Christ. In another instance, when someone asks if only a few will be saved, Jesus replies that the time will come when the master will shut the door, and those outside will "see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the people of the kingdom of God" from the outside. There is a sense in which the kingdom is still to come.
When you look at the book of Revelation, you see this kingdom coming. Revelation shows that God is on the throne now (Rev. 4-5), so the kingdom is also now. But evil still infects the world. However, hope comes in the fact that the king will return (Rev. 19:11-16), and Satan, along with all of his minions, will be thrown into the lake of fire with death itself (Rev. 20:10, 14). Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and king will declare, "Behold, I am making all things new!" (Rev. 21:5).
I think we all need to be reminded of this scene somewhat regularly. While the kingdom is imminent, and while the Holy Spirit currently dwells within those who belong to Christ, we all know from experience that the world is not as it should be. Jesus is on his throne, but for now, he allows Satan to continue to do his thing. That's the issue with which the people of Revelation are struggling ("How long before you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"). Our hope rests in the fact that the kingdom will be brought to fulfillment--evil will be destroyed, death will be no more, and we will be with God. Otherwise, "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19).
Last night I watched the movie Les Miserables. I thought the movie was very good and would recommend it, unless you really hate music or France. I think the most powerful scene in the film is the song "I Dreamed a Dream," sung by the character Fantine after she is forced by financial desperation into prostitution. She cries out, "I had a dream my life would be / So different from this hell I'm living / So different now from what it seemed / Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."
As the final credits rolled across my TV screen, I was struck with the knowledge that Fantine's fictional story is so often experienced in reality. There are millions, maybe billions, of people around the world who are living hell. The dragon seeks to destroy God's creatures. Children are forced into prostitution, women are enslaved, babies go hungry, couples get divorced, teenagers suffer loneliness. The world is not as it should be.
But the king is coming. Wrongs will be righted, justice will be meted out, and the enemy will be vanquished.
I love being a citizen of this kingdom. And I look forward to the day when it comes in all its fullness.
So I've been sadly, though probably not noticeably, absent from the blogging scene for some time. I feel that a lame attempt at an excuse is necessary. You see, I got really lazy for a while...and then that laziness resulted in me becoming really busy for a while. But now, the busyness is done, and the laziness is being overcome for the next half hour at least, so it may be time to write a new post.
Before my hiatus, I had said I was going to write a series of blog posts on the topic of the kingdom of God. A couple months ago I performed a simple inductive study on the uses of the phrase "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" in the New Testament, and I was impressed by some of the themes that weave their way through biblical discourse on this topic. In my first post, I pointed out that the kingdom of God is imminent. In Mark 1:15, Jesus begins his ministry by preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel." In some way, the kingdom became present with the advent of Jesus, and it continues to be so today. This is different from the way many, including my younger self, think of the kingdom. The "kingdom of God," isn't just another name for heaven or eternal life. It's present now and has contemporary relevance on our lives.
Does this mean, however, that the kingdom as it exists today is the extent of its nature? Is this all there is? I don't think so. The New Testament is adamant that the kingdom is a present reality, but at the same time, it is also still to come. It exists now, but it will exist in a fuller sense later on. The kingdom will be consummated, brought to full realization.
In Matthew 24-25, Jesus speaks of "that day and hour" and "the coming of the Son of Man." In the midst of this discussion, he begins a parable by saying, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom" (Matt. 25:1). The kingdom of God, therefore, has something to do with the return of Christ. In another instance, when someone asks if only a few will be saved, Jesus replies that the time will come when the master will shut the door, and those outside will "see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the people of the kingdom of God" from the outside. There is a sense in which the kingdom is still to come.
When you look at the book of Revelation, you see this kingdom coming. Revelation shows that God is on the throne now (Rev. 4-5), so the kingdom is also now. But evil still infects the world. However, hope comes in the fact that the king will return (Rev. 19:11-16), and Satan, along with all of his minions, will be thrown into the lake of fire with death itself (Rev. 20:10, 14). Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and king will declare, "Behold, I am making all things new!" (Rev. 21:5).
