Over the last week, I’ve read a lot about Rob Bell’s new book. This post isn’t about that. This post, ultimately, isn’t about people’s responses to what they’ve read or seen about about the book, or even about my response to them. Reading comments on an article about the book, however, is the thing that got me thinking. One of the comments I read said the following:

With all due respect, what is the most loving thing one can do for another? The most loving thing we can do is tell another about the most loving thing anyone has ever done… Christ’s death on our behalf (plethora of Scriptural references follow.)

Now as I read that, I wasn’t really surprised. It’s something I’ve basically heard my entire life. I’ve probably said something very similar at different points in my life. But as I read it in that context, it made me stop dead in my tracks. Perhaps it was the writer’s use of the descriptor “most”. Is the act of telling another person the story of Jesus the most loving thing we can do. That is, is the act of sharing certain information with other people actually what constitutes love?

I’ve been wrestling with this idea the last few days. I genuinely do think that the act of telling, sharing is implicit in how the Gospel spreads. Humans are verbal creatures, and every human culture has storytellers. It’s in our DNA to share stories with each other. My question is, though, does the Gospel go beyond the act of simply transmitting information?

The conclusion I’ve come to is that, yes, it must. If we are simply telling people they are sinners in need of a savior, but refuse to engage in actual, tangible things that demonstrate love to people, do we love them? A number of years ago, the book The Five Love Languages was all the rage (I believe it still sells quite well). In the book, Gary Chapman lays out the simple proposition that there are five ways in which people give and receive love – words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Now the book itself is geared more towards marriage relationships, but as I think of the relationships I have with friends in my life, and I realize that the same principles can apply in just about any relationship.

The thing that I notice about all of them is that they truly cost something for the one attempting to show love to the other person. It takes effort to encourage someone. It is difficult to spend quality time with someone when I have a busy schedule to worry about. The list goes on. Love isn’t the easy thing. A lot of the time it’s the thing I’d rather not do. I would rather stay at home and watch the game on Saturday rather than help a single mom move into a new apartment. I’d rather go to the pub with my friends rather than volunteer to tutor the kids for the single father.

So as far as what is the “most loving” thing to do, I guess I come down to the answer that there simply isn’t a simply answer. What is most loving to my neighbor depends on my neighbor’s needs, and it depends on me being open to pour myself out. I tend to think that simply sharing information about Jesus, as important as that is, is often seen by those we are trying to share with as the easy way out – drive-by evangelism in a drive-thru world. The Gospel becomes simply another sales pitch, and we become little more than the salesman at Best Buy trying to sell an extended warranty.

This, of course, isn’t a new problem. Saying one thing and doing another is part of the human condition. The truth that Christ brought when He came is that He didn’t simply say He loved humanity. He demonstrated through His miraculous works, His tender compassion, and ultimately through His death on the cross. The question is will we truly follow Christ. Are we willing to take up our crosses for the sake of those who need to be loved? Or will we be content to simply think that sharing information with people is enough.

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

1 John 3:18-20

And love is not the easy thing
The only baggage that you can bring…
And love is not the easy thing…
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can’t leave behind

Or, when did the goal of Christianity become making “bad people” good instead of making “dead people” alive? – Shane J. Wood

Then the Sermon

Two weeks ago I hurriedly awoke and got ready for worship. We were early. I was happy about that. Soon the liturgy began with singing and I sensed that the Spirit was among us as we sang and prayed and prepared for the breaking of bread and taking of the cup and the sermon. I listened intently as Lection was read. The Scripture was beautiful and the voice reading them: fluid.

Then the sermon.

I have remarked on more than one occasion that preachers have a way of getting under my skin. It seems that I no sooner start feeling comfortable and smug when I go to worship and the Word of God convicts me, displaces my arrogance, and strips me naked before the universe. I’m not that attractive when so exposed.

So the preacher starts preaching and I’m listening—leaning forward in the pew so as not to miss a word. He starts talking about how God had been moving in his life—hearing prayers, answering prayers, calling the man to take a trip to Africa, and literally removing every obstacle along the way in order for him to go. I listened and listened to the story of how God had answered his and his wife’s prayers and how clearly the Lord had spoken to him concerning this matter.

