Luke 10 & Being Radically Indifferent for Christ
Back in September I criticized Gerhard O. Forde in his book, On Being a Theologian of the Cross, for arguing that Christians should be "indifferent" about whether to do good works for Christ.
While I think he's still mostly wrong, nonetheless, I think that there is an important sense in which he is right, particularly in contrast to the Christians who complain about Christians being too oriented toward salvation and heaven.
In some senses, I sympathize with the notion, as someone wrote of Brian McLaren's argument in, The Secret Message of Jesus, that "The church has focused on salvation as a means to 'heaven after you die' for too long, according to McLaren; we should take Jesus at his word when he says 'the kingdom of God is here now,' and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others."
I can sort of sympathize because, while I know that there are many Christians who are much more "radical for Christ" than I am, nonetheless, like the Pharisee at prayer, I go into prisons twice a week, I give to poor people, I tithe of all the money that I get (although I keep all the dill, mint and cummin for myself, contra Mt 23.23), and I teach Sunday school. (Well, I teach Sunday school half the year, then I need the other half of the year to work up what I want to teach in the other half.)
And I very much enjoy doing all of this, and it's a great blessing to me.
Nonetheless, I also think it's all hogwash.
So, ultimately, I have to disagree with McLaren.
In Luke 10, it seems to me that Jesus twice takes pains to reorient us toward what is truly important. And, God help me, what's important is not being "radical for Christ," at least not in the sense that Brian McLaren means it.
First, there's Jesus mild correction in Luke 10.17-20:
"The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven (emphasis added)."
The disciples return, and, man, the demons are subject to them! What a ministry! Very literally freeing people from the domain of Satan. Jesus even expressly identifies that ministry with the bringing of the Kingdom in the here and the now: "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Lk 11.20).
Yet in Luke 10 Jesus acts as a "cold-water committee," stepping on the disciples' understandable joy at the demons being subject to them. He instead points them away from what they're doing, and instead points them toward their own salvation. "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
"Do not rejoice in this . . ."
Do not rejoice in being "radical for Christ." Rejoice instead that, just like the church lady down the pew -- who is the very epitome of not being "radical for Christ" -- that your name is recorded in heaven.
In response, can there be any prayer but this: "God help me to be indifferent to the fact that the demons are subject to me in Christ, but let me rejoice only in the fact that my name is recorded in heaven."
Later in the same chapter, there is the well-known story of Mary and Martha.
"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her'" (Lk 10.38-42).
"She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word."
"'Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"
Brian McLaren says, "We should take Jesus at his word when he says 'the kingdom of God is here now,' and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others."
Perhaps we should also take Jesus at his word when he says, "'Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part -- sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to his word -- which shall not be taken away from her.'"
Jesus says that the old church lady sitting down the pew from me -- the very epitome of not being "radical for Christ" -- has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
I love what I do. I would love to do more. But no matter how much I love it, and no matter how much I want to rejoice in it, I believe that I have no choice but to receive what Jesus tells me in Luke 10, that I instead rejoice that my name is written in heaven, and that when I sit at his feet, listening to his words, that is when I have chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from me.
And in doing that, I rejoice with the church lady sitting down the pew, who also rejoices that her name is written in heaven, having also chosen the good part of sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to him, the part which will not be taken away from her.
While I think he's still mostly wrong, nonetheless, I think that there is an important sense in which he is right, particularly in contrast to the Christians who complain about Christians being too oriented toward salvation and heaven.
In some senses, I sympathize with the notion, as someone wrote of Brian McLaren's argument in, The Secret Message of Jesus, that "The church has focused on salvation as a means to 'heaven after you die' for too long, according to McLaren; we should take Jesus at his word when he says 'the kingdom of God is here now,' and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others."
I can sort of sympathize because, while I know that there are many Christians who are much more "radical for Christ" than I am, nonetheless, like the Pharisee at prayer, I go into prisons twice a week, I give to poor people, I tithe of all the money that I get (although I keep all the dill, mint and cummin for myself, contra Mt 23.23), and I teach Sunday school. (Well, I teach Sunday school half the year, then I need the other half of the year to work up what I want to teach in the other half.)
And I very much enjoy doing all of this, and it's a great blessing to me.
Nonetheless, I also think it's all hogwash.
So, ultimately, I have to disagree with McLaren.
In Luke 10, it seems to me that Jesus twice takes pains to reorient us toward what is truly important. And, God help me, what's important is not being "radical for Christ," at least not in the sense that Brian McLaren means it.
First, there's Jesus mild correction in Luke 10.17-20:
"The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven (emphasis added)."
The disciples return, and, man, the demons are subject to them! What a ministry! Very literally freeing people from the domain of Satan. Jesus even expressly identifies that ministry with the bringing of the Kingdom in the here and the now: "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Lk 11.20).
Yet in Luke 10 Jesus acts as a "cold-water committee," stepping on the disciples' understandable joy at the demons being subject to them. He instead points them away from what they're doing, and instead points them toward their own salvation. "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
"Do not rejoice in this . . ."
Do not rejoice in being "radical for Christ." Rejoice instead that, just like the church lady down the pew -- who is the very epitome of not being "radical for Christ" -- that your name is recorded in heaven.
In response, can there be any prayer but this: "God help me to be indifferent to the fact that the demons are subject to me in Christ, but let me rejoice only in the fact that my name is recorded in heaven."
Later in the same chapter, there is the well-known story of Mary and Martha.
"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her'" (Lk 10.38-42).
"She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word."
"'Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"
Brian McLaren says, "We should take Jesus at his word when he says 'the kingdom of God is here now,' and work to assist that kingdom by being peacemakers and loving others."
Perhaps we should also take Jesus at his word when he says, "'Only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part -- sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to his word -- which shall not be taken away from her.'"
Jesus says that the old church lady sitting down the pew from me -- the very epitome of not being "radical for Christ" -- has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
I love what I do. I would love to do more. But no matter how much I love it, and no matter how much I want to rejoice in it, I believe that I have no choice but to receive what Jesus tells me in Luke 10, that I instead rejoice that my name is written in heaven, and that when I sit at his feet, listening to his words, that is when I have chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from me.
And in doing that, I rejoice with the church lady sitting down the pew, who also rejoices that her name is written in heaven, having also chosen the good part of sitting at Jesus' feet and listening to him, the part which will not be taken away from her.
posted by Jim at 7:41 PM
2 Comments:
It's exactly Mary sitting at Jesus's feet who's given as the model of "taking Jesus at his word when he says the kingdom of God is here now", isn't it? She recognizes & seeks, in him now present with her, the kingdom come.
Absolutely. The point of clash isn't inaugurated eschatology, it's McLaren's "and work."
Martha's working; Mary's just sitting there, listening to Jesus. Mary's enjoying the kingdom, but it's not her work that Jesus says is the good part that will not be taken away from her.
The disciples return rejoicing because of the amazing work God has performed through them (in Jesus' name). Jesus points them away from rejoicing in their work, and points them to rejoice only in their heavenly hope.
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