I think we all need to be reminded of this scene somewhat regularly. While the kingdom is imminent, and while the Holy Spirit currently dwells within those who belong to Christ, we all know from experience that the world is not as it should be. Jesus is on his throne, but for now, he allows Satan to continue to do his thing. That's the issue with which the people of Revelation are struggling ("How long before you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"). Our hope rests in the fact that the kingdom will be brought to fulfillment--evil will be destroyed, death will be no more, and we will be with God. Otherwise, "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied" (1 Cor. 15:19).
Last night I watched the movie Les Miserables. I thought the movie was very good and would recommend it, unless you really hate music or France. I think the most powerful scene in the film is the song "I Dreamed a Dream," sung by the character Fantine after she is forced by financial desperation into prostitution. She cries out, "I had a dream my life would be / So different from this hell I'm living / So different now from what it seemed / Now life has killed the dream I dreamed."
As the final credits rolled across my TV screen, I was struck with the knowledge that Fantine's fictional story is so often experienced in reality. There are millions, maybe billions, of people around the world who are living hell. The dragon seeks to destroy God's creatures. Children are forced into prostitution, women are enslaved, babies go hungry, couples get divorced, teenagers suffer loneliness. The world is not as it should be.
But the king is coming. Wrongs will be righted, justice will be meted out, and the enemy will be vanquished.
I love being a citizen of this kingdom. And I look forward to the day when it comes in all its fullness.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Problem of Me
A few days ago I wrote saying that I was starting a series of posts on the kingdom of God. This post doesn't fit into that series. I'll still write them, but I did some reflecting during my drive to school today (one of the very few benefits of city traffic), and I wanted to get some of these thoughts down while they're still fresh.
I, just like many other people, don't always like how every aspect of my life is going. I have frustrations and problems. There are things that I would like to change. I think we all go through that. If you don't, you're simply a much more complete person that I am, and those of us who are struggling could certainly benefit from your insights.
I've discovered recently that I have developed a bad habit of pinning these problems in my life to external situations. I have found ways to blame negative elements of my life on things outside of myself that, for the most part, I have no real control over. Some circumstance, situation, event, or other person becomes the thing I point to and say, "And that's the source of all my problems."
What I'm realizing, however, is that my biggest problem is me.
Maybe a couple examples will help illustrate what I mean. For the first year and a half after I moved to Cincinnati, I worked in a retail job that I did not like at all. I had a long list of grievances running in my head, filled with reasons that this job was the bane of my existence. At the top of the list was probably the scheduling. I had to work significantly more hours than I wanted to, and the hours that I did work were sporadic. It was hard to get into any sort of routine, and this type of schedule was not conducive to my life as a student. I had trouble staying on top of my schoolwork, and I also struggled to keep up with my various other responsibilities. My apartment was always messy because I never had time to clean up. I had stacks of unopened mail that I hadn't had time to sort through. I was forced to write papers or study for tests at the last moment, and I would often only practice my sermons on Sunday morning before I left for church.
Through all of this, I thought, "Man, things would be so much easier if my work schedule was different. Then I could be much more productive. I would get ahead on my responsibilities. This stupid job is keeping me from being the type of person I could be."
And then about six weeks ago, I did get a new job. I quit my old one. And my new work schedule is completely different. I work fewer hours per week, and there is a consistency in the schedule. I'm never there past one in the afternoon, and my Fridays and Saturdays are totally free. I finally have the time to take care the things that need to get done. And yet, even after six weeks on my new schedule, I'm still behind in school. I still don't feel prepared when I get up to preach on Sunday mornings. My coffee table is still cluttered with empty Coke cans, and my sink is still overflowing with dirty dishes.
I thought my problem was my work schedule. That was something external, something I couldn't really control, and thus something that I could complain about, allowing me to stay how I was. But even with that circumstance removed, my problems of lack of productivity continues. So maybe it was never an external problem at all. The issue wasn't my work schedule. The issue is just that I'm a lazy person. Even when I have a lot of time on my hands, I use it watching Netflix or checking out YouTube videos, and the real issue is never resolved.