I continued listening with rapt attention to the preacher as he told us, with exuberant humility, that he couldn’t escape the Lord’s direction in this matter. It was so clear to him and his wife. A small step of faith had revealed the greater intentions of the Lord. I was crushed; exposed. I realized at that moment what has been the single most damning aspect of my character: envy.

It was probably the most difficult and uncomfortable 30 minutes I have experienced in the last 19 months. I wanted to hear a sermon that day, a deep exposition of the Word. Instead, the Word did a deep exposition of me. The Word of God went forth; it did its work, it accomplished the purpose for which the Lord sent it. I was undone. There in that place, gathered with God’s people to worship, commune, fellowship, and love—I was exposed as a fraud: a jealous, envious, child. This preacher who has been my best friend and loved me more than anyone in the world had, in one sermon, become the focus of my furious envy.

We left during the prayers—before communion. Ashamed. Bitter. Strangled.

What about Him?

I was thinking about John’s Gospel and that scene at the end where Jesus and Peter are walking on the beach after the Resurrection. The little caption in my bible says something like “Jesus Reinstates Peter.” Hogwash. This scene has nothing to do with ‘reinstating’ Peter. Peter had never left, it was something else that Jesus was exposing. It had everything to do, however, with Jesus exposing Peter once more for who Peter was. It was one more sermon from Jesus to Peter and Peter was undone.

“Lord, what about him?”

There it was. Peter was exposed. He flinched and revealed his flaw: envy. But Jesus will have nothing to do with that line of thought at all and he redirects Peter’s attention and gaze back to himself. Peter was jealous, envious. Notice what it says: “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.” You see, Peter was enjoying an intimate walk with Jesus, but he couldn’t help but turn. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and had to physically alter his position to see ‘the disciple Jesus loved.’

Jesus had just told Peter, in no uncertain terms: Love, Love, Love. Love. And Peter heard what Jesus said, but Jesus had exposed Peter’s issue: he was not content with Jesus’ commission, he had to be concerned with others. “What about him?”

I don’t know why I do it. Jealousy, that is. I mean it is active and strong—raging through my veins like a poison I cannot get enough of. I must be a wretch of a man to be so bitter with envy that I would leave a time of worship. I know it is poison and yet I drink it anyhow, turning to see the other person whom Jesus loves. There’s not a preacher on earth who has loved me as my friend at St Anne’s has and yet there I sat that Sunday morning grieving and angry and envious and jealous—scoffing as he joyously shared the Lord’s provision and providence. I should have shouted Hallelujah! Praise, Praise the Father, Praise the Son, and Praise the Spirit Three in One. Yet there I sat, stewing in envy. “God, why don’t you call me to do that? Why can’t I go there? Why haven’t you answered my prayers, given us a voice, a clear direction? I can’t even be happy for him now.”

The Word of God had exposed my sin. I was trapped. I walked out full of envy.

There was Peter, learning one last lesson from Jesus. When you turn and look at the other, when you take your eyes off of Jesus, you forget what Jesus told you to do: Love, Love, Love. How can Peter love when he is envious of what Jesus has called another to do? Jesus makes a unique call of each of us and mine is not yours and yours is not mine. We all have a journey to take but we cannot take it if we are turned looking at someone other than Jesus. I was looking and seeing not Jesus, but turning and asking Jesus about another.

Fruit and Folly

Last night before I went to sleep, I was reading Galatians 5. It’s important enough for me to include what I read here:

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:13-26)

We often talk about those ‘big’ sins that prevent people from being with Jesus. You know which ones I mean. But look at what Paul says here in Galatians 5: “If you keep on biting and devouring each other…the acts of the flesh are obvious…jealousy…envy….let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another…” He mentions a lot of sin, but he seems to have in mind, particularly, this idea that we can get all out of sorts when it comes to looking at one another.

I used to think Paul was talking specifically or only about those outside the church—envious people outside the church will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the strange thing here is that Paul is writing to the church. Paul is saying that those inside the church who act these parts and live in these ways will not inherit the kingdom of God. I don’t know how else to read it. There are people in the church who live by the Spirit and those who do not. What do we do then?

