There are many people in our time who believe in God... but not in his church, There are many people who would die for a man who could make them whole, but not for an institution that clings to man-made rules. Based on what Jesus said to the pharisees of his day, I suspect that he would agree with this sentiment. Indeed, while we're called to live for him and to eschew the ways of the world, there is not a hint in the gospels that, in doing so, we ought to judge, hate, and/or discriminate against others. People who came after Jesus- Paul, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and the church leaders you know.- were called to build and give order to the church in ways that fit with the world they lived in. They ordained only men to the office of elder, they accepted slavery as a given, they formulated rules that established orderly ways of worshiping, and they ostracized or excommunicated those who did not follow their belief system completely. All of these things were done to ensure that the church was ordered, and in time, the church exchanged "What Would Jesus Do"... to "We've Never Done It That Way Before," (a motto which cuts off visioning... and any chance of receiving "new wine.)" Thus, we're left with communities who either "hate in Jesus' name," or minister to others in their own name. One has no heart, the other has no power, and neither one appeals to the very people who need Christ.
What people need is forgiveness. They need to be known and loved anyway. They need to be accepted as they are and helped to become all they are called to be. People need to see Christ, and while we need ways of doing things, they must not obscure Christ... or blur his message of grace and possibilities. Based on what Jesus said on earth, we would do well to invite all people and find ways of loving them in sacrificial, sometimes threatening, and non-judgmental ways. If we want to be a Christian church, it seems that we should take our cues from Jesus, who left us a lot of empowering words and marching orders. For instance, as he was dying, he looked into the faces of those who were cursing, mocking and spitting on him... and he said, 1) "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are doing." In the gospel of John, we find these words, 2) "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven." And when Peter asked him how many times should we forgive one another, Jesus said, 3) "70 times 7." Until the cows come home. Forever and a day. Always. Until the Cubs win a pennant... because loving enough to forgive is at the very heart of God! Can anyone deny that forgiveness lies at the very heart of Godliness?
Have you ever wondered what the Bible would say if we only had the words that Jesus spoke? Well, try it sometime. Read the red letters only, and you will see things like this: 4) follow me and I will make you fisherman of people; 5) I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners; 6) these people worship me in vain. Their teachings are merely human rules; 7) whoever wants to save their live will lose it and whoever loses their life for my sake will save it; 8) whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; 9) anyone who gives you a cup of water because you belong to me will not lose their reward; 10) the Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free; 11) blessed are the poor for they will inherit the kingdom of God; 12) love your enemies, pray for those who mistreat you, give to everyone who asks, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back; 13) do not judge and you will not be judged; 14) let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone; 15) you know the commandments, but you lack one thing- go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor; 17) anyone who wants to be the first must be the very last... and the servant of all; 18) whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave to all; 19) the most important commandment is this: love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength... and the 2nd is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.
He said these things, and he gathered his disciples around him for one last supper. As you may know, the gospel of John doesn't include the communion verses that you are accustomed to hearing. The other gospels do, but John focuses on foot-washing. Yes, foot-washing because it was an object lesson for the disciples. 20) "Love one another," he said, "As I have loved you," where the words "as I have loved you" are of profound importance. If you want to be a faithful church, Jesus said, love one another as I have loved you- that is, as a foot-washer! You may not be called to carry a cross for the one sitting next to you... but you are called to wash his or her feet. You are called to love him or her without pretense and to serve your neighbor in the most servant-like ways. Well, you say, I'm never going to do that, and you may not... but Jesus did, and he said, 21) "now that I, your Lord and Rabbi, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet. You should do as I have done for you." Why? Because the essence of love is found in its actions, and there is no greater form of love than offering yourself to another. Peter said, "you'll never wash my feet," and Jesus replied, "if I don't wash your feet, you will have no part of me," because to have part of me... you must let me wash your feet, or if you prefer, to put myself out for you... in a vulnerable and humble way. If you can't embrace my foot-washing, how will you ever embrace my cross?
Friends, I am not a great theologian and I have very little interest in church affairs... but I do know this much: without sacrificial love their is no salvation, and whoever claims to be in Christ must live as he did. Actually, I also know that passion is the key to greatness, forgiving is the most liberating thing there is, and Jesus never even hinted that hate is a form of holiness. In the past, I've sometimes blended my Maundy Thursday message with Good Friday... but this year I will let Maundy Thursday speak for itself: if you want to be holy, get out of the judging business and into the forgiveness and foot-washing business!
No comments:
Post a Comment