Last night, we had a discussion that'd burn your face off, it was so intense and "where we live". I think that Zach would write it up better, but the basics of it ran with the following scriptures:
James 1: 9 and following
1 John 3:16 and following
There was basically this: that Jesus is laying claim to our lives. Not our pastor or people laying claim... but a living relationship with Jesus, who is laying claim to our lives... And this is something that's gonna really lead us down to the lowly...
Matthew 25 "least of these"
Romans 12 "the lowly"
Where are they? In our lives? If we claim to "know Jesus" and don't know any of them, are we right?
2 Cor. 13:5 tells us to examine our communities and ourselves to see if we're really "in Christ"... If we fail that test, we can burrow into Him and He'll lead us on...
there were all kinds of questions that came up... The answers were... like Jesus was pulling the string at the bottom of our sweater...
One of the questions was like, "When Jesus says to sell and give to the poor, what does he really mean?" because that can't be literal, can it?
but how many of us have tested it out with actual behavior? Who has tried it out to one extent or another? And of them, how many regret it?
So this has been some of what we've gotten into...
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We already spoke about it.
ReplyDeleteBut yea, Jesus tended to literal in the extreme.
The:
One of the questions was like, "When Jesus says to sell and give to the poor, what does he really mean?" because that can't be literal, can it?
Was quite literal to the young man to whom Jesus was speaking. And no doubt, he tells this to others too. But it is not for man to lay down the formula for "what a Christian looks like." Jesus may well have told another rich man to keep most of his wealth... even buy a boat. He never told the pagan roman soliders who came to him to leave the army. He never told Nicademous (now there is a mangled spelling) to stop being a teacher of the law. But he told Paul that his entire life, as he knew it, was over.
The money is not the problem; the guitar is not the problem, drums are not the problem, the books are not the problem. The problem is when I insert anything between me and Jesus that it beomes a problem.
But what Jesus did say, over and over again, to everyone is, is so many words (unless, of course, the statement was implicit):
You know you are broken.
You can't abide with my father the way you are now.
This world is broken.
And it's everyones' fault.
But I am here to fix you.
I love you.
Let me do my work.
And its going to hurt.
When I strip off your adamic nature.
It is going to hurt badly.
But you will be so glad when I am done.
Let me work.
You won't be broken anymore.
But it will hurt.
At least, that's the way I see it.
-jjs
In response to this:
ReplyDelete"...it is not for man to lay down the formula for "what a Christian looks like..."
This stuff isn't formulaic. It's relational. And its nucular... It's a call to total abandonment... There's nothing formulaic in it. Abandonment to trust... Abiding in the Vine... Bearing much fruit...
His eyes are searching the land, brothers and sisters. When He returns, will He find faith on the Earth? Faith that's alive, with works to prove??? As surely as faith without works is dead, we need to press in to Jesus in a total heart-abandonment...
"Formula" isn't what this discussion has entailed. The whole thing results in an increased intensity of focus on abiding in Christ! ...of being in relationship with Him...