When Being Good is not Enough

 Am I a Good Person?

This is the question that people ask in times of crisis.  One can ask it when they are going through a difficult ordeal and wonder if the difficulty is deserved.   One can also ask this when they see that there is much in the world that seems evil, and ruminate if he or she is part of the problem or part of the solution.  It is also the question that most people have asked when considering if they are worthy of eternal life.   The story of the rich man which is found in Mark chapter 10 deals with this question in a unique way.

This wealthy man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. (Mark 10:17) He is wondering because his answer to the question "am I a good person?" is by the cultural standards of the day a resounding yes.   When Jesus refers the  man to find the answer in scripture, he gives the reply “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” (Mark 10:20 NRSV).  So the man is saying "yeah, I am good person."  Yet this man came to Jesus with a longing in his heart that there was something more important than being a good person in the eyes of God.

 Give It All Away to the Poor?

Jesus tells him straight out what is missing.   In order to inherit the kingdom of God he must do two things.   The first is a tall order: sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor.   Jesus asks him to do this to show love for those he came to serve.  Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes:  "For the follower of Jesus there can be no limit as to who is his neighbor except as his Lord decides." Dietrich Bonhoeffer- The Cost of Discipleship   Additionally selling his possessions will remove any attachments that the man may have which may be keeping him from doing the second more important thing which the man lacks for inheriting the kingdom. 

Follow Me

The second thing Jesus asks is even a taller order.  The simple truth is, that the most important thing this man and anyone else can do for that matter, is to follow Jesus.   The selling and giving to the poor is the prelude to the following.  The following is the harder of the two things that Jesus asks the man to do.  Often when reading this passage, we get so caught up in the enormity of selling all one's possessions that we miss how hard it actually is to follow Jesus.   The truth is that the selling of  all one's possessions to help the poor only leads one to the kingdom if one follows God during the process.  Bonhoeffer explains this perfectly:  "Obedience to the call of Jesus never lies within our own power.  If for instance, we give away all of our possessions, that act is in itself is not the obedience he demands... In fact such a step might be the precise opposite of obedience to Jesus, for we might be choosing a way of life for ourselves.. (one) is not set free from his own self, but still more enslaved to himself."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer- The Cost of Discipleship.  St. Paul was thinking along the same lines in 1 Corinthians 13, when he lists a whole bunch of spiritual and moral gymnastics that he can put himself through and concludes that without love these are worthless.

The fact is that there are plenty of "good people"  who have excellent personal morality, have great manners, and follow the cultural appropriate virtues who never become part of God's work for the world.  I meet wonderfully moral and upright people of every persuasion in my neighborhood.  They can be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, agnostic atheist or whatever.   Some of these people will at times live more morally than those of us who belong to the church.  The question Jesus is asking us to consider is not whether or not I am a good person, the question is: do I love God, my neighbor and our world?

The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that through the cross God has shown love to the world.  Through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, God reaches across the chasm that exists between human beings and God.  When Jesus replied to the rich man to follow him, he was inviting him to be part of that work. 

The Radical Gospel 

I have observed two poles where contemporary American Christianity can get off track.   One pole reduces the Gospel to a personal morality code.  I see this often in books written for young Christians.  It is as if the Gospel is reduced to method to program the youth to be a part of someone's idea of respectable society.   This is quite common in churches that preach a "prosperity gospel."  If one follows the rules, the quid pro quo is not only admission to heaven, but worldly wealth as well.  This leaves one permanently in the condition of the rich young man as he approached Jesus.  The person is trapped in a bondage to the self.  I think Jesus died for you for something more than this.

The opposite pole is that if we only fix society than all will be good and everything will be in balance.  Utopia will be at hand.  People are only bad because the structures of society are bad, this reasoning goes.   This reduces the dignity of the person into just being a cog in some machine.   If it is only the culture or society responsible for our actions, than we have lost agency, and are something less than human.  I can not see how the cross makes sense if this is all there is.

God did not send his son to die so that we could live in a prison of self-absorption.  Neither was he crucified to create some hive mind where one's individuality no longer matters.   Christ came as love for love.  Whether we are good enough to be loved is not the point, the point is that we are loved.   I hope this is good news for you. It is good news for me because I am good and bad all mixed up and at times struggle to follow the path Christ has set for me.  To me the choice has never been between good and bad, but between love and apathy.  So Christ lays this choice before us, just as he did for the rich young man.  How will we choose?

