Finding a Change
April 7th, 2008 by JohnO
I was reading Luke today:
When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who is invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. - 14.7-10
I used to think that Jesus was just being deliberately obtuse here talking about table manners but really meaning to talk about something else. But the context, and the lack of clues tell us that Jesus is indeed giving a teaching about being a good guest. And I find that very strange. I mean, this is the greatest religious teacher, and he is seriously talking about table manners. But I think the last line gives us a great insight, it’s the “why”.
Jesus’ intimate, full, and heart-based understanding of the coming Kingdom, judgment and vindication, made him think about how he is a guest at someone’s house. When we talk about “living in light of the Kingdom”, and “being a reflection of the future Kingdom now”, are we even close to Jesus here? Jesus was so consumed and changed by the Kingdom message that his table manners were different!
I’ve often found it hard to come to terms with something like that. In the past I would force myself to change. But all I really did was make a checklist of things I should do. Instead of actually being different. Where I don’t need a checklist. Where I do what I do because that is who I actually am - not who I am trying to be. It really just means being honest with myself, and all the shortcomings and pain that causes. There are many things where I am changed, and there is no checklist. But there are also many things I realize that need to change.
If I had a guess, I’d say that many people also feel this way. Maybe they are being honest with themselves, maybe they aren’t. Maybe they’re still in the checklist phase, the making rules phase. But I think we should earnestly desire to be past that. To actually be who we are, as beautiful and ugly as that is. Because that is the only way we’re going to get somewhere. And I fear we don’t do that enough. But God and His Gospel are powerful enough to save us in the here and now, to save us from our sins, away from our sins, towards a change.
In light of this perhaps the phrase “obey the gospel” or “obedience of the faith” are appropriate. The gospel is the seed (i.e. word of the kingdom) and it takes root in us and grows until it bears fruit. The gospel itself through the mystical life giving power of the spirit generates the good works. Our task is not to find out what fruit the gospel is supposed to produce, but to get the right gospel, believe in it, water it, and God will provide the increase. This is not to say we should not have good deeds (i.e. righteousness) it is to say that the good deeds should be natural because of the influencing power of the gospel working itself out into all areas of our lives.
Natural.. right