by John Mason | Feb 26, 2014 | Word on Wednesday
Justice
‘If God cares and is in control why doesn’t he clean up the mess?’ is a question I was often asked after 9/11. ‘Why doesn’t he intervene and bring to justice the perpetrators of wars, injustice and evil?’ These are valid questions, for our hearts cry out for wrongs to be righted. If there is no ultimate justice, morality itself has no ultimate meaning. For if we do not live in a moral universe, life, in the end, is like playing sport with no referee or final score.
A day of accounting
In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus spoke of the end of time. He assured his hearers that there will be a day of accounting, that God does exist and justice will be done. “You must also be ready,” he said, “for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour” (12:40). And, “…From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded” (12:48).
Be prepared. Jesus used two metaphors. First, he drew a picture of a wealthy man who was away from home at an important wedding. The man’s servants, Jesus said, must be ready for his return no matter how late the hour: “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him when he comes and knocks” (12:35-36).
Jesus’ second picture is that of a householder whose house is broken into. Watchfulness is the overriding theme. With Jesus’ return God’s judgment will be complete. The themes of justice and the temporary nature of money and possessions, about which Jesus had just been speaking will be vindicated (see 12:1-12 and 12:13-34).
The two word pictures suggest three things about the timing of his coming. It is imminent: the master could return at any time; there is delay: the master seems to be taking his time. We see this in 12:38 where Jesus said that it may be the second or the third watch in the night, that is, the early hours of the morning, when the master returns. There is also a third element: surprise. In 12:39 the householder does not know when the thief will come.
Complacency
It’s easy to miss the force of Jesus’ words. He is telling us that we should be living with the tension of imminence and delay. Our problem is that we are inclined to ignore the reality of an end of time. After all, two thousand years have come and gone and nothing has happened, so we let ourselves drift into spiritual complacency.
But the sobering reality is that one day we will all answer to God. While this is a frightening thought, it is also encouraging, for it means that justice will be done. The day will arrive when those who have carried out injustices and atrocities will come under the scrutiny of God who knows all. No-one will escape. His justice will be perfect. Jesus’ resurrection points to the reality of supernatural truths about the universe that have yet to be revealed.
The return of the King
All this suggests that we need to order our lives now in ways that glorify God and glory in God. It also suggests that we should play our part, introducing others to Christ Jesus, so that they too will be prepared for his return, the return of the King.
Adapted from my commentary on Luke, John G. Mason, Reading Luke Today: An Unexpected God, Aquilla:2012.
by John Mason | Feb 23, 2014 | Word on Wednesday
In the movie Up in the Air, George Clooney’s character lives a life committed to getting his ten million air miles. He sees relationships as insignificant compared with the prestige in having the silver card engraved ‘Ryan Bingham #7’. Yet when it is handed to him mid-flight by the captain, along with a public announcement and champagne, he realizes how meaningless it is.
Preoccupation.
On one occasion a man listening to Jesus, interjected: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me” (12:13). Despite the life and death matters Jesus had just been speaking about (12:4-12), this man’s thoughts were focused on an injustice that was gnawing away inside him. And Jesus responded without missing a beat: “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” he asked (12:14). It was hardly a warm response. But Jesus was aware that this man was obsessed with this issue. He needed to awaken him to larger issues in life.
‘Do you really believe that I am an arbiter and judge over you?’ is the implication of Jesus’ question. ‘If you do, then who do you think has given me this authority?’ Apparently the man had not thought about this. Furthermore, in tacitly acknowledging Jesus to be a prophet from God who could adjudicate in his affairs, he was inviting God to judge his own affairs as well. But he hadn’t thought about this either, hence Jesus’ telling words: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (12:15).
Accruing foolishness.
To make his point he told a searching parable about a wealthy landowner who thought too much about himself (12:16-20). Using a string of first-person pronouns, Jesus painted a picture of the foolishness of accruing wealth. The rich man was consumed with ‘my crops, my grain, my barns, myself, my life, and my soul’. It was a picture of arrogant self-satisfaction.
The man had failed to understand that his life was ultimately not his own. ‘Tonight your life, your soul, will be demanded from you,’ Jesus concluded. Life is not ours to do with simply as we want. It is something for which we all have to give an account. This wealthy man thought only about himself. He didn’t give a passing thought to the second command about neighbor love (10:29ff), nor the first commandment about love for God.
“You fool!”
“You fool!” God said. What a chilling verdict. To be obsessed with things is the ultimate foolishness, for none of us can speak with certainty about tomorrow let alone many years hence. Materialism offers neither real security nor true and lasting satisfaction.
Priorities?
Jesus had turned the question of a self-centered, thoughtless man into a provocative moment in his life. In contrast to laying up treasure for ourselves, Jesus tells us we should settle for nothing less than becoming rich in our relationship with God. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,” Jesus went on to say. God’s people who trust Jesus at his Word generously invest in God’s agenda – local church and outreach ministries, education, care for the needy and the outcast. The question is, ‘What about you?’
Note: This week’s ‘Word’ is adapted from my commentary, John G. Mason, Reading Luke Today: An Unexpected God, Aquila: 2012, p.176ff
by John Mason | Feb 12, 2014 | Word on Wednesday
Leaders.
