Revenge and the shooting in Aurora Colorado?

Every parent of more than one child has had a conversation like this.  Question: “Why did you hit your brother?”  Answer:  (You know what’s coming) “He hit me first!”

Deep in the human psyche is the ingrained, knee jerk kind of tendency to get revenge; what we might call “retributional violence.” 

In the Bible we read about how the law of Israel put limits on retributional violence.  Apparently the human tendency to react with violence is so strong that laws were needed to restrain it.  So, for example, if someone wounded you and you lost your eye or a limb you could only wound them to the same extent.  (Exodus 21:24)

This actually seems like a pretty good system.  I could see a parent saying to his kid, “okay, he hit you on the shoulder so you hit him back on the shoulder… but not in the eye!”  (Actually I think in a moment of weakness I may have done that with my two children years ago before I was more spiritually mature.)

It seems reasonable, fair, the right thing.  But then Jesus came along and messed it all up.  He said stuff like…

-  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But I tell you; Do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  (Matthew 5:38-39)

-  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven”. (Matthew 5:43-44)

Sadly, I think that many who profess to be Christians, are moving away from the teachings of Jesus and reverting back to retributional violence.

If you’re on facebook you know this is true.  Some time ago I saw a post on an evangelical Christian’s facebook page expressing his desire to shoot illegal immigrants.

In an interview with Alan Colmes a former vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention stated that he prayed for the death of the president of the United Sates. 

Apparently, the justification for this kind of vitriol grows out of the fairly recent teaching that all scripture should be interpreted basically the same way.

So when the Psalmist describes how happy he would be to dash the heads of his enemies’ infants against the rocks, (Psalm 137:8-9) some would interpret this ancient Hebrew poetry the same way they would interpret the teachings of Jesus.  

This seems to be a growing trend, so much so that a term has been coined to describe it.  It’s referred to as “Bible based hate speech.”    

This idea was endorsed (perhaps unintentionally) by Southern Baptists when The Baptist Faith and Message was revised in 2000.  The Baptist Faith and Message is a document originally drafted in 1925 with the intention of describing some commonly held beliefs and distinctives among Baptists.  It was revised in 1962 and again in 2000.  The 2000 revision removed one statement that I think is critical to proper biblical interpretation.  The statement that was removed simply says, “The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.”  (page 18 of the 1962 edition)

I am a Baptist and I love my Baptist family.  I also know that in this context I am oversimplifying the issue.  But I believe that the basic argument is valid.  For thousands of years Christians interpreted scripture through the filter of the teachings and actions of Jesus Christ.  For some that filter has been removed.

So what does all this mean for followers of Jesus?  Perhaps we can reflect on a specific application.  

On July 20^th, during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora Colorado, the unthinkable happened.  I know I don’t need to replay the details for you.  You already know.  Twelve innocent human beings are dead, including a six year old little girl named Veronica.  Another 58 were wounded, some critically.  And the entire country watches the TV in stunned silence.

So how will the Christian community respond?  What example will we set?  Will we call for the death of the perpetrator?  Will we go on facebook and describe in some detail the kind of revenge we pray for?

I have to admit that I experience some of the same emotions that most other people do when I watch the reports about the shooting in Aurora.  Anger wells up inside me and part of me (a really big part) wants to exact revenge. 

Although it is natural to feel this way, it needs to be stated clearly that this is not the way of Jesus.  According to the teachings and the example of Jesus Christ, retributional violence is simply not an option available to followers of Jesus.  I need to say it again.  Christians don’t get to do revenge! 

We are called upon to actually follow the example of Jesus.  One dark Friday his enemies took him outside the city of Jerusalem and crucified him.  After being nailed to a cross Jesus looked out on those who had given full vent to their violent rage, who had beaten him mercilessly, whipped him ruthlessly and crucified him unjustly. 

And as he looked out over that crowd he did not follow the example of countless other Jewish victims of crucifixion by praying for the death of his enemies.  He prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

When you and I intentionally throw down our squirt guns of revenge and take up the powerful artillery of love, then and only then will we win over evil. 

How to Observe Sabbath

If you haven’t read last week’s blog you may want to go back and review.  Here’s the condensed version.  The average 21^st century human being is caught in an endless cycle that is, to say the least, destructive.

