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The gospels are so rich! I could write a post on every chapter and verse and still there'd be more to say. And it's all so accessible. There are no lengthy floor plans for a temple, endless genealogies, or repetitious prophetic doom saying. Every verse is packed with the words or actions of Jesus. Whether you prefer the long chapters of John, rich with detail and dialogue, the brisk pace of Mark, or the perspectives of Matthew or Luke, there's a lot of good stuff!
In last week's reading alone we covered:
- Sabbath Healings
- The Sermon on the Mount
- The Faith of the Roman Centurion
- The Questions of John The Baptist: "Are you the One we've been expecting or should we be looking for another?"
- Jesus anointed by a sinful woman at Simon's house
- Healings, healings, and more healings! (including the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus's daughter_
- A multitude of parables including the parable of the sower and the seed
- Jesus calms in the storm (In the Boat Edition):
- Demons cast out of men and into pigs
As readable and vibrant as the gospels are, don't get it twisted. They are still every bit as challenging as the rest of the Bible. There is much that makes one think, wonder, and question. For this week, I want to highlight two takeaways that have been on my mind, one question, and an observation. I'll cover the first takeaway in this entry, and the second, along with the question and observation in another post soon to follow.
The Narrow Way
We've all heard that scripture, often quoted by Christian cultural warriors: "You are to be in the world but not of the world." I thought for sure that passage came from somewhere in Paul's letters--Romans or Ephesians, or someplace like that. Turns out this isn't even really a scripture. Paul does call on Christians not to be conformed to the world in Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2 admonishes believers not to love the world. But the closest thing to that "in but not of" line is a riff on the prayer Jesus prays in John 17:11 and vs. 14-15, where Jesus asks His Father to preserve His followers in a world they do not belong to. This was not an admonition or a reminder, but a prayerful acknowledgement of a fact. The followers of Jesus live in the world, but do not belong to it.
I haven't actually read this passage in John yet, but I did read the part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about the broad and narrow way. This is the teaching: "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it" (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT).
That passage got me thinking about "In but not Of" and this idea of what it means to be somehow different or separate from the "world." What is this broad "worldly" way? And what is the narrow way that leads to life? I suspect that it does not mean what we think it means. We tend to associate the narrow way, being in the world but not of it with cosmetic distinctions (literally, in the case of Adventists)--things like how we dress or the jewelry we wear. We think that people ought to be able to tell we are on the narrow way just by looking at us. We also tend to think being on the narrow way means taking "unpopular" stands against the prevailing cultural trends. We take pride in being able to resolutely hold the line against the "LGBTQ agenda" or Hollywood values. But I don't know, I'm not sure any of this it what Jesus meant when he talked about the narrow way.
In fact, if we look at preceding two chapters and the rest of Matthew chapter 7, Jesus paints a pretty clear picture of what the narrow way looks like. And it's not comfortable--not for those in the world, and not for those who presume they are safely in the world but not of it. I would suggest that cosmetic distinctions and "values" notwithstanding far too many of us are absolutely of the world and very much on the broad path, along with everyone else.
I don't think there was a lot "Preach, preacher, preach!" during the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus didn't preach the type of sermon that reinforced what the crowd already believed. Jesus was preaching something radically different from what every one was used to. Jesus preached a kingdom that belonged to the poor, the grieving, the humble, the merciful. He called on his followers to rejoice in persecution (not whine about it and work to put sympathetic politicians and amenable laws in place). Jesus teaches a moral standard outlined in the ten commandments rooted in the heart as much as in outward behavior. Jesus says those on the narrow way will "turn the other cheek" and love their enemies. Jesus called for a quiet spirituality that does not call attention to itself. Jesus does not just suggest forgiveness as a useful tool in your personal growth, but demands it as condition of receiving forgiveness from God. Those on the narrow way don't worry about the things the rest of the world worries about--money, clothing, food.
That is what Jesus meant when he talked about the narrow way. There's something there to challenge every one of us--something to choke back that eager "amen", leaving only crickets. The "world" belongs to the powerful and the prideful. The world persecutes and is always on guard to be sure their persecution doesn't blow back on them. The world is quick to mock and sneer. The world is unrelenting, cruel, and selfish. The world's philosophy is "they did it to me, so I'm doing it back." The broad way is packed with people filled with worry and anxiety over the basics of life. "How will I get what I need for me and mine? Let me not think about what that might cost someone else." That's the broad way. You'll never get criticized for being on it--either inside or outside of the church. Sure we dress it up with some spiritual decorations and Christian jargon, but it's the broad way all the same.
The narrow way is not so much unpopular as simply unnoticed, a weedy, rock strewn side path inhabited by those who have abandoned religious signifiers and are simply letting Jesus live in their hearts. And I venture to guess it is path also trod by those who have responded to the gentle promptings of the Spirit without adhering to any specific faith tradition or any religion at all.
Salvation is easy. Living the life Jesus calls us to? That's hard.
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