There seems to be something in the human heart that longs for a leader – a leader whose integrity is transparent and who is worthy of our trust. In fact, tough times make us realise how grateful we are when we have leaders who use their position and power to serve our welfare. Leaders like Winston Churchill not only win loyalty but respect. Down through the ages people have expressed their desire for leaders like this. Plato wrote about it with his notion of a philosopher king in The Republic. J.R.R. Tolkein’s, ‘King’ in the Lord of the Rings is another example of a trustworthy leader who fulfills people’s longings.
A unique leader.
As Luke’s narrative about Jesus of Nazareth unfolds we see that many came to see him as a leader who used his remarkable powers with integrity. He was a leader who could be trusted. But Jesus did not make it easy for potential followers.
Expectations.
When one man made what seemed a promising commitment, “I will follow you wherever you go” (9:57), Jesus’ response was terse:
“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (9:58).
He wanted the man to consider carefully what ‘following’ would mean. Jesus was born in a manger and would die on a cross and, in between, had nowhere to lay his head. So he asks us: ‘Are you willing to join me on a journey through life that may be without material comfort and security? Are you prepared to go without for the sake of bringing others into the kingdom?’
Even family demands must not stand in the way of serving God’s kingdom. Luke tells us about two others who, like the fans of celebrities, were following Jesus.
The first man’s request seems reasonable: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (9:59). But, if the man’s father had died he would have returned home immediately. In fact, his parents had some years to live but he was using their ultimate demise as an excuse. ‘What is more important?’ Jesus was asking, ‘cultural expectations or the announcement of the kingdom of God?’ Yes, children are to honor parents and care for them, but God has first claim on us.
The second man’s request also seems reasonable: “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me say farewell to those at my home” (9:61). Jesus knew a lengthy Middle-Eastern family farewell would be used by the family to overturn this man’s resolve to follow a leader like him.
We might be impressed with Jesus and may even want to follow him ourselves, but we are not always willing to commit – yet. Augustine, the 5th century bishop of Hippo said, O Lord, grant me chastity and continence, but not yet. Jesus is a demanding leader. He wants our total commitment. He calls us to be willing to leave the security of the world’s wealth; the security of a comfortable home; the security of family and friends. We have a choice to make.
A leader to be trusted.
Jus showed extraordinary trust and confidence in God’s Word. He invites us to do the same. Yes, to follow Jesus is to join him on a road through life that may be tough. But it is worth it. We will increasingly discover that he is an exciting, creative, risk-taking but trustworthy leader – a leader we long for. ‘What does it profit a man or a woman,’ Jesus asked, ‘to gain the whole world yet lose their own soul?’ It was to save us from losing our souls that Jesus came. If we spend our life for him, paradoxically we find it.
by John Mason | Feb 5, 2014 | Word on Wednesday
Life…
The death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman of a heroin overdose in New York’s West Village last Sunday is a tragedy. He had a long-standing partner with whom he had three children; he enjoyed career success with many accolades including an Oscar for his role in Capote. Yet, having had a respite from drug addiction for some twenty years he had turned once again to the heroin induced highs. Humanly speaking he had it all – success, fame, and family, yet he looked for more. Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out for his loved ones and friends.
His passing raises a question for us all: Is he yet another example of the twenty-first century restlessness and the cry, ‘If it feels good, do it’? As we all discover in time, simply following our passions does not ultimately satisfy.
The God factor.
When we turn to the pages of Luke’s Gospel we find that Jesus is telling us that the real cause of our dilemma is that we have tipped a relationship with God out of our lives, and that this needs remedying. While many thinking people come to realize that we are not here by chance, our inclination is to shut any notion of a creator God out of our lives.
The fact is, we are designed to share life with God but we have chosen to cut the relationship. As a result we are left lonely, insecure and without direction. We are at odds with ourselves, with one another and even with the universe. St Augustine the 5th century bishop of Hippo, understood this when he said:
‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you’.
But instead of turning to God, what do we do? We spend all of our time trying to plug the gap that God’s absence has left. Many New Yorkers try to plug it with sexual adventure. But it never works. For no human relationship, no matter how emotionally intense, can be a substitute for the relationship with God that we were made for.
Let’s be honest.
It is always painful to have to face up to the truth, but the reality is, we all have skeletons in our closet. We all have things in our lives that we can’t think about without embarrassment. We all have thoughts in our imaginations that would make us blush if they were headlined in the public arena.
Someone has said:
‘Such is our pride that most of us engage in a kind of inner psychological conspiracy to conceal that secret shame from everybody, even from ourselves.’
We can pretend we are good people; we can even believe it ourselves. But it isn’t true.
Jesus.
Jesus sees through our subterfuge. We can’t hide from him what we can hide from others, and even from ourselves. He sees everything in our lives and he insists that we do too. He wants us to face up to the fact that we are fallen failures, spiritual bankrupts, sinners, guilty before the holy God.
Jesus was an extraordinary man who had remarkable powers and authority over sickness, evil, nature and even death (8:22-56). But he also has God’s authority to forgive us. This was the center-piece of his life’s work. He said it himself when he summed up the purpose of his coming: The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).
It is only when we personally do business with Jesus as the Lord, the only Savior, that we find forgiveness, a new start in life, and a hope for the future. No wonder he asked his first followers:
“Who do you think I am?” (Luke 9:20)