Well it seems that Paul’s solution is very similar to that of Jesus. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” Paul says, “serve one another humbly in love.” Jesus said, “Love me.” Paul says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “Love me.” Paul says, “the fruit of the Spirit is Love.” Jesus said, “Follow me!” Paul said, “keep in step with the Spirit.” Jesus said, “someone else will lead you where you don’t want to go.” Paul says, “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

They had the same idea! We will not defeat envy passively or by ignoring it. Paul said, “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are at war with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” I have to wage war against this faction in myself and utterly defeat it. Crucify it. Destroy it.

And it is only done through Jesus. It is only done in the Spirit. It is only accomplished by learning to love.

Textathon

A week and a half after I heard that sermon and my friend exposed my sin, he texted me. He had called me a day after the sermon, on his day off, but I ignored him. I was angry and justifiably so. The twenty-four hours after the sermon were the worst twenty-four hours I had endured in a long time. Old demons were awakened and I conceded defeat early. I was in no mood for a fight and I was angry…not with my friend, but with God who had allowed all this. I wrote in my Moleskine, “Forgive me, I pray. I know all of this struggle…is about envy and jealousy” (1/30).

I hadn’t thought my friend had seen us leave during the prayers, but he is too wise to miss that, just as he was wise enough to give me space, and just as he was beyond wise to allow me to confess my sin to him and ask forgiveness. He hadn’t exposed me; the Lord had. I was, in Paul’s words, ‘caught in a sin.’ I, who claim to live by the Spirit, was caught. My friend, wise pastor that he is, took his time and gently restored me to Christ Jesus. And texted sweet words of forgiveness to me.

“Perhaps you needed time to sort through your thoughts and feelings…” I did.

“I care about you.” He does.

“How can I support you right now, Jerry? I want to serve you in any way I am able to.” Check.

“I forgive you dear friend.” And mate. That was the Lord’s voice, not a minute too soon, not a second too late.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.”

So the Word of God did its work, accomplished the purpose for which it was sent.

I know I will continue to struggle with envy. I’m envious of others who can play guitar really well. I’m envious of those who get to preach every Sunday. I am envious of those whose blogs have large audiences. The difference now is that I can admit it. I can say it here.

Envy is a silent killer because it causes all sorts of other unhealthy and unhappy sins. “Envy is serious…[and] extremely difficult to tame…it gnaws, nibbles away at our consciousness” writes William Willimon (see his book Sinning Like a Christian, chapter 3). Yes. Envy is that bad. It destroys fellowship; corrupts love. It is of the flesh.

But my friend taught me one last lesson in his forgiveness. He reminded me of Paul’s other words that echo or foreshadow his words here in Galatians:

“Love…does not envy.” Yes!

Church, we are plan A and there is no plan B.
~Platt in an interview

Telling God you love Him but not His church is like saying to your wife that you love her but not her body. If you say this to your wife let me know how that works out for you. The body is inevitably flawed, but what makes it beautiful is who’s it is.
~A friend of mine and pastor

I didn’t see anything prepped or about to publish, so I thought I would share this.

Have a happy New Year’s Eve and Day.

A blog I enjoy reading is called “The Rabbit Room.” I subscribe to the feed and don’t always read the entire post but the other day they put up this quote by C.S. Lewis which caught my eye.

…only Supernaturalists really see Nature. You must go a little away from her, and then turn round, and look back. Then at last the true landscape will become visible. You must have tasted, however briefly, the pure water from beyond the world before you can be distinctly conscious of the hot, salty tang of Nature’s current.

My oldest daughter has recently been introduced to Lewis through Narnia. We have begun to read the stories and her ability to make the connections between the story and the Story amaze me. Lewis was  a brilliant writer and I appreciate much of what he has to say. Although I had never read this quote before I rather enjoy it and agree with it.

The quote and post can be found here.

“God’s anger is not limited to the Old Testament. Even Jesus got angry, furious, and enraged” [Mark 3:5 is cited as a reference for Jesus' anger, fury, and rage.]–Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, 258

Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.
-Aslan, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

It’s something I’ve been thinking about as I’ve listened to traditional Christmas carols playing in the places I live and play. Specifically, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen beautifully speaks to the ransom theory of atonement as we celebrate the birth of he who came to save. I don’t often think about, talk about, or write about ransom theory. Which is a shame, because it’s a treasure the church has forgotten that needs to be found.

