We spend our years in church wanting to understand and please God.
Yet, grievously, fear has crept in:
We fear our beliefs will be challenged and we won't have the kind of answer that holds up under the scrutiny of the postmodern world.
We fear we will be called to give more of our time, money, heart and resources than our comfortable life wants to give.
We fear God's command to truly love others inside the church by doing the work of getting along.Real fear and a lot of it.
Today, I see something I've never seen in Matthew 25, where Jesus is describing for his disciples yet another example of the Kingdom of God as it is here now. Three servants are entrusted with money in the master's absence, $5,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively. The first two got to work and doubled their master's investment. But:
The man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.The first two servants received commendation and promotion to partner upon the master's return. The third servant defended his actions:
Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you so I found a good hiding place and secured your money.High standards? Yes, that's why Jesus died on the cross, because we could never achieve such standards of holiness.
Hates careless ways? Yes, when we carelessly hurt each other because it is much harder to find compromise and exercise forgiveness.
Demands the best? Yes, the highest quality of genuine and authentic love that our walk with Christ will bear as fruit toward others.
Makes no allowances for error? No, the Master says plainly that we will be forgiven only as we ourselves forgive, and will be known (by him) by our love and action toward others.
This can't turn out well for that servant. I am struck by the Master's response:
That's a terrible way to live. It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why do you less than the least?Risk drove the first two servants; fear ruled the heart of the third.
Loving each other inside the church and taking Jesus to the streets is messy and risky. It is a life of wear and tear, mysteriously repaired and renewed, only to ready ourselves to give some more. Like the shoes and feet of the Israelites in their forty years in the desert, we are supernaturally refueled to offer more of ourselves.
It is all a mystery to me--how the more we give, mistakes and all, the more energy we find to give some more.
Strangling the message of Christ seems less likely if we put our hearts and energy into simply loving each other. The Holy Spirit promises to come alongside in this endeavor. We will find the words to say, the best way to serve, the endless refueling we will always need.
Then we live the Message of Christ. Risk taken. God honored.
Church becomes the launching pad of love and service that it was created to be.
Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
