On the Day of His Return

Sometimes I think we miss the point of some of Jesus' stories because the language and the setting and the culture is foreign to us: primitive, agrarian, pedestrian even. Too simple for us, removed from the expressions, land and commerce of two thousand years ago.

So what if we re-examined some of them with what we think of as more elevated language, civilized locale, and sophisticated economy? Would they make more sense to us?

"Again, it will be like an investor going on a journey, who called his fund managers and entrusted his assets to them. To one he gave five billion dollars in cash, to another two billion dollars, and to another one billion, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five billion dollars went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two billion dollars gained two more. But the man who had received the one billion went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his employer's money.

"After a long time the employer of those fund managers returned and hear their year-end reports that very evening. The one who had received the five billion dollars brought the other five. 'Boss,' she said, 'you entrusted me with five billion dollars. See, I have gained five more.'

"Her employer replied, 'Outstanding work! Vision worthy of an excellent fund manager! You have been bold with a few investments; I will put you in charge of many assets. I want you to be the keynoter at the annual stockholders' meeting!'

"The one with the two billion dollars also came. 'Boss,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two billion dollars; look, I have doubled your investment.'

"His employer replied, 'Great work! Instincts of an excellent fund manager! You have been courageous with a few investments; I will put you in charge of many assets. I want your report to follow the keynoter!'

"Then the one who had received the one billion came. 'Boss,' he said, 'I knew that you are a stingy guy, expecting returns where you have not invested and collecting dividends in markets where you have not capitalized. So I was fiscally responsible and went out and deposited your billion in the vault. See, here is what belongs to you. Although it's worth a little less, due to inflation ... and the volatility of the markets ... and taxes. About half-a-billion, really. And that's not my fault, you know.'

"His employer replied, 'You insolent, cowardly doofus! So you knew that I expect returns where I have not invested and collect dividends where I have not capitalized? Well then, you should have at least put my money in a low-rate CD, so that when I returned I would have it back with interest.

"'Take the billion from him and give it to the one who has the ten billion dollars. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And fire that worthless fund manager, escort him outside into the darkness, and give him a weepy romance novel to chew on while he's in the unemployment line.' ~ Matthew 25:14-30 (KBV*)

Okay, maybe not perfectly word-for-word in line with the original, but I've read versions of the Bible that are just as free with their interpretation.

Does it help?

Maybe. It's very American! But does it carry the original intent of the story?

Matthew's version of the story is part of a trilogy Jesus relates: Ten wise, ten foolish young ladies. Five talents, two talents, one talent. The sheep who shepherded and the goats who did nothing. - All in a very pointed setting of judgment; and all about planning ahead, watchfulness, faithfulness, courage, willingness to risk, generosity, and an expectation of the day of His return.

The version in Luke 19:11-27 is just what the doctor ordered - chronologically - between Jesus' visit with Zacchaeus the collaborator/tax agent who had personal integrity, and His triumphal procession into Jerusalem. The parable of the minas is even more brutal in its judgment scene than the story of the talents; the faithless inaction of the one-mina servant seems to tick off the king so much that he orders those who opposed his reign to be slaughtered in front of him. (v. 27)

The purpose of the parable as Dr. Luke states it was not so much economic instruction as eschatological teaching - and that big word "eschatological" just means that Jesus would go away and suddenly return in judgment:

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. ~ v. 11

To get to the bottom of these stories, there are things we need to remember.

First, the kingdom of God is all about sowing seed and reaping a harvest (Matthew 13:1-43). So if we remove the metaphor that the worthless servant uses to describe his "hard" master - reaping where he does not sow - we miss some of the point of it.

Second, the whole purpose of using parables is to conceal from those who have less and reveal to those who have more (Matthew 13:10-17). Have less of what and more of what? The answer Jesus gives seems to be discernment. Those who have a good deal of it - who genuinely want to understand the deep truth about grace that Jesus is trying to communicate to them - will be given more. Those who don't will be given less discernment of grace, and will read into His stories whatever they want to - or will just shrug Him off as indecipherable.

That key phrase appears, as you have probably already noticed, not only in the cycle of parables in Matthew 13, but also the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27): "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Puts a whole different light on them, doesn't it?

Would you like to know what this tells me about Luke's parable of the minas?

"A Son of noble birth - Son of God, Son of Man - went back to eternity because it was time for His coronation as King - and then to return to the earth. So He called ten of His servants and gave them ten measures of blessing. 'Put this grace to work,' He said, 'until I come back.'

"But in eternity, some of His subjects hated Him and sent a delegation of angels after Him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our King.'

