Christlikeness

Recently, I received an email addressed ‘Dear Christ’. It was obvious that the writer had meant to have put ‘Dear Chris’: thanks, nonetheless, for the compliment! However, it made me give some thought to the issue of Christ likeness. During this part of the year we are being treated to St Paul’s wonderful letter to the Philippians. It is often regarded as Paul’s most positive letter, and is filled with ‘joy, friendship and thanksgiving’[1]. It is an encouraging letter, but only if we grasp Paul’s central point that we endeavour to have ‘the same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 2: 5). Philippians chapter 2, and the hymn that is contained within it (Vv 6 – 11), is regarding as being at the very centre of Paul’s theology; certainly at the heart of the letter to the Philippians.  The hymn speaks of Jesus’ humility and his reversion of status: ‘who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave...’ (Philippians 2: 6 -7).

Humility is something that if you say you have it, you obviously don’t. In Jesus we find the true model of humility. Biblical scholar, Michael Gorman, calls this Cruciformity: a wonderful word whereby Christians are shaped by the cross of Jesus into Christ like humility. Humility is something that shapes us, rather than something we shape. Paul begins chapter 2 by encouraging the Philippians ‘in humility to regard others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others’ (Philippians 2: 3 – 4). This perception of others we might call a circle of deference: humility encircles and permeates the Christian community creating a people shaped by cruciform love. So often we all look to increase our status or try to have ‘one up’ on someone else, but Paul reminds us that this is not the way of Christ, and it is not the way of Christ likeness.

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[1] Gorman, M 2004, Apostle of the crucified Lord: a theological introduction to Paul and his letters, (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids/Cambridge) P. 412.

A few thoughts on God and suffering

 As I write for this  the world around us is being confronted by the tragedies of fighting in Gaza and the shooting down of a passenger airplane by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. Many people have lost their lives in the fighting in Gaza, and there have been many injured. Close to 300 hundred innocent lives were lost with the shooting down of MH-17 in Ukraine, leaving family and friends with a deep sense of grief. These situations certainly need our fervent prayer.

 

The issue of suffering is a very difficult one, and we are confronted with the perennial question: how can a good God allow such suffering? It is a question, I’m sure, that many of us have asked. Yet, it is a question that we need to attempt to answer; especially as Christians, because it can truly test our faith.

The two events that I mentioned above give us some insight into suffering and God. These two are quite clearly human motivated. Human beings are quick to go to arms when they feel that injustices have been committed against them. Whatever we might think of the rightness of Israel’s, Palestine’s or Russia’s responses, the truth is that human beings are causing suffering. We could well trace much of the world’s suffering back to human causes. This is indeed what the Bible does. Suffering and death came into the world by the choices made by our mythical forbears, Adam and Eve (Gen 3; Roman 5). Suffering is not part of God’s original purpose. That unpopular word and notion, ‘sin’, taints everything we do as humans. This is not to say that human beings are not capable of great good, because we are, but it highlights the fact that there is something not quite right with the human race. We live in a ‘fallen’ world.

 

Well, if God’s original intention is that there be perfect peace and harmony within creation then why doesn’t God snap his fingers and return the world back to ‘Eden’? Again, the Bible offers another response. God entered the world in the person of Jesus. It was a covert operation, and God’s methods were subversive. God through Jesus was seeking to transform the world from the inside out. Rather than leaving human beings as passive observers, God enlists us as fellow subversive operatives. We join with God in bringing to birth God’s kingdom here on earth. Suffering is with us until the ‘Kingdom of God’ is revealed in all its fullness. Recent events remind us that we have a long way to go in this. The word to Zerubbabel is still timely: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts’ (Zechariah 4: 6). In the meantime, we pray ‘your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven’. As Christians we are not defeatist about suffering, but we know there is a better kingdom entering into our world. We participate in this kingdom by working for peace, and doing whatever we can to alleviate suffering.

 

Chris

Annoying God

You could be forgiven for thinking that last week's gospel reading, Luke 18: 1- 8, the parable of the unjust judge, implied that if you annoy God enough he will answer your prayer. After all, that is what the widow does. However, having thought about it a bit and, admittedly, consulted some commentaries, the parable is really about what God is not like.

