When Jesus states that every one of us have to be like children to enter the Kingdom of God, this is a prescription of something that is not easy to do by our own efforts.  The transformation that Jesus seeks from us, is a deconstruction of our persons as to be stripped from any reason for pride- that is except, for our new identity in Christ!  [I contend that this is one of the invariable effects of the gospel] We are warranted to be proud of Jesus, to hold our esteem purely by knowing clearly just who we are now connected to, by the virtue of the gospel that our hearts accept, in faith, in the simple trust that children for the most part, seem to be natural at.  In Apostle Paul’s case, he has numerous credentials that places him in the position of being a Jewish elite- le crème de la crème, so to speak; yet finds these things tantamount to rubbish, when encountering the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

So, while it is one thing to carry the object/person of our devotion (ie. God) with honor, the devotion itself is not what makes any one of us superlative in relation to the other.  While Paul is no less of a Super-Apostle than the other twelve, he was stuck in a difficult position to carry out his authority in the posture of complete humility.  Just a few of his well-remembered verses stand out:

Rom. 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

1Cor. 1:25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

1Cor. 2:3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

1Cor. 15:43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

2Cor. 11:30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2Cor. 12:9 but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

2Cor. 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.

But in the world, we do not cherish this attribute.  Weakness is undesirable, we seek people who are strong, who carry their strengths with panache; while some even exalt those who zealously guard their weaknesses while displaying only strengths and esteemed attributes.  In the case of Paul, he was a brilliant theologian with powerful ability to articulate the eternal things of God as he lived them out, but he was not an impressive speaker by Greek standards.  He also suffered from a physical infirmity that kept no small discomfort in his day to day life (some speculate that he might have had problems with his eyes).  But how do these cherished verses that assign certain value to weaknesses fare against the repeated charges to be:  ”Strong and courageous”? (Josh. 1:6, 9, 18; 10:25, Dan. 10:19)

While Paul makes it abundantly clear, of the dormant strength hidden in the posture of the weak who trust God, (appropriating weakness as a necessary attribute in the larger function of just how God displays his powers) a recent life example outlines this principle even further.  The Christian detects power from unexpected places and people.  Just a day prior to my niece’s birth, one of my seminary brothers David, asked me for a ride to the prayer mountain to fast.  When I picked him up at his house in Walnut he was already emaciated, just skin and bones really.  From what I understand, he had already completed a 40+ days of fasting and was on a slow recuperative diet but he felt led by the LORD to fast more.  On his long list of concerns he is praying for the current political regime and the various policies regarding marriage, as well as for the wisdom of our current president.  He was so feeble when I sat across him, fading in and out of sleep.  It broke my heart to see him, as he was already a pretty skinny guy to begin with.

While one side of me was concerned with his health, there was an unmistakable radiance and power from his being, I was able to drop him off and head home knowing fully, that God was with this young man.  I was in a sense, ashamed of the weakness of my own prayer life in comparison to his- but was encouraged by his commitment, courage, and finally strength that shines forth in spite of his apparent physical frailty as it relates to his current condition.  He is not the most eloquent guy I know but his gusto for sharing the gospel is unparalleled in my experience.  It is a spiritual strength that outshines the fleshly, and each time we encounter the Word of God, we encounter this principle that conditions our senses to detect the spiritual strengths in each other, just beneath the surface of our frailties.  It is my hope that we each be cultivated by God, this sense of the spiritual, which is undoubtedly interwoven into the supernatural, and emerging finally, into the eternal.

I believe that this is precisely the point that brother Stephen was making when he points to the grammatical difficulty.  One cannot simply attach “Christian” to some worldly process and then expect such veneer to convert the essence of it.  The practice of such labeling can easily be abused because this adjective does not automatically create around any enterprise the authentic shift in world view, identity, and allegiance to Christ.  What then, is the solution?  Well, the Christian things, or the myriad industries of everything “Christian” exist and the assumption is, that these things do exist for certain tangible benefits of the Kingdom, such as promulgating the knowledge of Christ, sharing the love that inspires the “products.”  By now, however, this is not merely an assumption but a confession of faith.  By faith I will trust that the Christian things are with true Christians in the midst, those who belong to Christ, for the sake of His Kingdom.  But more importantly this distinction comes not from merely placing the label on the outside as “Christian” but to place one’s utmost priority in following “The Way,” one that decidedly reverses the common priorities of the World:  People moving out from densely populated financial capitals and settling in more remote places, people surrendering a higher paying job position to spend more time with his or her family, people making careful decisions on careers based on the larger more important values of the Kingdom that is espoused, by virtue of being “Christian.”  People becoming unfettered from sins, one sin at a time.  This is to say, that because I wear a cross neckless I am not necessarily a Kingdom Christian nor that simply because I attend church for about 90 minutes a week can I expect to have that intimacy with God that is attested as the “great reward.” (Gen 15:1)

To embed into ourselves the Christ culture, we first examine if we understand the gospel.  If we are inspired by the gospel to make the right decisions, not only move by a sense of religious duty.  In the end, not to do the right thing only because “the Bible said so,” but because our obedience to the text comes from a deeper “amen” that resonates from the things of God, from the continual seeking of “His Kingdom and His righteousness” made incarnate, the only worthwhile obsession that drives a Christ-person to remain in Him.  In any amount of trying to share this message, the message of the gospel which is in its primary form, information, we quickly begin to see just how privileged of a state it is, to have faith, to be gifted with belief.  To know at every level, mentally (cognitively) , experientially, intuitively, spiritually that by belonging to Christ, that we are God’s children, God- the Maker of heavens and the Earth!