"He was made King, however, and returned home. Then He sent for the servants to whom He had given the grace, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

"The first one came and said, 'Sir, You empowered me to encourage ten others; to give them what You have given me. Now five of them believe and are sharing with ten others - and five of them believe already. Your grace at work in me has redoubled itself.'

"'Well done, my good servant!' his Master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take My grace to ten cities.'

"The second came and said, 'Sir, You also empowered me and Your grace at work in me has also doubled through five believers - so far!'

"His Master answered, 'You take My grace to five cities.'

"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is Your grace; I have kept it laid away in a cloth-bound book. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

"His Master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn't you at the very least deposit my grace in cloth-bound books given to others, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

"Then He said to those standing by, 'Take his grace away from him and give it to the one who has ten measures of it.'

"'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

"He replied, 'If you want a task done, give it to a busy person. I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.' Then, with His eye still fixed on the wicked servant, He told the bystanders, 'But those enemies of Mine who did not want Me to be King over them — bring them here for My judgment and let them be obliterated in front of Me.' " ~ Luke 19:11-27 (KBV*)

How do you read it?

---

*Keith Brenton Version

Confession is Good for ...

... the soul, you say?

Then I must confess that I have not practiced what I preached. Not very much, anyway.

Almost 13 months ago I preached my one-and-only sermon, What the Rich Man Lacked.

I prayed about having not practiced what Jesus preached afterwards. I came to a conclusion: Jesus meant what He said. Whether He commanded or asked or instructed or advised us to "sell your possessions and give to the poor," I believe He meant it to be something that would bless others and bless us for doing it - not just in the next world, but this one as well. So I decided that the Nike hermeneutic was best for this scripture: "Just do it."

And so I did. A little. A few sales on eBay. A little money forwarded from my PayPal account to an online charity well-spoken of for its work in digging water wells in remote areas of Africa and other drought-hindered lands.

Not very much.

If I had done a lot, I wouldn't have told you at all. I would've kept it to myself.

But I didn't do a lot. I didn't bless others very much. So it's no wonder there was little blessing in it for me.

If confession is good for something, maybe it's good for letting friends know of your failure to your commitment, so they can hold you accountable to it.

Will you hold me accountable?

Meditation and The Purpose of the Law

One of the few places that I think the translators of the New International Version and The Message have come up with a wimpy rendition of the writer's original intent is their wording of Galatians 3:24:

So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

"Put in charge" was the verb form that they agreed upon to translate a noun that just doesn't easily translate to English. That's too bad, because taking the term from a noun to a verb strips it of the personification that Paul's original poetry here intended.

Various other translations give it to us as "schoolmaster" (KJV), "tutor" (NASV, ASV, Darby), "guardian" (ESV), "teacher" (Contemporary) and "trainer" (Amplified). Maybe my favorite is "child-conductor," the term that Young's Literal Translation creates for a position in society that we no longer have.

A footnote in the Holman Christian Standard Bible argues that "In our culture, we do not have a slave who takes a child to and from school, protecting the child from harm or corruption. In Gk the word paidogogos described such a slave. This slave was not a teacher."

"School bus driver" certainly doesn't do it.

Even "child-conductor" makes me think of the principle character voiced by Tom Hanks in the movie The Polar Express.

I wonder if perhaps the better image is that of Boothby, the gardener/groundskeeper at Star Trek's Star Fleet Academy: an observer, a mentor, an advisor, a life coach helping cadets wrestle with their challenges. Never the faculty, always the staff. Valuing wisdom above knowledge; experience above rote. The paidogogos.

That's Boothby.

What's Boothby got to do with meditation?

Meditation on the law - I believe - was part of what God intended for Israel to do with it when He gave it. Rather than just saying to themselves, "The law's the law; you don't question it; you just obey it," I think God truly wanted His people to question it.

Questions like "Why should I have to do this?" or "Why can't I do that?" should have been legitimate. If you meditate on them, the answers inevitably lead to the conclusion: "Because God loves you. He wants the best for you. He wants you to survive, and thrive, and mature and grow closer to others and to Him your whole life. He wants you to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He wants you to love your neighbor as yourself. He wants you to seek out His ways, His will and His nature in His words, creations and His actions."

The Lord told Moses' successor Joshua:

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ~ Joshua 1:7-8

And the opening Psalm in the collection declares:

Blessed is the man
    who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
    or stand in the way of sinners
    or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
    and on his law he meditates day and night. ~ Psalm 1:1-2

Psalm 119 recommends the practice, not once, not twice, but eight times: on God's precepts (twice), decrees (twice), ways, wonders, statutes and law. After meditating on God's law, it becomes written on your heart (Psalm 37:31, 40:8, 119:30, Isaiah 51:7, et al.