Or, for another example, it's no secret that I haven't had much relational success in my life, and I've written frequently about that and joked about it. (Unless you happen to be Katie the Bank Teller. If you're reading this....I was completely serious about everything I've written about you on here. Call me.) I haven't been on a date in three years, and even then, I think she probably went to be ironic or something. And over the years, I've had some "near misses" with some relationships, but the externals got in the way. A girl I was interested in would mistreat me in some way, or there would be insurmountable circumstances, or the timing wouldn't be just right. So I would point to these externals and use them to portray myself as a victim--a victim of another person, a victim of fate, a victim of bad luck, or whatever else.
But what I'm seeing more and more is that these externals aren't the problem. The problem is within me. I'm a selfish person. I'm a cowardly person. I'm an unwise person. And these internals are more than likely what causes relational problems in my life. I have no right to complain about being a victim unless I recognize that I'm only a victim of myself.
This is an incredibly difficult realization to deal with. No one likes to be confronted with the nasty things inside of them. Each of us pictures ourselves as the hero of the story. We never imagine that we could be the villains. You look in the mirror and expect to see an Adonis, but the person staring back at you is an overweight kid with a horrible bowl-cut. It's painful to come face to face with your personal flaws, especially when those flaws shatter the ideal self-understanding you had created.
To blame an external problem is a cop-out, and I've been doing it for a long time. It keeps me from having to face the type of person I really am, the person I try to ignore. When I look at myself, and I mean really look, much of what I see is pretty gross.
And yet, as difficult as all of this is, it's only at this point that positive change can take place. And that's the key. Otherwise, my fatalism with regard to circumstances is only replaced with a fatalism with regard to myself, and that's not helpful. It's even more destructive. It doesn't help if I go from saying, "Well, that's the way things are, and I can't change it" to saying "Well, that's the way I am, and I can't change it."
No, recognizing my internal problems puts me in the position for change and growth. I'm a lazy, undisciplined person. And when I stop pinning problems on my work schedule and face the ugly truth that I am lazy, then I can begin to take steps to be less lazy. I'm also an incredibly selfish person. And when I stop blaming poor relationships on what whatever girl did to me in the past or on whatever situation I can't control, and I face up the fact that I am consistently selfish, then I can begin to replace that selfishness with love.
I'm coming to understand that I'm not near as good as I thought I was. But my hope is that this enables me to become better than I am.
I, just like many other people, don't always like how every aspect of my life is going. I have frustrations and problems. There are things that I would like to change. I think we all go through that. If you don't, you're simply a much more complete person that I am, and those of us who are struggling could certainly benefit from your insights.
I've discovered recently that I have developed a bad habit of pinning these problems in my life to external situations. I have found ways to blame negative elements of my life on things outside of myself that, for the most part, I have no real control over. Some circumstance, situation, event, or other person becomes the thing I point to and say, "And that's the source of all my problems."
What I'm realizing, however, is that my biggest problem is me.
Maybe a couple examples will help illustrate what I mean. For the first year and a half after I moved to Cincinnati, I worked in a retail job that I did not like at all. I had a long list of grievances running in my head, filled with reasons that this job was the bane of my existence. At the top of the list was probably the scheduling. I had to work significantly more hours than I wanted to, and the hours that I did work were sporadic. It was hard to get into any sort of routine, and this type of schedule was not conducive to my life as a student. I had trouble staying on top of my schoolwork, and I also struggled to keep up with my various other responsibilities. My apartment was always messy because I never had time to clean up. I had stacks of unopened mail that I hadn't had time to sort through. I was forced to write papers or study for tests at the last moment, and I would often only practice my sermons on Sunday morning before I left for church.
Through all of this, I thought, "Man, things would be so much easier if my work schedule was different. Then I could be much more productive. I would get ahead on my responsibilities. This stupid job is keeping me from being the type of person I could be."
And then about six weeks ago, I did get a new job. I quit my old one. And my new work schedule is completely different. I work fewer hours per week, and there is a consistency in the schedule. I'm never there past one in the afternoon, and my Fridays and Saturdays are totally free. I finally have the time to take care the things that need to get done. And yet, even after six weeks on my new schedule, I'm still behind in school. I still don't feel prepared when I get up to preach on Sunday mornings. My coffee table is still cluttered with empty Coke cans, and my sink is still overflowing with dirty dishes.
