A difficult, life-giving word from Jesus
Sunday, October 15, 2006
This morning, I heard Ched Myers preach in the Duke Chapel. The title of his sermon was "The Kingdom of God as the Discipleship Practice of Commonwealth," and the text was Mark 10:17-31. If you have never read this text, or if you haven't read it in a long time, I suggest turning to it before you read the rest of this blog post.
This is the story of Jesus and the rich young man. I have read this story a hundred times. I have even read commentaries on it that explain how embarrassing it is for the church and how much energy preachers have spent over the years trying to explain it away. But I have never heard it, and I mean really heard it, the way Ched preached on it this morning.
He started by acknowledging what I just wrote, that this text is embarrassing to a church that has never (well, almost never) sought to live it out. He pointed out how theologians have traditionally wanted to interpret it to say that the rich should not be controlled by their possessions. Theologians have done this, Ched said, despite the fact that Jesus specifically rejects the piety of the rich in the text itself. And he said that this type of explanation is particularly dangerous in a country where so many good, upstanding churchgoers are among the wealthy.
He pointed out that the response of Jesus to the rich young man is far away from the typical response of either the liberal or the conservative wings of the contemporary church. Liberals want Jesus to open his arms to the rich man in a big, enfranchising hug of total acceptance (which he does not). Conservatives want Jesus to require assent to a set of doctrinal beliefs from the young man in order to attain eternal life (which he also does not).
Instead, Jesus invites the man into a new way of life. He invites the man into a fellowship where faith, the pursuit of justice, and economic arrangements are all deeply intertwined. I won't attempt to recreate Ched's sermon from this point on. There is no way I can do it justice. But if you want an approximation of it, I suggest that you go back to the text in Mark and read the story two or three times. Try reading it without the superificial spiritualism that the church has always tried to apply to it in order to tone it down. Try to read it on Jesus' terms.
And then ask yourself: Does my discipleship even come close to what Jesus asks of me? Am I still - despite Jesus' constant invitation to freedom - enslaved to the things of this world? How much of my daily routine have I shaped so that I can ignore the call of Jesus upon my life?
For me, the answers to these questions are, "No, Yes, and A whole lot." I have been somewhat unsettled since my wife and I moved to this new place. I have missed my old congregation, and I have felt unsure of my abilities in this program I am in at Duke. But I have been unsettled on a deeper level as well, sure that God is calling me to something that I just can't see yet. I think this morning may be the beginning of a process of lifting the veil from my eyes.
"This is the good news," Ched finally said to us, "that Jesus loves us so much that he speaks the truth to us."
The truth is difficult to hear. But I heard it today, and I am going to do what I can to respond. That begins with repentance: a personal repentance and commitment to walk in a new way of life. And after that, the walking begins.
Anyone care to join me?
This is the story of Jesus and the rich young man. I have read this story a hundred times. I have even read commentaries on it that explain how embarrassing it is for the church and how much energy preachers have spent over the years trying to explain it away. But I have never heard it, and I mean really heard it, the way Ched preached on it this morning.
He started by acknowledging what I just wrote, that this text is embarrassing to a church that has never (well, almost never) sought to live it out. He pointed out how theologians have traditionally wanted to interpret it to say that the rich should not be controlled by their possessions. Theologians have done this, Ched said, despite the fact that Jesus specifically rejects the piety of the rich in the text itself. And he said that this type of explanation is particularly dangerous in a country where so many good, upstanding churchgoers are among the wealthy.
He pointed out that the response of Jesus to the rich young man is far away from the typical response of either the liberal or the conservative wings of the contemporary church. Liberals want Jesus to open his arms to the rich man in a big, enfranchising hug of total acceptance (which he does not). Conservatives want Jesus to require assent to a set of doctrinal beliefs from the young man in order to attain eternal life (which he also does not).
Instead, Jesus invites the man into a new way of life. He invites the man into a fellowship where faith, the pursuit of justice, and economic arrangements are all deeply intertwined. I won't attempt to recreate Ched's sermon from this point on. There is no way I can do it justice. But if you want an approximation of it, I suggest that you go back to the text in Mark and read the story two or three times. Try reading it without the superificial spiritualism that the church has always tried to apply to it in order to tone it down. Try to read it on Jesus' terms.
And then ask yourself: Does my discipleship even come close to what Jesus asks of me? Am I still - despite Jesus' constant invitation to freedom - enslaved to the things of this world? How much of my daily routine have I shaped so that I can ignore the call of Jesus upon my life?
For me, the answers to these questions are, "No, Yes, and A whole lot." I have been somewhat unsettled since my wife and I moved to this new place. I have missed my old congregation, and I have felt unsure of my abilities in this program I am in at Duke. But I have been unsettled on a deeper level as well, sure that God is calling me to something that I just can't see yet. I think this morning may be the beginning of a process of lifting the veil from my eyes.
"This is the good news," Ched finally said to us, "that Jesus loves us so much that he speaks the truth to us."
The truth is difficult to hear. But I heard it today, and I am going to do what I can to respond. That begins with repentance: a personal repentance and commitment to walk in a new way of life. And after that, the walking begins.
Anyone care to join me?
Labels: Ched Myers, Discipleship, Jesus Christ
posted by Andrew C. Thompson at 1:31 PM
2 Comments:
I had the opportunity to take a missions class taught by Ched Myers while the missions instructor was on sabbatical. I have come to the conclusion that any experience with Ched is wonderful, dramatic, and life changing.
Ched has an amazing ability to see the heart of the scripture passage and share this with his listeners. I recommend his commentary on the Gospel of Mark, "Say to This Mountain," which is a shorter version of his commentary, "Binding the Strong Man."
I travel with you as one who has been challenged by his message, and as one who has been challenged to become a better disciple each day.
In Christ,
I'm with you, brother.
Post a Comment
<< Home