Familiarity Can be a Curse
Yeah, so reading through the gospels and looking at Jesus and His teaching, it is amazing to me how many (I am not talking like one or tow, or even a few, but possibly hundreds) times Jesus says something, or does something, or tells a story and it is not obvious.
What I mean is, I rarely come across something in the gospels that I have not read before. So when I read it, it is familiar, but is it clear? It is not new, but do I get it? I think there are so many things we gloss over, or read and don't really think about. We are so drawn to the obvious stuff, the stuff that fits easily with out theology or that is taught on much. But there is so much that when I talk to my friends or sit and think about myself, it is not obvious, it tends to lead to more questions than answers.
I think we need to come to gospels, and to Jesus and not gloss over stuff, not let the familiarity of what we read keep us from really wrestling with what the heck He is teaching. We need to be OK with not having it fit or having it all figured out, and replace that value with one of learning and following our Rabbi, Jesus.
So often the disciples were confused or misunderstood Jesus. What makes us think that we can nail him down and systematically categorize the greatest Rabbi who ever lived? It seems to me, part of Hebrew teaching was to set us on a path or to get us to wonder and wrestle and ask questions. But it seems to me also that we do far too little of such things.
I will leave you with just one thought, out of a chapter I read today, and out of a passage that seems quite clear really, but there was a question that arose for me, and this is simple and clear compared to so many stories and teachings of Jesus, but check this out.
Luke 21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
My question is this: Does Jesus think we should give unto poverty? Should we give not just before we take care of ourselves, but give so that we cannot take of ourselves at all? Doesn't it seem irresponsible to give our rent and food money and have to rely on someone or something else to survive? Is that really Godly living? If it isn't, why does Jesus point out this woman as doing something good?
Happy questioning, wondering and rediscovering the familiar my friends.
What I mean is, I rarely come across something in the gospels that I have not read before. So when I read it, it is familiar, but is it clear? It is not new, but do I get it? I think there are so many things we gloss over, or read and don't really think about. We are so drawn to the obvious stuff, the stuff that fits easily with out theology or that is taught on much. But there is so much that when I talk to my friends or sit and think about myself, it is not obvious, it tends to lead to more questions than answers.
I think we need to come to gospels, and to Jesus and not gloss over stuff, not let the familiarity of what we read keep us from really wrestling with what the heck He is teaching. We need to be OK with not having it fit or having it all figured out, and replace that value with one of learning and following our Rabbi, Jesus.
So often the disciples were confused or misunderstood Jesus. What makes us think that we can nail him down and systematically categorize the greatest Rabbi who ever lived? It seems to me, part of Hebrew teaching was to set us on a path or to get us to wonder and wrestle and ask questions. But it seems to me also that we do far too little of such things.
I will leave you with just one thought, out of a chapter I read today, and out of a passage that seems quite clear really, but there was a question that arose for me, and this is simple and clear compared to so many stories and teachings of Jesus, but check this out.
Luke 21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
My question is this: Does Jesus think we should give unto poverty? Should we give not just before we take care of ourselves, but give so that we cannot take of ourselves at all? Doesn't it seem irresponsible to give our rent and food money and have to rely on someone or something else to survive? Is that really Godly living? If it isn't, why does Jesus point out this woman as doing something good?
Happy questioning, wondering and rediscovering the familiar my friends.
posted by Ken | 11:41 PM
3 Comments:
Challenging thoughts Ken. Perhaps giving beyond our means should be marveled at more in our lives. Maybe Jesus does call some people to give beyond the means of what we "have to live on". I automatically look to such a thing as bad stewardship. But in this case, Jesus surprises us by commending the widow’s faith.
As a student who gets family financial support it would be bad stewardship to send college money or living money for the progress of the Kingdom. Then again, i hope to use my education for the Kingdom. It might come down to a particular call i guess... a sort of spiritual gifting of sorts
Yeah Rev,
my point is more that we focus more on answering than questioning, figuring it out and mastering it, then let it master us. Who knows, obvioulsy that wasn't Jesus' main point, but I think we can wonder a lot more than we do.
If you do decide to give away all your tuition money than I will get you mya ccount number, cool!
Jesus is surprising sometimes even Jesus criticized others for not having the right answers or for asking the wrong questions. The scene of Jesus and Saduccees comes to mind.
But i do tend to think that we are often too quick to give a systematic answer to hard questions. Take familiar verses that sort-of applies and give an answer. As much as Graeme Goldsworthy's book bothered you, i think the essence of Biblical Theology deals with a particular text better than our tendency to let other verses answer it for us. Biblical Theology asks why did God put this in here? How does it relate to the big picture in God's revelation to man in the Bible? I think those big picture questions don't allow us to pacify hard texts with our systematic theology. Most of us need to further deepen our understanding of the bible as a whole before we can begin to give any sort of thoughtful answers to sort of questions you are asking. Anyways i will go on forever unless i stop. Hope all is well with you Ken, i look forward to the possibility of other posts.
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