The following are excerpts from Fredrick Buechner’s excellent book, Secrets in the Dark.
The world and all of us in it are half in love with our own destruction and thus mad. The world and all of us in it are hungry to devour each other and ourselves and thus lost. That is not just a preacher’s truth, a rhetorical truth, a Sunday school truth. Listen to the evening news. Watch television. Read the novels and histories and plays of our time. Read part of what there is to be read in every human face including my face and your face. But every once in a while in the world, and every once in a while in ourselves, there is something else to read—there are places and times, inner ones and outer ones, where something like peace happens, love happens, light happens, . . . . And when they happen, we should hold on to them for dear life, because of course they are dear life. They are glimpses and whispers from afar: that peace, light, love are where life ultimately comes from, that deeper down than madness and lostness they are what at its heart life is. By faith we know this, and I think only by faith, because there is no other way to know it.
“By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear,” says the author of Hebrews. Faith is a way of looking at what is seen and understanding it in a new sense. Faith is a way of looking at what there is to be seen in the world and in ourselves and hoping, trusting, believing against all evidence to the contrary that beneath the surface we see there is vastly more that we cannot see.
What is it “that is seen,” as Hebrews puts it? What is seen is the ruined landscape I saw through the train window, the earth so ravaged you can’t believe any green thing will ever grow there again. What is seen is all the streets in the world like Forty-Second Street—the crazy drunks, the child whores, the stink of loneliness, emptiness, cruelty, despair. Maybe most of all what is seen, if we’re honest, is that there is in all of us what is both sickened and fascinated by such things, attracted and repelled. What is seen is a world that tries to sell us what kills us like the cigarette ad and never even gives it a second thought, as you and I rarely give it a second thought either but rush to buy what the world sells, and in our own way sell it ourselves.
Who or what created such a world? On the face of it, there seems to be only one answer to that question. We ourselves created it—that is the answer—and it is hard to see on the face of it—hard to see—that what created us can have been anything more than some great cosmic upheaval, some slow, blind process as empty of meaning or purpose as a glacier. But “by faith,” says Hebrews, we see exactly the same world and yet reach exactly the opposite answer, which is faith’s answer. “By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God,” it says, “so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.”
By faith we understand, if we are to understand it at all, that the madness and lostness we see all around us and within us are not the last truth about the world but only the next to the last truth. Madness and lostness are the results of terrible blindness and tragic willfulness, which whole nations are involved in no less than you and I are involved in them. Faith is the eye of the heart, and by faith we see deep down beneath the face of things—by faith we struggle against all odds to be able to see—that the world is God’s creation even so. It is he who made us and not we ourselves, made us out of his peace to live in peace, out of his light to dwell in light, out of his love to be above all things loved and loving. That is the last truth about the world.
(70-71)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ambivalent answers from God?
I was recently asked the following question via email. I thought it was a good question and one worth sharing.
The Question
Does God give ambivalent answers to prayer? I guess what I mean is, is there always a clear cut answer, such as 'do this' or 'don't even think it'? Can an answer be left in doubt or is it just the human mind that perceives the doubt? Is there such a thing as a 'murky' answer to prayer?
My Response
"If any of you is lacking wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord." James 1:5-8
'Does God give ambivalent answers to prayer?' I guess, from our perspective here on earth, we can't help but say, "Yes." However, I don't believe God ever responds with uncertainty. He knows exactly what He is doing (or not doing). James says we need to "ask in faith, never doubting . . ." and I believe it's very important that we do this. But what are we putting our faith in? The easy answer is God and that's right. However, I think we blur our perspective because we really put our faith in THE ANSWER. If I hear clearly and know just what I need to do, then God is trustworthy and faithful to the promises He's made. If I don't have the answer, either a) God can't be trusted or b) there is something wrong with me.
If we put our faith in God and we define faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) AND we define 'hope' biblically meaning guaranteed, then we KNOW God will answer. But more often than not, God's answer is not in direct response to our question. He is interested in doing a work IN us not just FOR us. So when I prayed that God would heal my dad of cancer, He didn't just say, "No, Chip, I will not do that." Instead He said, "I've heard you. I care deeply about you and what you are feeling and desiring. Trust me, and even though you will not get what you want, you will find in me what you need regardless of the answer you seek. So just because I do not respond with a YES doesn't mean your faith in me should be any less certain."
What's God's ultimate goal with us? It is to draw us to Himself (and in doing so the world will see Him in us). Regardless of what we ask for or not, God is always working in our conversation with Him to fulfill this ultimate goal. We often think if He'd answer us the way we want, then we'd be more easily drawn to him, but if you think about that as a parent, you realize how foolish that is. God doesn't revel in not giving us what we want, but He loves us so deeply, He won't always give us what we want. To Him it's not a transaction that ought to be the focus, but a relationship, and nobody does relationships better than He does.
I just finished reading an outstanding chapter on faith in Fredrick Buechner's book, Secrets in the Dark. It’s worth reading and addresses some of these challenges of faith.
The Question
Does God give ambivalent answers to prayer? I guess what I mean is, is there always a clear cut answer, such as 'do this' or 'don't even think it'? Can an answer be left in doubt or is it just the human mind that perceives the doubt? Is there such a thing as a 'murky' answer to prayer?