The rhetorical questions that Jesus asks confirms this.'Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?" The rhetorical answer being 'yes'. 'Will he delay in helping them?" The rhetorical answer being 'no'. Jesus goes on to say that God 'will quickly grant justice to them'. Then Jesus follows this with another rhetorical question: 'And yet, when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?' Jesus gives no answer, but my guess he hopes we will say 'yes'. The faith he is looking for is that we see God as generous, gracious and quick to grant justice; not the grumpy, stingy God of so many people's views.

Who is the God you pray to?

Chris

Being dishonest!?

Last week's gospel reading would have to be one of the most difficult to interpret: the parable of the dishonest manager (Luke 16: 1- 13). At face value it seems to be commending some form of dishonesty. Most of the commentaries that I consulted seem to conflict with each other about the right interpretation for this parable. So, it is up for grabs, really.

My own interpretation seems to align with Eugene Peterson's tranlsation/interpretation in 'The Message': 'Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law abiding citizens...I want you to be smart in the same way - but for what is right...' (Luke 16: 8 - 9). My take: be smart and realize the ways of the world around you. Be alert of the greed that exists and don't be taken in by it, because when it runs out you will still be welcome
into the reign of God.

So now, what's your interpretation of this difficult text?

Chris

Grace

'This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them', so the Pharisees and scribes grumbled about Jesus (Lk: 15: 1 - 10). Grumbling for us means a minor moan about something small and insignificant, but here it means they were really annoyed with Jesus. A moan that would ultimately lead the Pharisees to seek Jesus' life. To answer their grumbling, Jesus told them two parables about finding lost things and rejoicing over the find. He says it twice, 'there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents...'. Joy is the result of finding what was lost.

So much of our thinking about repentance and salvation is shaped by Christendom. We often associate it with coming to our senses, straightening out our act, giving up our bad behaviours, and trudging along the 'narrow' way. In this mindset, repentance also means abiding by rules and regulations often set for us by others. We act Christianly, and put on the right appearance, following the rules of Christian convention. However, I'm not sure Jesus quite sees it that way. What did repentance mean for the sheep in his parable, which didn't come to its senses and turn back, and for the coin, which cannot actually do anything but just be found? Is not the emphasis here on being found, rather than our act of turning back? Is it not about God's grace, rather than our righteousness?

Often God finds us while we are busy doing other things, and then leads us back to him bit by bit. Like the coin we can be buried under so many things that God needs to sweep away the garbage that is hiding the real us. When God does find us, the real us, the sinner and the outcast us, there is real joy, not only for God and heaven, but for us as well.

'I once was lost, but now I am found...' Amazing Grace!

Chris

Discipleship

Last week's gospel reading was very difficult: 'Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and life itself, cannot be my disciple...' (Luke 14: 25 - 35. Well, that puts an end to 'family values'!

However, what does Jesus really mean by this? Eduard Schweizer in his commentary on Luke states that 'hate' here does not mean an emotion but 'as radical objective subordination'. In other words, Jesus is saying that these family ties must come second to discipleship to him. Jesus is calling for radical discipleship that involves not only our families, but also ourselves and our possessions. A big call; a big challenge! Now, I am humbled.

Chris

Schweizer, E (1984), The Good News according to Luke, (SPCK, London)

Humble like me!

Humility has always been one of my strong points! A joke, obviously, but when I sometimes start a sermon by saying this the serious looks I get suggest that some people either believe me or, more likely, they have already switched off. That is the trouble with humility. If you say you have it, you obviously don't.

Last week's Gospel reading, Luke 14: 7 - 14 encourages us to be humble. It says to be humble means taking the lowest place, but surprisingly then being moved up to higher place of honour. Is that a catch 22? I will pretend to be humble in the hope that I will then be exalted. However, if that is my motivation, then I will not be exalted, but humbled once again. Perhaps, the main point of this teaching of Jesus is about not pushing ourselves forward or thinking too highly about ourselves. In God's eyes, the poor, the crippled, and the lame will have a special place at the table (Luke 14: 13).  For me, it is about being grateful that God invites me too, and letting the seat allocation be done by him.

This Sunday at connecT we are exploring that difficult passage, Luke 14 : 25 -35. I'm glad it wasn't the text for Fathers Day!

Chris