Wisdom and the Art of Living Well...Pastor Phil Strong

Jesus: The Wisdom of God (Part 3)

10-10-10

Preface:

            I cannot and will not ask someone to embrace a faith that simply secures for them a “spot in heaven”, but is having little or no recognizable impact on the way that they live their waking, eating, working, recreating lives.

            It says, “I’m really no different from anyone else, except that I have been granted clemency for my sins.”

This is a ‘bumper-sticker’, ‘t-shirt’ faith and it’s not compelling enough to solicit participation.

That is not the gospel that Jesus announced nor the one to which he gave himself completely.

● If you were just “checking out” Jesus, I think I would suggest that you read the gospel of Mark and the book of James. Mark is an introduction to the person, life and mission of Jesus and James is a piece of New Testament “wisdom literature”. James is always challenged us to consider the viability of a faith which professes belief but is void of a lifestyle which supports such claims.

● The “perfect” Christian (with tongue fully inserted in cheek)…

            “A person whose consistent and passionate (from the heart) pursuit of God is authenticated by increasingly practical and credible expressions of Christ-like character.”

● My desire is that you are developing a thoughtful and intentional approach to faith; one which does not answer all of your questions or eliminate mystery, but offers you reason to believe.

Jesus’ claims to be the “way, the truth and the life” are only understood within the context of the Biblical story.

If Christianity is not rooted in things that actually happened in first century Palestine, it lacks credibility. If it is not connected to the story (being told for centuries) there is no basis for understanding Jesus’ teaching or lifestyle or sense of mission. We would have to say to Matthew’s repeated use of the word, “fulfillment”…fulfillment of what?

● Jesus also used words associated with his declaration, like “repent”, “believe”, “follow”.

Repent, is to consider another way--- to have a change of mind. But, it is not limited to just accepting a new host of facts. It necessarily involves believing--- what I have offered as re-ordering your life in order to accommodate your change of direction. The word follow actively positions us on this “way”.  So, we can never separate what Jesus is saying from what Jesus is doing and the way (means) in which he is doing it.

            It’s not just about “believing in Jesus”, but “sharing Jesus’ beliefs”.

● In the most radical way possible, Jesus (as well as the other NT writers) was re-telling the story in a way that declared that God’s intended purposes for Israel and the world were now coming true in him. The way that he told the story was both a “declaration” and an “invitation”.

● If you wanted to live “wisely”- relate well and function well, you had to give up your own agenda (own interpretation of and pursuit of life) and trust his (which required repentance and faith).

Jesus’ teachings (mostly in the form of cryptic and subversive stories- for those “with ears”) were all meant to challenge the prevailing wisdom of the world, and introduce people to “reality”.

            Wisdom was always portrayed as the reality for which we were created, yet it never denied the evil (disorder) which characterized the world in its present condition.

The NT makes it clear that we live in a world of hostility (not just violence, but opposition), but it’s not always easy to locate our enemy (source of opposition).

                Beyond the more obvious evidences of the impact of evil on our world, there seems to be a dimension of it that is beyond the realm of our senses; an unseen element.

● This is where many people “check out”. What typically happens at this point is that the remainder of the teaching is politely dismissed as “over-spiritualization” or “sensationalism”.  We’ve already seen “Ghost-Busters” or way too many episodes of “Paranormal”.

● It might also be easy to assume that our modern world has progressed beyond such primitive assumptions; that such considerations are embarrassing and not to be taken seriously within our developed culture.

● I would suggest, based on the decidedly Biblical-worldview, that there are things about our faith which although difficult to qualify and describe, are no less real.

● Throughout the OT, we meet a character identified as “the satan”. The word means ‘accuser’. He (I use the personal pronoun because he is displayed as a disembodied personal being) is repeatedly characterized as opposing God, humanity, Israel and, more specifically, (in the NT) Jesus.

I find that Jesus seemed to have the most frequent encounters with this evil element, and yet he is the one that we profess had the best “grip on reality”.

            What I also find interesting is that Jesus wasn’t necessarily obsessed with uncovering evil powers, but, he was aware of them, and they were aware of him.

Mark 1:21-24 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

Mark 5:2-7 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evilspiritcame from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"

What I am saying is, Jesus seemed to think it was real.

The words most often associated with his (the satan’s) intentions are “destruction” and “death”.

John 10:10: “destroy”- lit. ‘to ruin; render useless; cause to perish’. This word suggests a defacing of God’s good creation which was meant to reflect him as the Creator and bring glory (rightful attention) to him. “Sin-graffiti” all over God’s good creation.

            “death”- is not necessarily just some arbitrary punishment for sin, but the consequence of turning away from life… from God, the source of life.

The claim of “the satan”?

Luke 4:6-7 And he said to him (Jesus), "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

So, this exchange is somehow connected with worship---- the rightful response to what is of ultimate value; ultimate reality. Our response to what “carries weight” (glory) in our lives.

A summation of Jesus’ mission?

1 John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil,because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

The post-crucifixion, post-resurrection declaration of Jesus?

Matthew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

So, when we “worship the created things rather than the Creator”, we make the exchange.

We actually, in a very real sense, give an authority to (a capacity to rule over us) that which we were meant to rule over.

It is an abdication of our God-designed authority, under him. So, every time this happens in our lives, it diminishes us; it brings “ruin”; it renders “useless” our creative design and purpose. It brings “death”. We become “less-than”; we get “reduced”.

● For example, as it relates to the (3) biggest ethical issues which have faced Christians for centuries: money/wealth, sex and power. No other issues are more frequently addressed or exert more influence over our lives.

Money/wealth- when we rightly steward it, under the rule/principles of the Kingdom, it is “good” (beneficial) for us. When we make the exchange (worship it: put the wrong price tag on it), our stewardship is reduced to “greed” and “self-indulgence”, and the money and wealth gains authority over us.

Proverbs

10:2 Ill-gotten gain has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.

10:16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.

11: 27 If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you! 28 Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

21:6 Wealth created by lying is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.26 They are always greedy for more, while the godly love to give!

Sex- when we steward it under the loving, benevolent life-giving order of the Kingdom, we find its beauty as an expression of a life-long covenant between a man and a woman. When we make the exchange, it gets reduced to relation-less gratification and exploitation and results in some of the worst possible alienation and emotional pain. I’m not sure that I have to attempt to convince you of all that ways that our culture is enslaved by sex.

Power- relates to the ways that we are “with” each other. The ways that our societies and cultures are formed. When we steward such responsibility as an expression of God’s Kingdom-purposes, we are able to utilize that power to serve in constructive and healthy ways. When we make the exchange—when we worship power, we use it as leverage to oppress and manipulate people.

14:34 Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. 35 A king rejoices in servants who know what they are doing; he is angry with those who cause trouble.

16:10 The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly. 11 The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard. 12 A king despises wrongdoing, for his rule depends on his justice.