Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What) proposes that we all act as if we are in a cultural lifeboat, in which permission to remain in the boat depends upon the approval of the majority in the boat. This requires us to jockey for relative position, presenting ourselves as being more valuable to the group than others.
This would include attempting to be more valuable to the group because we make more money, or because we know more people, or because we are better looking, more influential, more entertaining. This is consistent with the error that the disciples made in asking Jesus "who is the greatest in the kingdom," and Jesus chastisement of them that we can't believe because we receive glory from each other and not from him. What those who live according to the lifeboat theory don't realize is that satisfying the other occupants of a boat in a shipwreck situation might be useful, when those occupants decide whether you will remain as a potential survivor or as lunch.
But life, as it were, is not that situation. Sure, we need rescuing. But it is not the others in the boat that determine whether we stay long enough to meet the rescuers. That determination belongs only to God, who determines which ones are in the boat to begin with. So satisfying our fellows is not important, but satisfying God is. And the only way to satisfy God is to rest in the satisfaction made by Another, Jesus Christ.
Showing posts with label Donald Miller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Donald Miller. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
RELATIONAL JESUS (John 7:43-46)
Men sent by the Pharisees to capture Jesus reported back to their bosses that they were unable to catch him. Scripture records that "no one laid a hand on him" (John 7:44). The Pharisees, not surprisingly, were a bit miffed about this, and asked the temple police officers why they had not brought Jesus back.
"No one ever spoke like this man!" was their reply (John 7:46).
Many people would agree with Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What) and Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis, Sex God) that the primary reason Jesus came to earth was to enable men to have a relationship with him, that Jesus was the preeminent example of how to relate to people. Thus they would reduce the total of who Jesus is and what he did (Christology) to his being "relational Jesus."
Yet the temple lackeys failed to arrest Jesus not because he "related" to them, but because of what he said! Men who came to Jesus initially as his enemies, as those who would deliver him over to one who would kill him, left completely different men. And they were different not because Jesus "related" to them, but because of what he taught. His words were what kept these men from capturing him.
Lest we think that Jesus' words were designed to "relate," like the pseudo-psychiatric babble coming from the lips of Oprah or Dr Phil, here is some of what Jesus said: "if anyone wants to do God's will, he will know about my teaching" (7:17); "Hasn't Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law!" (7:19); "do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment" (7:24); "you will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come" (7:34).
Jesus at times did speak words of comfort and encouragement. Yet he also spoke words of truth, words that challenged the assumptions of the religious leaders that their acceptance by God depended on their inherent worth, that exposed improper notions about the goodness of men, that revealed truth about God's holy character, Jesus' mission, and the Holy Spirit's future work.
"No one ever spoke like this man!" was their reply (John 7:46).
Many people would agree with Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What) and Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis, Sex God) that the primary reason Jesus came to earth was to enable men to have a relationship with him, that Jesus was the preeminent example of how to relate to people. Thus they would reduce the total of who Jesus is and what he did (Christology) to his being "relational Jesus."
Yet the temple lackeys failed to arrest Jesus not because he "related" to them, but because of what he said! Men who came to Jesus initially as his enemies, as those who would deliver him over to one who would kill him, left completely different men. And they were different not because Jesus "related" to them, but because of what he taught. His words were what kept these men from capturing him.
Lest we think that Jesus' words were designed to "relate," like the pseudo-psychiatric babble coming from the lips of Oprah or Dr Phil, here is some of what Jesus said: "if anyone wants to do God's will, he will know about my teaching" (7:17); "Hasn't Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law!" (7:19); "do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment" (7:24); "you will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come" (7:34).
Jesus at times did speak words of comfort and encouragement. Yet he also spoke words of truth, words that challenged the assumptions of the religious leaders that their acceptance by God depended on their inherent worth, that exposed improper notions about the goodness of men, that revealed truth about God's holy character, Jesus' mission, and the Holy Spirit's future work.
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