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By What Authority
We were witnessing at an event in the North of England and would have
welcomed an opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with those
who were the object of our witnessing activities. Unfortunately, they
were more interested in debating over whether we had 'the right' to
use a section of public footpath. "You have no right to be here!" they
insisted. I cannot tell you how sad and frustrating it was. We were
attempting to address issues of eternal importance and were drawn into
a 'discussion' over a footpath.
This often happens when someone has nothing to say in response to the
gospel. You see, the gospel isn't 'Good News' just because it's a better,
more compelling argument. Its good news because it has power to change
people's lives, "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who
believes" (Romans 1:16). It's a challenge to the established order of
your life because:
It demands honesty:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his
word has no place in our lives" (1 John 1:9-10).
It demands sacrifice:
"If anyone would come after me, he must
deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34)
It demands an undivided loyalty:
"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will be ashamed
of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels" (Mark
8:38)
Sadly, many are more determined to fight over their 'footpath', or temple,
or social standing, etc. However, Jesus said:
"What good is it for a man to gain the
whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)
Majoring on Minors
In the Middle Ages theological debate became so convoluted that someone,
to illustrate the futility of such out-of-touch debates, said, 'Listen
boys, if we carry on like this we'll end up debating how many angels
can dance on the end of a pin, Doh!' (This is not a direct quote). The
trouble with majoring on minors is that you inevitably find yourself
in a downward spiral into major trivia. This why the Pharisees ended
up asking about whether its right to pay taxes and who would a woman
who had had seven consecutive husbands be married to in heaven.
Of course, like the footpath issue, the answer was not difficult, i.e.
"It's a public footpath?" Likewise, Jesus simply stated the obvious,
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." We have
obligations to the state and obligations to God, the question is, are
we meeting our obligations? On the question of marriage he cut through
the smokescreen - "there is no marriage in heaven" and got to the heart
of the issue:
"Have you not read in the book of Moses,
in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of the dead,
but of the living. You are badly mistaken."
You see, they concentrated on preserving their position by debating
trivia but Jesus brought them back to the hope of the gospel, the hope
of new life, resurrection and eternal reward. These are the major kingdom
issues and these were the issues he had come to address once for all.
Other Major Kingdom Issues
"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" The answer
is simple yet profound - Love God with all that you are, and your neighbour
like yourself. Jesus declared that someone who did this was not far
from the kingdom - Are you living according to kingdom priorities?
Whose Son is Christ? The 'teachers in the law' had him down as the son
of David but Jesus asked a good question, "David himself calls him
[the Christ] 'Lord. How then can he be his son?" A major kingdom
issue is acknowledging Jesus Christ for who he is, the Son of God, Saviour,
the King of the kingdom - Are you subject to the king?
Finally, we see Jesus sitting watching people bring their offerings
in the temple.
"Many rich people threw in large amounts.
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth
only a fraction a penny. "Calling his disciple to him, Jesus said, 'I
tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than
all the others. They all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her
poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on."
- Are you sacrificing for the kingdom?
May God not find us majoring on minors in these weeks leading up to
Easter.
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