Ransom Theory

The Ransom theory of atonement is pretty straightforward: Adam and Eve sold us down the river with their rebellion against God and so payment for humanity is required. Satan was fooled by God to accept the death of Christ as ransom, because he didn’t know that Christ could defeat death, however, once the death of Christ paid the system, justice was satisfied and humanity remained free.
Which brings us to:

In case you missed that the lyrics that really hit me hard were:

Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray

The Scripture

The primary scriptures are:

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
- Mark 10.43-45

And:

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
- 1 Timothy 2.4-6

Why it works

Grave Danger (is there any other kind?)
Peter Weinberger died at one month old. He was left to die in heavy brush beside a road. He had been kidnapped and held for ransom, then abandoned when the kidnapper was spooked by the presence of police and media at the drop off site. The FBI doesn’t keep statistics about kidnappings for ransom (there’s another thing to be thankful for, living in a country where ransom demands are so rare statistics aren’t even kept), but its probably fair to say that a ransomees aren’t exactly getting cheap rates on life insurance.

Perhaps this is a bit of a nuanced point, but most of the other atonement theories play into the sovereignty of God. Ransom theory plays into what happens when we venture outside of the sovereignty of God and place ourselves under the power of others. Romans 6.16 sums it up this way: Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

When you have been kidnapped and held for ransom you are entirely under the control of forces outside of yourself. Your life is held by someone other than yourself, and if things go sideways, contrary to Hollywood clichés, chances are you’re the one ending up in a woodchipper. With Ransom theory humanity has chosen to place itself under the control of someone other than God, and the result is we are at the mercy of chaotic forces outside of our control.

Satan
Only in the Ransom atonement theory is Satan more than a footnote. This, however, isn’t all that faithful to the scriptures. Satan is powerful enough to have led rebellion against the throne, manipulated humanity into selling itself into ransom in the first place, went diabolus-a-Deus with Jesus, and is pictured as a roaring lion looking to devour any who cross his path. To relegate him as a footnote before God has relegated him to a footnote is, at the least, Biblically inaccurate.

Unfortunately, many people have misconstrued this facet of the Ransom theory to say more than it does. Satan is not depicted as God’s equal, or as a real challenge to the throne. It only speaks to him as what he is: evil, very powerful, and having under his control those that have rebelled against God.

Attributes of God
Most other theories of atonement focus on the power of God. God makes things happen because he’s omnipotent, and there is no question as to the truth of that statement. However, there are many other omnis that apply to God (God being the omni-omni, after all). The Ransom theory brings to the fore God’s wisdom and knowledge, as well as to his honor and integrity, as God holds up his end of the agreement, but also provides a way out for humanity.

Incomplete

Every theory of the atonement comes up incomplete (it’s fair to say all of them taken together are incomplete as well), and this is as true for the Ransom theory as it is for others.

Sin
Satan is the big bad guy, Sin with a capital S is downplayed.

God’s Justice
The route to the justice of God is circuitous. The atonement of Christ isn’t paid directly to God, rather it is made as a ransom payment to another party for the freedom of humanity. However, the reason why that ransom is necessary in the first place is because of the Law built into the fabric of the universe by God. No Law, no lawful hold on humanity by Satan, so while this idea is present it is the long way around the barn.

Captain’s Log, Stardate: now

The Ransom theory has been incredibly edifying to me, mostly because it’s been so buried by modern theologians and clergy (and by modern I mean from the Reformation on forward), that many of its truths have been almost foreign to me. I’ve also appreciated the form in which it came to me. Frankly, most of the classics that are played in public places are older recordings and so they are all drawn out, dramatic, and frankly, cheesy, likely because those particular performances are the cheapest to play in public. However, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, being in minor key can’t really be performed in that style. Beyond that, it is also one of a few Christmas songs that connects directly Easter with Christmas, and does so in a “the darkness is coming to an end, let’s have party” kind of way.

While working on this article I spent some time googling around to see what others had to say about Christmas music and Ransom theory. There wasn’t much out there. But what I did discover was some extreme antagonism towards the Ransom theory. It was pilloried as heretical, having little scriptural support and having had few supporters through church history. Frankly, none of those three charges are true. I don’t understand why such antagonism exists, or why such ignorance of this theory is put forth with such confidence, but it’s out there, so be careful when you quote God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen or O Come O Come Emmanuel.