Meditation - as well as obedience - was how the law functioned as a paidogogos.

The law was meant to bring God's people to maturity, to wisdom, to that time when His law would be written not so much on tablets of cold stone nor leaves of perishable papyrus - but on their hearts:

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." ~ Jeremiah 31:33

Paul says that the day when obedience through heart-devotion to God's law has come, even to the Gentiles:

All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. ~ Romans 2:12-16

And that naturally leads to the context of the quote above with that elusive word paidogogos (and here I will switch to the ESV and substitute the original term):

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our paidogogos until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a paidogogos, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ~ Galatians 3:19-28

So, I have to ask you: has the purpose of Law been completely fulfilled? Have God's people matured to faith in Christ Jesus, with His law written on their hearts; having put on Christ and become sons of God? Is there complete equality among followers of Christ, without artificial divisions because of race, social status, or gender? Now that Christ has come, is there nothing further that we can learn of God from His original covenant that men did not keep?

In the Star Trek mythos, Boothby knew his place and never left it. When a cadet graduated from the Academy, Boothby's job was done.

But from time to time, an officer would return from the far-flung stars to see him, to thank him, to seek his wisdom.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt for us to go back and meditate on God's law from time to time; to seek His wisdom and nature there. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to search out what it means and what is required to worship Him ... what He has given and what He has taken away ... whether He can use slaves (like Joseph) as well as kings (like David), one race (like Ruth) as well as another (like Esther), and women (like Deborah) as well as men (like fill-in-the-blank) to do His work in this world.

Perhaps we need to revisit Boothby.

Let Me Be Blunt

Because I need to hear this - bluntly - as much as anyone else does.

Jesus, the Christ of God, did not promise we would be blessed when people compliment us, tell us we're cute, and truthfully say all kinds of nice things about us.^{Matthew 5:11-12}

He did not die on a cross so that we might have wealth, and have it more abundantly.^{John 10:10}

He did not sacrifice Himself so that we might take up a collection and follow our hearts.^{Mark 8:34}

And if you hear people or churches or preachers saying that He did, you can be sure that they're following someone.

But it's not the Son of God.

If You Were Caught In A Sin ...

Would it be more helpful to you if the one who caught you came to you privately to talk to you about it, and put an arm around your shoulder, and offered to pray with you about it and shared a weakness of his/her own and asked you if you both could be accountable to each other before God about the sins that challenge you both ... or would it be more helpful to you if that person went to your boss, your dean, your spouse, your minister, or your elders and told them what you had done?

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." ~ Matthew 18:15-20

Before you respond with 1 Corinthians 5, let me concede that God can and often does make good results come of wickedness exposed for what it is.

Look what He did with a crucifixion.

Then consider the possibility that a single sin observed does not necessarily indicate a life proudly steeped in its stink and still calling itself Christlike - the kind of situation that Paul is dealing with in Corinth.

Then return to my original question: If you were caught in a sin ... how would you want to be treated?

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. ~ Galatians 6:1-5

No, there's no excuse for not following the directions. It's not acceptable to say, "I'm not spiritual, so it's the job of someone else to restore gently." You're a child of God if you've received His grace and His Spirit lives in you: you're spiritual.

It's not acceptable to say "I'm justified in judging this person because I haven't committed that sin." That's comparing one's self to someone else - when neither of you is sinless.

It's not acceptable to say, "I wasn't sinned against; it was himself/herself/the church/God that was sinned against." If you are a part of that person's church family, the sin brings reproach upon the family name of your Savior.

It's not acceptable to say, "I don't know what to do; I'll just turn it over to someone else."

Jesus told his followers what to do (above). He gave us step-by-step instructions on the matter because He knows exactly what we need and He knows this is the only way that works.

If we love the other person as a fellow sinner, we fully follow the steps in the order that they are given, as necessary. How we would want to be treated if caught in a sin is going to be how others want to be treated, too. That's not a guarantee that pursuing it will immediately yield a melted and penitent heart - which is why there is more than one step to the process. Even loving, respectful confrontation may well lead to anger, denial, hateful words, accusations, or worse.

If Jesus had never outlined the steps, we should have known them in our hearts - because we know how we ourselves would want to be approached when guilty. (Not that anyone of us would really want to be approached about it at all!)

And if for no other reason than the golden rule (what I believe to be the "law of Christ"), then we owe it to each other - in view of God's grace through Christ - to take the steps.

In order.