It is very possible to produce in a person the right sets of behavior but to inspire the continual attitude, to get up when circumstances knocks you down and under, to not give up the good fight until the appointed end, to keep our hopes on the return of our Christ and King!  It is a proud distinction that goes far beyond triumphalism, deep into the humility that reserves that spot just for us, all the time.  It has become passé to try and revoke that adjective, “Christian,” and to opt for a more authentic definition, “I am not a Christian, I simply follow Jesus” because to be Christian is to be someone that follows Jesus with all the decisions that present themselves before us.  To assess, evaluate and carry out our decisions not uninformed but with the constant reminder of the wisdom of the Cross, which the world cannot see as wisdom.  To work, rest, eat and toil, to live and breathe under the fact that on the Cross, is a quiet power that sustains the meek, blesses the poor, and fulfills all righteousness.  In the end, the Christian is the one who trusts Christ in everything, and because of this, is able to whole-heartedly praise Him and give Him all the glory that is due Him.  Try reading in the whole context, the Sermon on the Mount and you will see, that what Jesus calls us to is not a mere set of outward “good,” “Christian” behaviors, but that these become a supernatural outpouring of God’s doing in your lives:  ”Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  (Matt 5:48 teleioi = “complete” or “perfect”) and may your distinction of being a Christian be the ends and made complete finally, in Him.

It has all the elements of a great historical novel, the presentation of a Persian king Xerxes (Ahasuerus), whose ambivalence towards the Jews is fairly consciously outlined, the villain, Haman, whose hunger for power and recognition is only matched by his hatred towards the Jews, the Jews- personified by Mordecai, in his upright refusal to bow down to him; further with the idea of family helping each other in times of distress (between Mordecai and Esther), the Jewish heroine Esther, who accepts her mission to take the opportunity to be in essence, the intermediary between her people and their captors. (“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”-Esth. 4:16)

It has everything… Trouble, tyranny, opportunity, virtue of a resolute commitment, and finally, poetic justice.  ”We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28

What sparks this devotional is the recent release of a documentary by our own Julian Park in the EM, who took a great personal risk a while back in December of 2009 on a hitchhiking trek “to find adventure,” “to see America” and finally, “to witness kindness.”  From what he has told me, one of the reasons he dared to do this is because once he starts to work, he will not have the time to enjoy such protracted freedom for travel.  I can already imagine the parental objections and the countless oppositions to any person subjecting themselves to such a dangerous risk.  The footage shows some potentially close calls, with Julian’s traveling partner’s comical sense of morbid fantasies as well as cautious, contra-”naïveté.”

While the gesture of placing one’s self at the vulnerable, unguarded, exposed situation of being on the road to be picked up by just about anyone may appear no different from one of the three great temptations, (namely to throw one’s self from a high pinnacle, expecting to be caught by the angels) the gesture of picking up these weary travelers pose not, an unequal level of threat to one’s safety (refer to the Parable of the Good Samaritan- when he helps out the fallen victim, this is not without the possibility of ambush; “Book of Eli” features a scene with a similar premise).  In one section of Julian’s footage (towards the end) a driver by the name of Jacob talks about a serial murderer in the vicinity of Jennings, Louisiana, offering his kind word of warning.

One of the undercurrent themes of the documentary however, is the protection of God, explicitly mentioned by Brandon, one of the drivers who picked up our adventurers.  If we shelter ourselves with a self-preserving mistrust, how will we be able to genuinely love one another?  I am not saying, let’s open ourselves up to any or all hazardous situations for the sake of love but at least in the church, vulnerability to each other should carry at least a proportionate level of protection.  In other words, because I am able to extend myself in vulnerability, can I count on you to cover me with God’s love.  You will find that true discipleship occurs when these conditions are met, these conditions that take place in the context of God’s love.  If this can be achieved it will only be by the Gospel, and only through Christ, and then the church then can be en route to becoming a saving community, from an exclusive, saved community that begins to exalt herself for her privileges.

A case example: Jesus Christ, although very much God (the one and only), in his full embodiment of the Word places himself in ultimate vulnerability, stripped of His Father’s protection on the cross (Phil 2), experiencing abandonment, left to be mutilated and destroyed by the very people he came to serve, “and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mat 20:28)  This being the highest gesture of any love, if our commitment to Him is sincere, we too will be in situations that seems highly compromised as far as our own safety goes (traveling for Mission trips in areas of high crime or persecution, for example).  But the ultimate benefit we seek is not our own, but the Glory of God, which is beneficial for all (for the nonbelievers too, whether they know this or not).

The hard teaching resultant from this entry is not without the reminder, that death is not the worst that can happen to a believer (for the nonbeliever too, for that matter) and that safety and comfort is never, more precious than love.  Anything supremely worthwhile will cost sweat, blood, maybe “freezing your butt off” for several nights on the chilly winter road, or years of devoted time of sacrifice and constant check on purity in our motives.

I don’t mind confessing here that I sort of “envy” Julian’s having “seized the day” so to speak, in fulfilling his desire for adventure, and seeing America and doing all of the above under the auspices of human kindness.  As everyone in our church does I am sure, I thank God that the outcome of this trip was the safe return of our brother, coming back not prodigally empty-handed but with an inspiring documentary of the living kindness of God in people, when the cynical suspicion of our neighbor is already more of the cultural norm.  While we should not look for trouble, when we are inspired to follow God, these expeditions are never without personal risks and some ensuing trouble, and at the same time never without His protection and the “exceedingly great reward” of His reassuring presence.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.”   Psa. 127:1