Are You Bored with the Beatitudes?
I was recently challenged reading an article by Mark Galli in Christianity Today. He questions people like me who like to talk about cultural or world transfomation instead of doing the simple acts of service and suffering that Jesus called us to. He writes:
"I remain puzzled as to why we're so bored with the very things Jesus asks us to do, like picking that foreigner up out of the ditch, giving away our goods to the poor, going to court with a young man who's being railroaded by the system, taking an orphan into our home, going the extra mile with the oppressive and manipulative, forgiving the offender, baptizing, and witnessing. I find these things really, really hard to do. I fail all the time. If I can't even do these things well, why would I believe that I could transform my culture, let alone change the world?"
Somehow I think that missions (or being "missional" --a recent evangelical buzzword) has fallen prey to this kind of promising more than it can deliver (humanly speaking). To be missional is to change the world, right? I was challenged to re-examine the opening words of Jesus' first sermon:
"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Notice that the results of all these things (meekness, peacemaking, humility, showing mercy, suffering persecution, etc.) are God-intiated. Those who try to make peace don't change the world as we know it. They get trodden on. Then God gives them a new name. Those who hunger for righteousness don't often make the headlines. Instead, they are more often ridiculed, even by fellow believers. Then they are satisfied--not by the world, but by the bread and the wine. Jesus' first followers knew these things well. They learned them by suffering more than success. They graduated from the school of sorrow, not celebration.
Signing up for the mission of God in the world is not an option for anyone. The draft card has arrived in the mail and Canada is not an option. God has sent us out to do the work of the kingdom--the dirty, painful, thankless, exhilerating work of the kingdom. And one day (only God knows when), it will be complete. The world and all its creatures will be changed in a flash. And when the credits roll, even the meadowgrass will be standing in awe of the one Name that appears in the midst of all the glory.
"I remain puzzled as to why we're so bored with the very things Jesus asks us to do, like picking that foreigner up out of the ditch, giving away our goods to the poor, going to court with a young man who's being railroaded by the system, taking an orphan into our home, going the extra mile with the oppressive and manipulative, forgiving the offender, baptizing, and witnessing. I find these things really, really hard to do. I fail all the time. If I can't even do these things well, why would I believe that I could transform my culture, let alone change the world?"
Somehow I think that missions (or being "missional" --a recent evangelical buzzword) has fallen prey to this kind of promising more than it can deliver (humanly speaking). To be missional is to change the world, right? I was challenged to re-examine the opening words of Jesus' first sermon:
"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Notice that the results of all these things (meekness, peacemaking, humility, showing mercy, suffering persecution, etc.) are God-intiated. Those who try to make peace don't change the world as we know it. They get trodden on. Then God gives them a new name. Those who hunger for righteousness don't often make the headlines. Instead, they are more often ridiculed, even by fellow believers. Then they are satisfied--not by the world, but by the bread and the wine. Jesus' first followers knew these things well. They learned them by suffering more than success. They graduated from the school of sorrow, not celebration.
Signing up for the mission of God in the world is not an option for anyone. The draft card has arrived in the mail and Canada is not an option. God has sent us out to do the work of the kingdom--the dirty, painful, thankless, exhilerating work of the kingdom. And one day (only God knows when), it will be complete. The world and all its creatures will be changed in a flash. And when the credits roll, even the meadowgrass will be standing in awe of the one Name that appears in the midst of all the glory.
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