Not skipping any.

Humbly.

Cautiously.

Prayerfully.

Spiritually.

Grace

If we cannot show grace to others,
we do not deserve it ourselves.

You may quote me, but you'll really be quoting Matthew 5:47, 6:12, 7:1-2, 7:12, 22:34-39, Mark 12:28-29, Luke 6:31, 8:37, and pretty much every other verse that describes what Jesus taught and did and lived and died for.

Visualize Whirled Peas

I'm kind of tired of seeing that bumper sticker.

If we really want whirled peas, we're going to have to:

• Plant the peas
• Water the peas
• Weed the peas
• Pick the peas
• Shell the peas
• Put the peas into a blender
• And turn the blender on.

Just visualizing them ain't a gonna make 'er happen.

That's Just Sad

I can't remember now whether presidential candidate Ross Perot ever actually uttered those words, or whether mimic Dana Carvey just said them so convincingly "in-character" that we all thought he did.

You know what's just sad to me?

When people have to close the comments of their blog - or even restrict their readership to those who have signed up and signed in each time - because of the unChristian acts and words and motives of a few.

Some of my casual blog reads have "disappeared" into Privacy World as a result of such selfishness on the part of visitors.

I have been the recipient of a great deal of grace in being able to keep this blog open, and though I have seen flashes of conflict and occasional ungraciousness in the comments on it, for the most part I have seen an extraordinary amount of lovingkindness shown to the different opinion and the one who holds it.

I guess I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you who read and comment here; for the grace you show me and each other and for a generally loving and accepting spirit displayed in your words.

I am grateful to God for each and every one of you.

Salvation in Two Parts for Duet

I will tell you what I think.

I think salvation comes in two parts.

The first part Jesus accomplished at the cross, and by walking away from the tomb. There is absolutely nothing you can do to earn it, buy it, achieve it, deserve it, or merit it. It is finished. It is an overture that has been written. You just accept it as a gift and become immersed in its music. It is eternal, and it begins at that moment. It is life without end, life in God's presence, life free of sin and guilt and death.

The second part you work out in partnership with God. You allow Him to do His work through you, and it matures you in Him - because you are not finished, and the draft of your libretto has rough edges. There is absolutely no limit to the potential that the partnership can achieve if both parties are willing. You do your share in gratitude for what He has done for you by His Son and through His Spirit. Some parts are recitative. Some are arias. Both carry the strong themes of the overture. This salvation song is temporal; it begins with physicality and continues in metaphysicality when Jesus takes you home. It is life in the maturing, life in the growing awareness of God's presence, life in which sin and guilt are constantly overcome and increasingly conquered, displaced by the occupation - the passion - of singing His Story in this world.

Jesus wrote the melody with His life, His death, His resurrection. He invites you to sing a wondrous, improvisational duet with the harmony of your life, your death to sin, your resurrection to an endless life that He provides.

Together, you sing a life-lyric that praises God and gives Him glory for all eternity, where it joins in chorus with millions of voices, all tuned to the same chords and harmonies.

That's what I think.

What do you think?

How Many Churches Are There?

How many churches did Jesus say He would build on this rock?

How many churches did He establish on Pentecost?

How many churches did He establish after Pentecost?

How many churches did He give His lifeblood to redeem?

If there is only one true church, which one is it?

How many names did it have in century one?

How many names does it have in century twenty-one?

Do names given to that church by man mean anything to the One who knows the name of each soul in it and how many hairs each has on his/her head?

If we can believe that God is three Persons yet One, is it impossible that there may be many churches yet one Church?

Does a church have to get every item of doctrine completely perfect in order to follow Christ and do His work in this world?

Does a soul seeking God have to be part of a church which gets every item of doctrine perfect in order to be saved?

If a church has a perfect doctrine, say, about baptism - but its members don't clean up their act about sexual purity or what they enjoy watching on tv or at the movies or what they like to listen to on their car radios ... is that still the one true church washed in Jesus' blood?

If a church has a perfect doctrine, for example, about the Lord's Supper - but doesn't feed the hungry; doesn't sell its possessions and give to the poor so that none will be in need ... is that church still dining with Christ?

If a church has a perfect doctrine about, let's see, church governance - but its members do not govern themselves in their conduct or demeanor toward others ... is that church still ruled by the King of kings?

If a church has a perfect doctrine regarding, oh, divorce - but it doesn't care for widows and orphans in their desperation ... is that church still part of God's family?

These are hard questions.

But when the tests of life are graded, will it make any difference to the Teacher that we thought all the questions would be on doctrine and that they would all be true/false?