What I call the Sabbath-less Cycle looks something like this.  Everybody is busy.  But uninterrupted busyness causes most people to feel constantly hurried.  Being “in a hurry” all the time is a very short step from being “borderline angry” all the time.  Inevitably, the end result is a pervasive feeling of emptiness.  Most people try to fill the emptiness with more busyness and the cycle continues. 

The biblical prescription for breaking the cycle is designating one day of the week for rest. The Bible refers to it as the “Sabbath day.”  (By the way, the word Sabbath comes from a Hebrew root word that means “repose” or “rest.”)  

Sounds simple, but just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

So, how do we get at it?  In this 24/7 world, how do we actually observe Sabbath?  Is it realistic to even try?  I would argue that it is not only realistic, it is critical…as in “a matter of life or death” critical.

A side note before we get to the practical part.  If you were diagnosed with a very serious disease, say cancer, and the doctor prescribed a rigorous regiment of treatment combined with a strict diet and exercise program, what would you do?  Well, chances are you would say, “Okay, you just tell me what I need to do to beat this thing and I’ll do it!”  Even if you weren’t that proactive, I doubt you would say, “Well, even though this is very serious and my health is at stake, I’m just too busy to do what you’re telling me I need to do.”  (You might be looking for a new doctor if you did.) 

I guess we might begin, then, with a question.  Do you and I (the average person) even realize just how serious this disease is?  I’m convinced that if we do not start observing Sabbath our physical, emotional, and spiritual well being is in jeopardy!  I’m talking complete systematic break down.  I’m also convinced that intuitively we know it is true.  So let’s do something about it.

First, we need to change our way of thinking.  Psychologists tell us that people change through two primary means; altering the way we behave and altering the way we think.  (They use the term “cognitive behavioral therapy” because it addresses the “cognitive” part, the way we think, and the behavioral part, what we do.)  You may have heard someone on a diet say, “To lose weight I had to change the way I think about food.” 

When it comes to Sabbath, people in our society desperately need to change the way we think!

Most of us are products of families that had a very strong work ethic.  Rightly so, our parents and grandparents honored work as a good thing, the “right” thing to do.  However, in our zeal to honor the ethic of work we have sometimes been guilty of putting it on a pedestal it was never intended by our creator to occupy.  The result is that the value of “rest” has been sacrificed on the altar of “work.” 

By the way, we also project our parent’s work ethic onto our heavenly Father.  That’s why “church people” are some of the most faithful Sabbath breakers around.  Church becomes just another way to work!

I suggest that we begin with the intentional practice of reprogramming our minds about rest.  Keep telling yourself that rest is a good thing, that rest is a gift from God to be received and honored.  Remind yourself that rest is sacred, so sacred that it gets its own designated day!  Rest is the right thing to do!

Carl Hayes, a psychologist, makes this observation.  “One very important aspect of mental health and well-being is simply allowing the mind time to do nothing. It is in this process of not being busy that one is free to contemplate, meditate, recharge and generally appreciate the world around them… Idleness is often frowned upon in modern society, yet it is an important part of human mental health. It allows people to gather thoughts, to gain perspective, and to relieve stress. A certain amount of being idle is essential to a happy, fulfilled life.” http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_benefits_of_rest

Second, obviously we must change our behavior.  Sometimes we have to behave our way into feeling differently. 

From time to time I try to get away for a few days to do nothing but rest and recharge.  One of the best ways for me to do that is to go into the mountains, set up a tent and then force myself to sit down.  At first I can hardly sit still.  I keep thinking of things I need to do; build a fire, brush the dog, adjust the tent ropes, anything!  But the longer I sit still the stiller my soul becomes.  Slowly I behave my way into feeling differently.

I would argue that Sabbath is all about behaving our way into feeling differently.

I know, I know.  I’ve heard (and said) all the objections.  You don’t know what my schedule is like right now!  There is just no way that I can sit down and do nothing!  I have small children, I have teenagers, I have grandchildren, I have aging parents, I have a demanding job!  I hear you and I share your angst.  That doesn’t change the fact that you and I must discipline ourselves to begin behaving our way into feeling differently. 