Tolkien's Gospel: Redmeption (Recap Week 3)

J.R.R.Tolkien wrote the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in order to create a mythology that would transmit timeless virtues to a culture that he feared was losing its soul as it hurdled toward modernity. Tolkien a life long friend and colleague of C.S. Lewis, also used his devout Christian faith as a source of the virtues he wanted to share with through his stories. These facts make the stories wonderful sources to illustrate the nature of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.While in contrast to Lewis' Narnia, no one figure represents Christ, each virtuous character in Tolkien's works represents Christ in some way despite their faults and weaknesses. 

 
Aragorn is character that readers of the Bible should find eerily familiar.  The setting of the novel Lord of the Rings is a place called Middle Earth.   This place was once one kingdom; it was then divided into a northern half and a southern half.   The northern half quickly falls apart while the southern survives.   Then a promised king comes out of the wilds of the collapsed northern kingdom.  If you feel you have heard this story before you have, maybe even in Sunday School.  Tolkien based this part of the narrative on the Bible.  Israel once united, divides into a northern kingdom and a southern one.   The messiah though born in the south would emerge out of the long defunct northern kingdom from an obscure place called Nazareth. So the character we witnessed this week's scene is clearly based on some of the people we meet in the Bible.  

(1 Samuel 16:12) He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one."(NRSV)

In many ways Aragorn reminds us of David.   The one who leads and is confident of victory because the ultimate cause is just.   David has a heart for God, Aragorn has a heart for doing good.  Like David, he begins to assume his calling of kingship long before the official coronation. The scene we watched this past Sunday portrays this as he receives a sword from his future father in law Elrond.  He is made aware of the urgent need and his role in the fulfillment of a providential plan of rescue for a besieged people. Just like a biblical judge or king, Aragorn goes forth to fight for the good even if it means going through the shadow of death. 
 

(1 Peter 3:18-19) For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison,  (NRSV)

Aragorn like David in the Bible is fallible and in need of healing and redemption.   Aragorn often feels weighed down by the burden of his forbears.   His ancestor Elendil is the one who failed to destroy the Ring of Power that now threatened to destroy the world.   He would fail to protect his friends at times and felt great guilt.   He has a need of redemption for himself in order to be whole again.  Aragorn assumes the kingship by taking the Dimholt road- which runs through the place of the dammed and unfaithful.  He needs to take this dark road in order to help those who because of their sin have failed to be faithful.   I am convinced that this part of the narrative was inspired by the verse above and the line in the creed  "And he descended into hell."   The Elf-lord Elrond tells Aragorn the only way he can have enough people to fight the battle against evil is to summon the unfaithful to his banner.   In other words those fallen away from a right life are needed to help, so they must be redeemed.   Unless the unfaithful are redeemed there is no victory.  Otherwise, there are not enough righteous to make a real difference.   The character of Aragorn teaches us about the necessity of forgiveness in our leaders.

(John 18:36) Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." (NRSV)

In many ways Aragorn looks the part of the messiah we all would like to see someday.   The handsome warrior rides in on his white horse, shows his martial arts moves,  kicks out the bad guys and all is right with the world. Yet the most effective weapon in his arsenal would be no weapon at all, it would be a promise, a promise to the unfaithful that they could be redeemed.   He gives his word and the unfaithful come to his side.    We often want a leader to be tough and mighty,  but true Christian leadership takes compassion and forgiveness.   Leadership without forgiveness is false leadership.    Jesus himself led by healing and forgiving.  As even the most casual of Christians knows, Jesus was the unexpected Messiah.   He brought no sword, no army, but walked alone to accomplish an act of redemption for the world.  The true King is to bring healing and wholeness to our world and that can only be accomplished through redemption.   We know this in our bones,  one of the reasons we admire Lincoln so much as a leader is his ability to use the gift of redemption to help lead the country through the Civil War.

In the Lord of the Rings, Aragorn will show not just the possibilities of human leadership but also its limitations.   In the end of the narrative he can not defeat evil on his own even with his large armies,  he will need the efforts of the entire community of the faithful along with a good dose of divine intervention.  We learn that real Christian leadership will always acknowledge its limitations and dependance upon God as much or more that our own efforts.   In the book and the films Aragorn leads by showing the way toward redemption, and it is impossible to redeem oneself it always takes another to help you along.

(John 18:37) Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." (NRSV)

The Christian  leader embraces the truth and does not try to change it, hide it or spin it.   This starts with a self awareness for his or her own need of redemption.   Whether you lead in your home, workplace, church or voluntary organization, fogiveness, reconciliation, and redemption will be the most useful and most loving of skills you can use.    Jesus came to reveal the shortcomings of human leadership and at the same time affirm the love God has for those same human beings. We are blessed to have a leader, messiah and king like Jesus. 

