Who are the Wise

People are Idiots

Turn the TV channels at various times of the day and you will find the wise of this world. They extol ways to lose weight, become a millionaire, eat healthy, save the nation from debt, win against terrorism, stop crime, solve the health care crisis and bring peace to the Middle East. Do we tire of the wisdom of this world? Does anyone really have the answers to our problems? Do we ever grow weary of the know-it-all evangelists of worldly gospels which solve nothing? In Matthew 11:16-30 Jesus said that the answers are hidden from the wise and learned but revealed to little children. Neither left nor right has solved our biggest national worries. Neither science nor education has given us rest from our most pressing problems. Jesus said come to me and I will give you rest.

The Nation that Repents

National Repentance

Do we ever tire of proclaiming that we are the best nation on earth? By the way, such arrogance is not just an American disease. It can be found from aristocratic Britain to the wide open spaces of Australia, from industrious Germany to entrepreneurial China. Do we grow weary of ever extolling our virtues and avoiding the need to repent of national sins? National leaders have robbed the poor, oppressed the weak and lived immoral lives yet have not repented. Ordinary citizens have lived unethical lives, cheated in business and advertised lies and have not repented. In Matthew 11:16-30 Jesus cursed three cities who had witnessed his miracles but not repented. As we celebrate a nation, let us also thank God for his bounty and ask him to forgive our sins. The nation that repents is among the best.

National Celebration & Repentance

National Repentance

Are national days filled with self-worship and self-congratulation but not repentance? Is there ever a precedent for God’s rejection of a people who will not repent? In Matthew 11:16-30 Jesus addressed three cities that were involved in a national religion but had rejected him and refused to repent. On our national days, modern countries sing God save the king, or songs about how beautiful the land is, but don’t sing of Jesus or national repentance. We idolize those who hoard billions and not Jesus who gave it all away for us. We worship this world’s royalty but don’t ask them to repent and return what their ancestors stole from the poor. We worship nationhood but not the King of Kings nor do we call for national repentance. National repentance needs to be on the agenda as we celebrate nationhood.

Religion without Repentance

Repentance: The
First Word of the Gospel

Do we mock the idea that God would curse particular cities? That was exactly Jesus’ intent in Matthew 11:16-30. It may shock those who believe that Jesus only preached smooth things. He spoke harsh judgment on three cities. That is a different Jesus than is popular in many Sunday School lessons. The first summary statement of Jesus’ message was “repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” These cities had brought such judgment upon themselves because they refused to repent. Even a debauched and lawless city like Sodom would receive better judgment than those who had rejected Jesus. This was corporate not individual repentance and the cities had rejected it. These were Jewish cities, who thought that their religion without repentance could save them. That is a warning for Christians today. Religion without a change of heart is useless.

One Message — Two Aspects

The Gospel-Driven Life

In the form of an allegory of children at play (Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30), Jesus emphasized two aspects to the Christian message: the wedding and the funeral. Some emphasize happy times and others preach doom and gloom. The good news is set against a backdrop of bad news. The message that Jesus and John preached was unified at its core, “repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Yet, Jesus and John were contrasted in this passage as emphasizing two aspects of that message. The world criticized both. John was criticized for preaching and living as if he were at a funeral and Jesus was condemned for preaching and living as if he were at a wedding. Some churches are mocked as too happy-clappy and others are condemned as too austere. Let us remember that there is room for both.

Thousands of Lifestyles

Ecumenism Means You Too

In Matthew 11:16-30 we are told of two lifestyles: John, the abstinent recluse with a restrictive diet and Jesus, the social drinker who enjoyed a hearty meal with sinners. The point of this was to highlight two examples of how God has reached out to the world. Yet in both cases people criticized God’s messengers. Christians come in many varieties but the same message. There are simple Christians who live off the grid in loyal and supportive communities, joyful and boisterous Christians who seem to have a party wherever they go, formal and traditional Christians who love the majesty of pomp and ceremony and a thousand legitimate varieties. All that is merely external. Just as with John and Jesus, when we look deep inside churches which appear so different on the outside, the same message is on the inside.

Two Lifestyles

Christianity & Alcohol

In Matthew 11:16-30 we are told of two lifestyles. On the one hand a man with a restrictive diet, who abstained from various kinds of drinks and avoided bad company. Jesus’ cousin had chosen that kind of lifestyle and he was criticized as crazy. On the other hand, Jesus occasionally ate and drank with sinners and he was criticized as a gluttonous drunkard. What was John’s purpose? It was to call people to repentance. What was Jesus’ purpose? It was also to call people to repentance. In many ways they had the same purpose, but their methods were different. One ate and drank with sinners, the other abstained and lived apart. Neither lifestyle received criticism from heaven. Some Christians go to bars in hopes of saving sinners and others avoid them. There is no reason to criticize either lifestyle.

Marriage a Family Affair

A Christian Theology
of Marriage & Family

The first marriage was informal (Genesis 2:20-25). Later marriages were strictly a family affair (Genesis 24:65-67). In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word marriage is translated from words meaning to take, dwell together and support. The first known instance of the Church going from preaching to meddling in marriages was when Ignatius urged the approval of a bishop. However, until the 1500’s in Europe, the parties merely made a private promise to each other and some recorded that promise with the Church. Luther viewed marriage as worldly and passed the responsibility to the State. Calvin ordered that Church and State be involved in marriage. And now today many are wanting to make another change to the marriage institution. Is it time to tell both State and Church to get out of our marriages and remake marriage a family affair?

Unlimited Spiritual Gifts

What You do Best

Are the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 all there are? If we believed some spiritual gift tests in the Christian market place we might be led to believe that the Holy Spirit has no more gifts for us. If you can’t manipulate your way into one of those, is that just too bad for you? Are you of no further use to God? But, think about it. Are feet, hands, ears and eyes the only parts of a body? Of course not. There are also lungs, elbows, knees, a nose and innumerable other parts large and small. So, to limit the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to Paul’s list here is illogical. When we compare we miss the point of the examples given, not to divide over these or any of the Holy Spirit’s unlimited spiritual gifts.

Charismatic Division

Charismata

The causes of division in the Church range from arguments over lettuce in the kitchen to worship music. Corinth was known for its deep divisions. They divided over favoritism, morality, communion, languages and other issues. Division over many issues continues in the Church today. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul focused on charismatic division. All churches, whether or not they like the term, are charismatic churches. There are no non-charismatic churches, even though some prefer the term and others avoid it. Charismata are simply graces or gifts given individually to Christians by the Holy Spirit. Some have the first gift on the list, wisdom. Not everyone who has been given a spiritual gift has wisdom. Spiritual gifts are often used unwisely, in a manner which causes division. Let’s pray for the first gift, wisdom to use our various gifts for unity.