Here a few behavioral changes I would suggest.

1.      Choose a day of rest and advertise it.  Let everyone know which day of the

week is your Sabbath day.  And for faithful, busy, overcommitted church people it may not be Sunday.  If your dominant activity on Sunday is not rest, then Sunday is not your Sabbath! 

So choose a day.  Be specific.  Nail it down.  Tell your family and friends.  Let the world know.  Post in on your face book page.  And then respectfully say don’t call me, don’t text me, don’t email me, don’t drop by, don’t invite me to functions on my Sabbath. 

By the way, my Sabbath is Monday.

If you currently have commitments on every day of the week, choose your day of rest anyway.  Then systematically, one at a time, start eliminating commitments in order of priority, beginning with the least important, until you have freed up enough time to observe Sabbath. (Go back and re-read that paragraph.)

2.      Rest on your day of rest.  We need to be careful not to make the same mistake

some 1^st century devout Jews made and become legalistic about Sabbath observance.  It is possible to throw out the baby with the bath water, I know.  But we must be diligent about protecting Sabbath for the purpose of rest.

Any activity that does not create a sense of restfulness in the depths of your being is not a Sabbath activity. 

Working in the flower garden does not create a sense of restfulness in the depths of my being.  Therefore it is not a Sabbath activity for me.  Oddly enough, working in the flower garden does create a sense of restfulness in the depths of my wife’s being.  Therefore it is a Sabbath activity for her.

Sleeping creates a sense of restfulness in the depths of my being.  Therefore it is a Sabbath activity for me.

3.      Start today because there will always be a reason to start tomorrow and tomorrow never gets here.   

I think Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-29 resonates deeply in our souls.  Please hear these words as, I think, Jesus intended them to be heard; his message of rest for weary people. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."

(The Message p.1766)

The Danger of Living in a Sabbath-less Cycle

The fourth of the Ten Commandments reads…

 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.  (Exodus 20:8-11)

For the next couple weeks I’m going to talk about the biblical concept of Sabbath.  Sabbath, according to the scriptures, is a day (originally Saturday) each week of mandatory rest.  It is an intentional interjection of rest, reflection, recreation (re-creation) and restoration into our regular routine of work.

This week I want to think about the danger of ignoring Sabbath.  Next week I’ll try to reflect on some practical ways for 21^st century people to practice Sabbath.

If I remember correctly I first heard Scott Scruggs describe what I call “the Sabbath-less Cycle.” (Say that three times fast.)  I immediately searched my car, house and office for hidden cameras and microphones.  I figured Scott must have me under constant surveillance.  See if this cycle is a description of your life.

BUSY is the first stage of the cycle.  In our world (maybe I should narrow that down to our Western world) I think we wear “busy” like a badge of honor. Someone will ask me, “How you doin?” and I’ll say, “O pretty good, just way too busy!”  And I don’t really say it with regret or genuine sorrow that my busyness has jeopardized my health or robbed me of valuable time with my family.  I say it with a kind of self-satisfaction, like being “way too busy” is a good thing.

But if, for example, I had a drinking problem and someone said, “How you doin?,” I can’t imagine saying, “O pretty good, just drinking way too much!”  The shame associated with self-destructive behavior would keep me from confessing, or hopefully cause the confession to be a genuine expression of regret.

The next stage is HURRY.  Being busy leads to being hurried.  In my busy lifestyle I typically feel like there are lots of tasks being left undone so I pick up speed in a vain effort to “catch up.” 

Work is a gift from God.  But when my work turns into a hurried frenzy of activity it yields little satisfaction with “a job well done.”  I just hurry to the next thing I need to do.

And hurry is habit forming. 

Not long ago I was mildly delayed in traffic.  Although I wasn’t late for any appointments and had no real reason to feel hurried, I still found myself trying to think of a way to take a different route around the traffic and began to feel anxious when I wasn’t able to. 

Which leads to the next stage, ANGRY.  Think of your last “traffic jam” type experience.  Did you begin to feel your temper rising?  Have you ever done something you later regretted because of unreasonable anger?  Have you ever wondered why you were so angry? 

