Posts Tagged ‘grace’

especially not after them

October 7, 2009

Is it better to say “no” and then do what you are asked or is it better to say “yes” and then not get around to it?

That’s the heart of a “two brothers” story that Jesus tells. Their dad asks them to work in the vineyard. One argues, one agrees. One goes, one doesn’t.

I love this parable. I always have. I love how Jesus understands that people often think change their minds after they have time to think. I love how Jesus understands that people often say “yes” for all the wrong reasons.

There many place to go with this parable, but we  may miss where Jesus went.

The first brother represents tax collectors and prostitutes. More accurately, the tax collectors and prostitutes that have been talking to Jesus and that Jesus has been talking with for the past three years. The second brother represents religious leaders, those who have been arguing with Jesus for the past three years, those who are facing him at this moment.

Often, Jesus says, people will hear what God says and will reject it, will pursue their own way of living. Eventually, however,  many will change their minds and hearts. Often, Jesus says, other people will hear what God says and will accept it, but will then pursue their own way of living. This group will not have as much fun and as much pain, nor will they know the delight of finally obeying.

That part’s pretty obvious. Here’s the hard part.

“Even after you saw tax collectors and prostitutes be forgiven, you didn’t repent,” Jesus says. The religious people were too religious to admit they were as wrong as the irreligious people. Passive disobedience is as bad as active disobedience. “Good Christians” who don’t follow Jesus are worse than forgiven cheaters.

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What Jesus said about divorce, part two

August 25, 2009

It is sin.

You were waiting for that, weren’t you? You were wondering where I was going to go, how I was going to spin what Jesus says. You read my post yesterday about Jesus and divorce. You were wondering how you were going to classify me, whether I was going to measure up or measure down or be typical of ___ or ___ or ___.

I mean, you were going to be open -minded about me, thinking the best of my intentions, waiting for the other shoe to drop. You were guessing that I might be ___ or maybe ___ or perhaps even ___. Mostly because I am always so ___.

But you also knew, deep in your heart, that whatever I said in this post was going to color your thinking of me.

You know how I know?

Because I was thinking the same thing. I wondered exactly where I going to go in this post. I wondered who I would hurt, who I would alienate, who I would invite criticism from.

Why should that matter? After all, sin is sin, right?

Indeed it is. And the sin of feeling vindicated and the sin of divorce and the sin of lust and the sin of adultery and the sin of arrogance and the sin of gossip and the sin of envy and the sin of self-righteousness and the sin of self-satisfaction are all sin. All of them.

In that list, of course, only two are socially unacceptable in the conservative branches of the church. And a couple of others are socially unacceptable in less conservative branches of the church. And a couple others are socially unacceptable in the culture at large.

And all of them invite the compassion and forgiveness and invitation to relationship and healing that Jesus offers.

“I can forgive it,” Jesus says.

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unexpected grace

July 14, 2009

I understand why we have the pictures we do of God. Angry, authoritarian, destructive. There are stories of people dying throughout the Bible that seem to point us that way.

While I could debate those right now, I’d like to offer a couple of other stories to think about.

Moses is the leader of the people of Israel. He is, spiritually, a big deal. And we know from watching the news, that spiritual big deals fail. At least, that’s what we believe.

One day God tells Moses to speak to a rock so that water will come out. On his way to the rock, he gets mad, and like any parent understands, he hits the rock saying, “Do I have to do everything for you?”

Later, God tells Moses that he will not lead the people into the promised land.

And Moses didn’t.

Fast-forward several centuries.

Jesus and three followers are on a mountain. The followers look up and see Jesus glowing, and two guys with him: Elijah and Moses. Peter speaks up and gets shushed by God. The followers hide their faces until Jesus touches them on the shoulder and says, “have no fear.”

Moses, who had been kept out of the promised land, gets to stand there with Jesus. Peter, who gets told to be quiet by God, isn’t zapped with lightening.

According to common views of God, these examples are unexpected. Moses should have been finished. Peter should have been zapped. But they weren’t.

Their behavior isn’t condoned. God doesn’t say, “Peter, your theme park idea is a good try. We’ll think about that next time.” However, be very ware that God did not say, “Peter, you are an idiot. I’m done with you.”

Peter’s sentence for overstepping his influence?

He had to keep walking with Jesus.

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friend of Judas

April 23, 2009

We know little about Simon the Zealot.

I mean, we can read about the Zealots as a political movement in first century CE Israel. We can read about their desire to throw Rome out, to take Israel back.

But we know little about him other than that he is listed with the twelve disciples every time they are listed.

As a result, it is pure speculation that he went on a two-man short-term missions project with Judas Iscariot.

It isn’t speculation, of course, that all twelve were given the authority to do great things. It isn’t speculation that all twelve were sent out, in pairs, to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of heaven. It isn’t speculation that all twelve were told to travel light, that they were told about the challenges they would face, that they were told about the rewards of following.

No, the speculation is that Simon and Judas worked together. (I’m making the inference with some support, from the list in Matthew 10:2-4 where the 12 are put into pairs.)

Why bother to talk about this?

Because Judas was with someone. Judas was given authority. Judas spent time watching and listening and working and preaching. Judas had a partner who laughed with him and struggled alongside him and even went into towns and said, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” with him.

And Judas had a partner who was listed as part of the apostles after the resurrection, who wasn’t scolded or condemned for what Judas did.

We spend much effort taking responsibility for the actions of other people. We spend much time wondering “what if.” We spend much energy blaming.

We waste much effort and time and energy.

When you are called, come. When you are sent, go. Encourage each other. Be responsible for yourself.

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