Keep the Faith, 
Pastor Knecht   

How do we live with guilt?

Questions from our Culture:  Week 4 Recap

The Science fiction series Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) spoke about many of the issues of faith that people in our time are wresting with.  It did this by taking elements of  different faiths and dividing them up between the different characters of the drama.  In no way do the religions of the show completely conform to an actual human belief system, but they do have ideas in common with contemporary and even historical faith communities.  The result is fascinating portrayal of a life in a universe with competing religious ideas. We are using this portrayal at Holy Cross to engage some of life's most important questions.  These are not only found on TV but in the Bible itself.  Even better, the Bible begins to lead us to some answers to these life changing questions. 

It's Not For You; It's for Them 

In the scene we viewed together at Holy Cross this past Sunday we found Admiral Adama trying to hand in his resignation to President Laura Roslin.  He is led to this decision because he has finally reached a breaking point with guilt.  Adama holds deep regret over his actions, which he believes helped instigate the war that has nearly wiped out humanity.   He hands in his resignation by reprising the words of his speech that we viewed the previous week, "there comes a time when we can no longer hide from the things we have done."

 

Yet, that is exactly what he is trying to do.   His resignation is a way for him to withdraw from the scene because he is no longer able to carry the burden of his guilt.  The scene is similar to that which we find in the Psalms.  While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; (Psalms 32:3-4 NRSV)

President Roslin is having none of this.  She reminds him of the truth that he reason for things is often more complex than we realize.  "We all did a thousand things good, and a thousand things bad every day for forty years to pave the way for those attacks."  She then gives him a way out, a way to live with the guilt that he has.   She asks him to receive a commendation for his distinguished service;  Adama is at first unable to grasp this.   She then reminds him that this commendation is not for him it is for those who have served so faithfully alongside him through thick and thin.  She asks him to reengage his community.  She is asking him to show love.  She knows it will be hard for him to do, but it will be the only way for Adama to live with his guilt.  

Confession and Repentance  

 What Roslin is really trying to do, is to get Adama to turn around, to change directions from withdrawal to relationship.   This shows both how guilt works and the gifts that God gives to help us overcome it.   Guilt unchecked engenders shame, and shame leads us to withdrawal.  Unresolved guilt leads us into isolation.  The first step in the process of living with guilt is confession, in Psalm 32 we are given the assurance of God's forgiveness as we confess.   It is an affirmation and a verification of our worth before God in spite of our guilt.   This forgiveness comes to us freely given out of God's own love for us.  John writes to the churches of his day,  In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  (1 John 4:10 NRSV) How you say the prayers, or what prayers you say are not as important as simply being honest with God.  

The next step is repentance, turning around.   Now if we wanted we can get into a long argument about where repentance actually comes in to the picture:  Does it lead us to confess?  Is it a condition to be forgiven?  I would ask you to indulge me and think about it another way.   I would say that God's forgiveness helps give us the strength to repent.  Knowing you are accepted and forgiven by God, gives you the strength to turn the direction of your life around in spite of your guilt.   It gives us the power to overcome shame so that we can approach God and others boldly. Once again John writes, Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, (1 John 4:17 NRSV)  

 

We live With Guilt Through Love (Maintain Relationships)

The love of God gives us the strength to engage in acts of love for those around us. Since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.  (1 John 4:11 NRSV)  The only way for us to overcome the adverse affects of guilt is to face them head on and decide that we are going to show others love through our actions. Those whom you show love may not be ready to forgive or accept you yet, but that is not the point.  The point is to show love, you are able to do this because even if those who have hurt you are not ready to forgive you can know that you are accepted by Jesus who showed his love for you through the blood of the cross.  Evil wants us to give into the guilt and shame impulse to withdraw into isolation and despair.   God who knows the good we actually needs wants us to turn back to be in relationship with family, friends, neighbors and world.   It may be tougher in the beginning, but is life preserving in the end because we are created to be in relationship.  Now we all know that this is difficult especially when the weight of guilt can be so heavy, but please know you do not bear this alone.   Through Faith, and the Spirit God can go with us as we turn around and embrace our callings and those who we live them out with.   John says it all, God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.  (1 John 4:9 NRSV)

Tune in next week for week 5
How much can we forgive? 

Keep the Faith, 
Pastor Knecht