One more traffic story.  My wife, Cindy, and I were on an interstate highway that suddenly turned into a parking lot.  Right away I started doing the lane change thing.  You know what I’m talking about.  The lane beside me started moving, so I quickly shifted into it. Then it stopped and the other one started moving.  So I switched to it.  This went on for a while.  But I noticed there was another car that stayed in the same lane.  He didn’t do the lane change thing.  All the time I’m switching lanes tying to get ahead but I’m actually getting father behind the guy who didn’t switch lanes at all.  The longer this went on (I couldn’t make myself stop) the angrier I became.

I find that when I am too busy with too many tasks I start trying to hurry in order to accomplish those tasks.  Inevitably hurry leads to anger, and most often I project that anger onto another human being who doesn’t deserve it. This anger creates a kind of vacuum in my life; a vacuum of love, joy and peace.

Which leads to the last stage in the cycle, EMPTY.  Is it possible for our schedules to be full but our lives empty?  Is it possible to be doing many good things and doing a lot of damage to ourselves and others at the same time? 

For many, the cycle of busy, hurry and angry ends with empty.  Actually, emptiness is not the end.  Unfortunately, we usually try to fill the emptiness with more busyness – and the cycle continues.  Many people (most people?) in our society are on the Merry-Go-Round and can’t seem to get off.  

The commandment to observe a day of rest is actually a gift from God because is breaks the destructive cycle of busy, hurry, angry and empty. 

Jesus once said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28)

The Sabbath (one day out of seven set aside for rest) forces a break in the Sabbath-less Cycle.  It is an intentional interjection of rest, reflection, re-creation and restoration into a cycle of busyness, hurry, anger and emptiness.

So here comes the “preachery” part.  Are you observing the Sabbath?  Are you obeying the fourth commandment (one of the top ten)?  Are you intentionally sabotaging the Sabbath-less Cycle?

Reflections on the C-130 Crash, Josh Marlowe, and the Sovereignty of God

I'm working on this blog while lying on my office floor.  Why?... you ask?  Well, I have this weird back problem.  Not often, but once in a while, my lower back just decides to rebel, go on strike, stage a "sit in.”  I end up on the floor rolling around like a "professional" wrestler. It's really quite embarrassing!

At any rate, laying here on the floor I'm reminded of how little control we have over our lives.  One little back spasm, one little diagnosis, one little accident, one little market "realignment" and suddenly we get a sobering reminder that we are really not in the driver's seat.

We’re really not the master of our own fate, the captain of our own ships.  We are definitely not in control!

This past week, while flying a mission to help extinguish wild fires in South Dakota and Wyoming, a C-130 plane went down.  Tragically, the crash killed four men.  Two others were critically injured.  One of those men was Josh Marlowe. 

I had the privilege of providing premarital guidance and conducting the wedding ceremony for Josh and his wife, Cindy.  Just a couple weeks ago I was blessed to participate in the dedication of the newest addition to their family.  I’m really grateful for the opportunity to get to know them both better and even more grateful that Josh’s recovery has surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Along with thousands of other global incidents, this plan crash is yet another reminder that human beings are ultimately not in control of our lives no matter how much we would like to think we are.  Control is an illusion. 

This brings us to a doctrine that is central to both Judaism and Christianity, the sovereignty of God.  Simply stated, we believe that God is in control.

And this brings us to a difficult question, one for which I don’t claim to have a completely satisfactory answer.  If God is in control then why does he allow bad things to happen to good people?  

If God is sovereign then why do thousands of children die of starvation every day?  If God is sovereign then why do thousands of people battle cancer, or mental illness, or addiction?  If God is sovereign then why did four men die in a plane crash while two survived?

I haven’t had a chance to talk to Josh yet but my guess is he has asked himself the same question. 

I know I can’t offer the families of those who died any consolation with my ramblings but I would like to explore something that I think is central to the biblical revelation.  The reality, the one I think we all know deep in our being, is that we live in a broken, imperfect world.  We live in a world where, in some places, there is not enough clean drinking water for the people there to survive.  We live in a world in which human beings do violence to one another.  (Very early in the Bible we read about a man who killed his brother.)  We live in a world where fires destroy wild life, whole forests, homes and human beings.  We live in a broken, dysfunctional world.