I thought my problem was my work schedule. That was something external, something I couldn't really control, and thus something that I could complain about, allowing me to stay how I was. But even with that circumstance removed, my problems of lack of productivity continues. So maybe it was never an external problem at all. The issue wasn't my work schedule. The issue is just that I'm a lazy person. Even when I have a lot of time on my hands, I use it watching Netflix or checking out YouTube videos, and the real issue is never resolved.
Or, for another example, it's no secret that I haven't had much relational success in my life, and I've written frequently about that and joked about it. (Unless you happen to be Katie the Bank Teller. If you're reading this....I was completely serious about everything I've written about you on here. Call me.) I haven't been on a date in three years, and even then, I think she probably went to be ironic or something. And over the years, I've had some "near misses" with some relationships, but the externals got in the way. A girl I was interested in would mistreat me in some way, or there would be insurmountable circumstances, or the timing wouldn't be just right. So I would point to these externals and use them to portray myself as a victim--a victim of another person, a victim of fate, a victim of bad luck, or whatever else.
But what I'm seeing more and more is that these externals aren't the problem. The problem is within me. I'm a selfish person. I'm a cowardly person. I'm an unwise person. And these internals are more than likely what causes relational problems in my life. I have no right to complain about being a victim unless I recognize that I'm only a victim of myself.
This is an incredibly difficult realization to deal with. No one likes to be confronted with the nasty things inside of them. Each of us pictures ourselves as the hero of the story. We never imagine that we could be the villains. You look in the mirror and expect to see an Adonis, but the person staring back at you is an overweight kid with a horrible bowl-cut. It's painful to come face to face with your personal flaws, especially when those flaws shatter the ideal self-understanding you had created.
To blame an external problem is a cop-out, and I've been doing it for a long time. It keeps me from having to face the type of person I really am, the person I try to ignore. When I look at myself, and I mean really look, much of what I see is pretty gross.
And yet, as difficult as all of this is, it's only at this point that positive change can take place. And that's the key. Otherwise, my fatalism with regard to circumstances is only replaced with a fatalism with regard to myself, and that's not helpful. It's even more destructive. It doesn't help if I go from saying, "Well, that's the way things are, and I can't change it" to saying "Well, that's the way I am, and I can't change it."
No, recognizing my internal problems puts me in the position for change and growth. I'm a lazy, undisciplined person. And when I stop pinning problems on my work schedule and face the ugly truth that I am lazy, then I can begin to take steps to be less lazy. I'm also an incredibly selfish person. And when I stop blaming poor relationships on what whatever girl did to me in the past or on whatever situation I can't control, and I face up the fact that I am consistently selfish, then I can begin to replace that selfishness with love.
I'm coming to understand that I'm not near as good as I thought I was. But my hope is that this enables me to become better than I am.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Kingdom: Imminent
This morning I did one of the most ludicrous things that I've ever attempted in my short time as a preacher. My church is in the middle of a sermon series titled "Why Jesus?", and we are talking about why Jesus is God's answer to the world. Specifically, we're asking questions like "Why was Jesus born?", "Why did Jesus die?" and "Why did Jesus resurrect?" This morning, the topic was "Why did Jesus live?", and so I undertook in one sermon to talk about how Jesus' life and ministry inaugurated the "kingdom of God."
That topic is much to big for a single sermon. Jesus spent three years talking about the kingdom of God, and I tried to do it in half an hour.
When I started working on my sermon, I really had no idea where to start. So I did something that can be helpful whenever you're preaching or teaching on a big topic like this. I printed off a list of all the verses that include the phrase "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven," and I went through and wrote a couple words next to each one to note what each is saying about the kingdom. Pretty soon, certain trends start to emerge. Of course, there are certain limitations to this type of study, since a passage doesn't need to specifically mention the phrase "kingdom of God" in order to be communicating something about the kingdom. But it's a good place to start, at least. And while I realized that there was no way it could all make it into my sermon, I did think, "This wouldn't make a bad series of blog posts." And so that's what I'll be doing for a while--sharing some of the truths that came from my brief observations in these passages.
I remember that for a long time, whenever I read about the kingdom of God in the Bible, I always assumed it was just another way of speaking about heaven. That the kingdom of God is where Christian go when they die. And thus, it was a future reality. Something spiritual, vague, and ethereal that would be later on, and thus something that didn't have that much bearing on my life right now.