Why?  Here’s the biblical answer.  The Bible teaches that the sovereign God loved his creation enough to give the human beings he created freedom; freedom to do great good and freedom to do great harm.  Like any good parent, he loves his children enough to let us make our own mistakes.  Those mistakes, what the Bible calls sin, quickly led to the disintegration of human society.  According to the Bible, eventually sin had seeped so deeply into the human soul that “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5)

Yet this same sovereign God would not sit by and watch his world sink deeper into sin.  So he descended, he came down to us.  The central message in the Holy Scriptures is that God came to us in Jesus, the Christ – the deliver, the redeemer.  No one ever taught like Jesus.  He taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to bless those who curse us, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  He lived what he taught and in love for this world he gave his life.  Through his death and resurrection he defeated evil and launched a movement that is bringing the light of God’s love into a very dark and dysfunctional world.

On their mission, Josh Marlowe and five other brave men (some possibly without even realizing it) were acting out the teachings of Jesus and modeling his life giving nature.  In selfless, sacrificial service they were working to bring relief to suffering people that they didn’t even know.  In that effort some lost their lives.  They lost their lives because the world we live in is still broken and in darkness even though the light of Christ is piercing the darkness every day.   

But here’s the good news.  One day God’s redemptive movement in this world will be brought to completion.  The sovereign God will reign over a new heaven and a new earth free from tears, free from pain, healed and restored. 

Laying here on the floor reflecting on all of this I know that my answer is woefully inadequate for the families of those who didn’t return from their mission over the fires in South Dakota.  I really can’t tell you why some lived and others died.  All I can do is offer the biblical hope, the assurance, that in the end God wins back his creation.  The invitation to those who suffer now is to trust the one who, through his life, death and resurrection is bringing new life to a broken world.

On behalf of the Zoar Church family, I extend our deepest gratitude to all of these men and their families.  In this most difficult time, may you feel the peace of God and the warmth of his love for you.  

How about them Democrats… and Republicans?

Growing up I would sometimes here someone refer to my father’s side of the family as “dirty dog democrats.”  Which means that my dad, and presumably most of the Heltons, would vote for a dirty dog if the dog ran on the democratic ticket.  I should include this disclaimer; although I believe this is in fact true of my father, I can’t really say the same for all Heltons everywhere.

 

I’m not really in the political know, but I’m guessing that there are also dirty dog republicans around.  (Or maybe, for the sake of alliteration we should call them “rabid raccoon republicans” – maybe not.)  Either way, these (hopefully) exaggerated labels are intended to convey a very unexaggerated reality.  In the political world (the religious world too) we tend to gravitate toward extremes. 

                                                           

In our world politics polarizes people.  (Please forgive even more alliteration.)

Here’s my question though.  Is it really possible for the other side of the aisle to be wrong about everything all the time?  Is it realistic for me to hold to the belief that my party is always right? 

Could it be that democrats could learn some things from republicans?  Could it be that republicans could learn some things from democrats?

The political ads certainly don’t give us that impression do they?  When was the last time you saw a political commercial in which the opponent (republican or democrat) is shown in a positive light while patriotic music plays in the background?  The viewer hears the sincere voice of the candidate running against him.  “I want to begin this campaign by commending my opponent for the good and wise decisions he has made.  On some issues I agree with his perspective.  He has proven himself capable in many ways…”

I might even vote for a person who had the guts to say something like that! 

And surely it must be true.  Surely there are democrats who have good ideas.  Surely there are republicans who really care.  What if we started with the assumption that the other team is not evil?  What if we refused to demonize our opponents?  What if we were really, I mean really, bipartisan?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.  Aren’t you sick of the ridiculous rhetoric?  Aren’t you tired of candidates insulting one another while they insult your intelligence?  Unfortunately some people just give up on the political process all together.  

By the way, I think many people are tired of religious leaders doing the same thing?  Liberals and conservatives draw lines in the sand.  We build our defenses and we dig in for the battle.  The war of words rages while thinking people look on shaking their heads, wondering why we can’t get along.  Or even worse, they give up on the Christian religion all together.

But I guess that’s another blog for another day.

What does it really mean to “get saved?”

This coming Sunday morning our church will work through a section of an ancient letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in the Roman colony of Philippi.  Part of the section we will look at records Paul instructing the church to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

So, an obvious question (before we get to the part where he tells them to “shine like stars” – be here Sunday for that part) is, “What is salvation?”  The way people from my faith tradition might say it is, “What does it mean to ‘get saved?’”

Caution! At this point you may be tempted to stop reading and click on something else for one of two reasons.  One, you come from the same faith tradition as mine and you think you already know the answer to the question.  Two, you have been bombarded by people from my faith tradition that have tried to “help” you “get saved” and, frankly, you’re tired of it. You feel like you’ve been talked down to, you’re insulted by the tracts people leave in restrooms with cartoon figures of people burning in hell.

If you fall into either of these categories I hope you will keep reading… at least a little farther.

Although it has been used – and sometimes abused – a lot, the concept of “salvation” is central in the sacred scriptures.  One of the earliest uses of it in the Bible is found in Exodus 14:13.  The scene is the shore of the Red Sea.  The slave nation of Israel has recently been led into freedom by a man named Moses.  Now their former owners, the Egyptians, have pursued them to the edge of the sea and there is nowhere for them to go.  Moses stands, rod in hand, overlooking the watery obstacle that stands between them and freedom.  (If reading this brings back memories of a bearded Charlton Heston wearing a long robe, holding a big stick, you may be as old as I am.)

At this point Moses says to the fearful slaves, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.” (NKJV – emphasis mine)

The word “salvation” literally means “liberation, deliverance, being set free.”  In the spiritual realm it has, I think, a broad application.  Unfortunately, it often gets reduced to something less than it actually means.  Let me see if I can explain – at least in part.

Sometimes “salvation” gets reduced to a type of transaction between God and a human being by which that human being is allowed entrance into heaven when he or she dies.  Typically, the type of transaction varies from one faith tradition to another.  For some the transaction is baptism (adult or infant).  For others it is doing good deeds (if my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds I get in).  In the church I grew up in the transaction was saying a prayer (called “the sinner’s prayer) and “really meaning it.”  (And I’m not sure what that means.)  The point is, whatever you give in exchange for heaven, the focus is the transaction. 

But what if “salvation” is something bigger, something richer, something deeper?  What if salvation is more about transformation?  To go back to the original use of the word it would be the transformation from being a slave to being a free person.  I think an important question for everyone to ask is, “What am I enslaved to?”  Some, I think, are enslaved to church/religion.  Some are enslaved to the search for peace, prosperity or the meaning of life.  Some are enslaved to their greed.  The slave master can be anyone or anything; sex, beauty, money, piety.  You name it, you can be enslaved to it.

Salvation, at its core, is being set free from what enslaves us.  The central message of the Christian movement is that freedom, real freedom, is found in Jesus Christ.  

Here’s another one. We sometimes reduce salvation to something that happens exclusively to an individual.  I guess we can thank Western individualism for that.  But in the Bible salvation is almost always described communally, whether it’s the Israelite nation or the church. 

What does that mean?  Well, take the biblical revelation as a whole.  The world starts out in beauty and perfection.  But very early in the story it is plunged into a broken state as the result of human rebellion.  But the creator sets out to redeem and restore the world.  At the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that in and through Jesus Christ the world is redeemed, recreated.  By the end of the story we read about a new heaven and a new earth.  The tree of life is there.  In fact, it’s on both sides of the river.  My point is that the Bible is the story about a God who doesn’t give up on his creation.  The most quoted verse in the Bible says that, “God so loved the world [the cosmos] that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine) 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t reducing salvation to something that is about me, something that happens to me and for me, not just another exercise in narcissism (self-worship)?

Note:  At this point I should probably address a question before I get emails asking it.  Is Rob a Universalist?  Do I believe that somehow God is going to “save” everybody?  Honestly, I wish I could say yes.  I would love to believe that, in the end, everybody gets set free.  But I don’t think that is biblical or practical.  I think the Bible tells the story honestly.  Sadly, humans enslaved by sin have the capacity to reject freedom.

One more thought.  I think we sometimes reduce salvation to an event.  But what if biblical salvation is more about a process?  I’m not saying that people can’t experience dramatic and instant transformation.  The Bible records some of these experiences.  But I also think our salvation is a life-long process.  I used to hear preachers say, “we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, we will be saved from the presence of sin.”  That’ll preach! 