But one of the most noticeable themes concerning God's kingdom (that is, God's reign on earth) is that the kingdom is imminent. It's near. In the ministry and person of Jesus, it was already breaking into the world. We see this when Jesus begins his preaching ministry. Mark 1:14-15 says, "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." These are the first words that show up in red ink my Bible. As far as Mark is concerned, these are the first words of Jesus. That suggests that what he says here, this "gospel" that he proclaims, is going to set the tone for the rest of his ministry. And what is that gospel? It's the the kingdom is at hand. The kingdom is coming to earth in Christ. The word translated "is at hand" (εγγιζω) is in a tense that suggests an event that has already occurred but has continuing implications. When Jesus is preaching, the kingdom has come.
Luke 17:20-21 makes this even more clear. The Pharisees come to Jesus and ask, "When is the kingdom of God coming?" He responds by saying, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." The Pharisees had been looking in a pot on the stove, waiting for the kingdom to start bubbling up, but they didn't realize that it was already boiling all around them. They were expecting to drive down the highway and see a sign saying "Kingdom of God: 45 miles," but they had already reached the location.
The kingdom of God exists, at least in part, now. It was inaugurated in the life and death of Jesus. Wherever people have oriented their lives toward God and are living as thought God is on the throne, that's where the kingdom is. If the kingdom were purely future, I could dismiss it as having no present-day relevance. But if the kingdom is now, and if God is on the throne now, and if I'm invited to be a citizen of this kingdom now...then that changes everything.
That topic is much to big for a single sermon. Jesus spent three years talking about the kingdom of God, and I tried to do it in half an hour.
When I started working on my sermon, I really had no idea where to start. So I did something that can be helpful whenever you're preaching or teaching on a big topic like this. I printed off a list of all the verses that include the phrase "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven," and I went through and wrote a couple words next to each one to note what each is saying about the kingdom. Pretty soon, certain trends start to emerge. Of course, there are certain limitations to this type of study, since a passage doesn't need to specifically mention the phrase "kingdom of God" in order to be communicating something about the kingdom. But it's a good place to start, at least. And while I realized that there was no way it could all make it into my sermon, I did think, "This wouldn't make a bad series of blog posts." And so that's what I'll be doing for a while--sharing some of the truths that came from my brief observations in these passages.
I remember that for a long time, whenever I read about the kingdom of God in the Bible, I always assumed it was just another way of speaking about heaven. That the kingdom of God is where Christian go when they die. And thus, it was a future reality. Something spiritual, vague, and ethereal that would be later on, and thus something that didn't have that much bearing on my life right now.
But one of the most noticeable themes concerning God's kingdom (that is, God's reign on earth) is that the kingdom is imminent. It's near. In the ministry and person of Jesus, it was already breaking into the world. We see this when Jesus begins his preaching ministry. Mark 1:14-15 says, "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." These are the first words that show up in red ink my Bible. As far as Mark is concerned, these are the first words of Jesus. That suggests that what he says here, this "gospel" that he proclaims, is going to set the tone for the rest of his ministry. And what is that gospel? It's the the kingdom is at hand. The kingdom is coming to earth in Christ. The word translated "is at hand" (εγγιζω) is in a tense that suggests an event that has already occurred but has continuing implications. When Jesus is preaching, the kingdom has come.
Luke 17:20-21 makes this even more clear. The Pharisees come to Jesus and ask, "When is the kingdom of God coming?" He responds by saying, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." The Pharisees had been looking in a pot on the stove, waiting for the kingdom to start bubbling up, but they didn't realize that it was already boiling all around them. They were expecting to drive down the highway and see a sign saying "Kingdom of God: 45 miles," but they had already reached the location.
The kingdom of God exists, at least in part, now. It was inaugurated in the life and death of Jesus. Wherever people have oriented their lives toward God and are living as thought God is on the throne, that's where the kingdom is. If the kingdom were purely future, I could dismiss it as having no present-day relevance. But if the kingdom is now, and if God is on the throne now, and if I'm invited to be a citizen of this kingdom now...then that changes everything.
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