So we’re back to our passage for this Sunday.  This passage is about salvation as process.  Working it out.  I hope it is not too intrusive to ask where you are in the process.  Let’s talk.   

What I’m learning (theoretically) about generosity from Jesus

There's an anxious feeling, a sense of dread, that wells up inside of me almost every time someone calls to request financial assistance from our church.  I hear the voice on the other end of the line, “My electricity is going to be disconnected… I’m about to be evicted… I need money for a bus ticket.”  I’ve heard lots of stories from lots of people.  Same anxious feeling almost every time.

One reason (besides the fact that I don’t like to be bothered) is that I want to be sure the request is legit; that the person is actually in need or really “deserves” help.  I feel the respo

nsibility to be a good manager of God’s money. 

You may have an opinion.  Maybe you take a more liberal perspective.  “You should help people, no questions asked.” Maybe you’re more on the conservative end of the spectrum.  “You should just tell the person to go out and get a job!”

By the way, if you hold to a completely naturalistic understanding of the universe, I think you should endorse the later of these two perspectives.  It only makes sense, right?  Survival of the fittest.  If you can’t pay your bills, buy food, make your way in this world you simply die and make more room and resources for the rest of us.

Interesting thing.  In my experience, the “get a job or die” philosophy is endorsed more by those who believe in a sovereign creator.  In fact, some of the most religious people I’ve ever met enthusiastically quote passages from the Bible like, “God helps those who help themselves.”  (Which is not actually in the Bible but it is quoted none the less.)  And the verse from Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

Strangely enough, some of the most generous people I know – or know of – don’t believe in God.  I guess, as a pastor, I would argue that they actually do believe in God, just subconsciously.

But I digress.  What, if anything, can we learn about generosity from Jesus? 

I wonder if Jesus felt the same angst that I feel when someone asked him for help.  What did Jesus teach about generosity?  How did he interact with people who were “takers?”

Coincidently I was reading in Luke chapter six this morning.  This passage is sometimes called the sermon on the plain.  It is a record of some of Jesus’ core teaching.  In verses 34-35 Jesus says…

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” 

Apparently the “Most High” gives to “wicked” people and I give to people who “deserve” it.

All four gospels record one of Jesus’ most impressive miracles, the feeding of the multitude – five thousand men plus women and children.  After a long day of crowd control, the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the multitude away so they could get themselves something to eat.  Instead Jesus tells the disciples that they should feed the crowd.  The disciples seem to feel the need to educate Jesus on the finer points of economics and food distribution ministry.  “That would take eight months of a man’s wages.” (Mark 6:37) 

Jesus is undaunted.  He takes what can be found, a boy’s lunch consisting of five biscuits and two sardines.  He blesses and breaks the food, gives it to the disciples who, in turn, distribute it to the people.  You probably know the story.  At the end of the day everyone is full and the disciples have a basket of leftovers apiece.

Here’s the point.  You know that in a crowd that size lots of other people had food besides that one kid.  If I had been Jesus I would have laid a heavy guilt trip on everybody there.  I would have stood that little guy up in front of everybody and preached to them until they coughed up the goods.  But apparently Jesus wasn’t interested in making sure everyone was doing their fair share.  He was only interested in taking what that one little boy had and multiplying it.  Oddly enough he didn’t have the disciples search the people before they gave them food to make sure they weren’t holding out.  Evidently he had no interest in making sure everyone “deserved” his generosity.

So that brings us to the death of Jesus on a cross outside of the city of Jerusalem.  As Jesus was dying he looked into a sea of faces that were ungrateful and wicked, unapologetic and undeserving and he asked his Father to be generous, to give.  He asked God to give forgiveness to those who didn’t deserve it.  Our faith tradition teaches that all of humanity was/is in that crowd of “undeserving” sinners.

I still think that I need to be a good manager of God’s money.  That means I’m still going to have the same anxious feeling when people call requesting assistance.  Fortunately, I have the help of other people who want to be both generous and careful.  Maybe we can all be humble enough to admit that we need to keep learning about generosity from Jesus.