My Response
"If any of you is lacking wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord." James 1:5-8
'Does God give ambivalent answers to prayer?' I guess, from our perspective here on earth, we can't help but say, "Yes." However, I don't believe God ever responds with uncertainty. He knows exactly what He is doing (or not doing). James says we need to "ask in faith, never doubting . . ." and I believe it's very important that we do this. But what are we putting our faith in? The easy answer is God and that's right. However, I think we blur our perspective because we really put our faith in THE ANSWER. If I hear clearly and know just what I need to do, then God is trustworthy and faithful to the promises He's made. If I don't have the answer, either a) God can't be trusted or b) there is something wrong with me.
If we put our faith in God and we define faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1) AND we define 'hope' biblically meaning guaranteed, then we KNOW God will answer. But more often than not, God's answer is not in direct response to our question. He is interested in doing a work IN us not just FOR us. So when I prayed that God would heal my dad of cancer, He didn't just say, "No, Chip, I will not do that." Instead He said, "I've heard you. I care deeply about you and what you are feeling and desiring. Trust me, and even though you will not get what you want, you will find in me what you need regardless of the answer you seek. So just because I do not respond with a YES doesn't mean your faith in me should be any less certain."
What's God's ultimate goal with us? It is to draw us to Himself (and in doing so the world will see Him in us). Regardless of what we ask for or not, God is always working in our conversation with Him to fulfill this ultimate goal. We often think if He'd answer us the way we want, then we'd be more easily drawn to him, but if you think about that as a parent, you realize how foolish that is. God doesn't revel in not giving us what we want, but He loves us so deeply, He won't always give us what we want. To Him it's not a transaction that ought to be the focus, but a relationship, and nobody does relationships better than He does.
I just finished reading an outstanding chapter on faith in Fredrick Buechner's book, Secrets in the Dark. It’s worth reading and addresses some of these challenges of faith.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Rhythm of Life
If you haven’t heard yet, I’m teaching a dance class. The questions and ‘concerns’ about this endeavor have been downright entertaining. “Are you qualified to teach dance?” “Who taught you?” “Are you really going to dance?” “Are you really going to make me dance?” “What does dancing have anything to do with God?” “Are you serious . . . dance . . . on Sunday?”
Have you ever found yourself singing out loud to yourself and even dancing? Have you ever felt like you just need to move? Don’t you have that song or artist that just gets you out of your chair? Your feet start tapping, your body starts swaying, etc.?
Do you know (and feel) the rhythm of creation?
God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night . . . (Genesis 1:16-18a)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . .
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)
Spring reminds us of this rhythm of life. Plants are sprouting. The rich color of green covers our landscapes. Birds are returning (and singing). The rhythm is driving us outside and we see an increased spurt of activity – raking, mulching, spring cleaning, planting, watering, discarding, etc.
Think about your typical day: rest – rise – eat – work – eat – work – eat – play – rest. Now John’s rhythm is different than mine but he has a rhythm: rest (not enough) – rise (too early) – eat – play – eat – play – eat – play – rest.
Take any of us out of our rhythm and it may seem nice for a while, but there is something inherent in each of us about keeping this rhythm. Remove eating or resting and it becomes even more pronounced.
Think about the seasons. Spring (planting/new life) – summer (growing) – fall (harvest) – winter (dying/rest).
Think about relationships: It is not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) We are created to be in relationship. There are important rhythms we have in relationship. We need to love and be loved. We need to give and to receive. We need to listen and be heard. We need help along the way. We really are out of sync when we are out of relationship both with each other and especially with our Creator.
Because there is a rhythm, there is an opportunity to dance. In fact, I would suggest that God created us to dance to the rhythm of His creation. And when we dance to His rhythm, we experience a freedom unlike anything else we’ll ever experience.
Have you ever felt that freedom when you dance? Have you ever experienced that joy and abandonment when you’ve just let your body move to the music?
Although God is probably not asking us to gyrate our bodies throughout each day, He is inviting us to move to the rhythm He has created within creation and which He has instilled within us.
Have you ever found yourself singing out loud to yourself and even dancing? Have you ever felt like you just need to move? Don’t you have that song or artist that just gets you out of your chair? Your feet start tapping, your body starts swaying, etc.?
Do you know (and feel) the rhythm of creation?
God made the two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night . . . (Genesis 1:16-18a)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . .
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)
Spring reminds us of this rhythm of life. Plants are sprouting. The rich color of green covers our landscapes. Birds are returning (and singing). The rhythm is driving us outside and we see an increased spurt of activity – raking, mulching, spring cleaning, planting, watering, discarding, etc.
Think about your typical day: rest – rise – eat – work – eat – work – eat – play – rest. Now John’s rhythm is different than mine but he has a rhythm: rest (not enough) – rise (too early) – eat – play – eat – play – eat – play – rest.
Take any of us out of our rhythm and it may seem nice for a while, but there is something inherent in each of us about keeping this rhythm. Remove eating or resting and it becomes even more pronounced.
Think about the seasons. Spring (planting/new life) – summer (growing) – fall (harvest) – winter (dying/rest).
Think about relationships: It is not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18) We are created to be in relationship. There are important rhythms we have in relationship. We need to love and be loved. We need to give and to receive. We need to listen and be heard. We need help along the way. We really are out of sync when we are out of relationship both with each other and especially with our Creator.
Because there is a rhythm, there is an opportunity to dance. In fact, I would suggest that God created us to dance to the rhythm of His creation. And when we dance to His rhythm, we experience a freedom unlike anything else we’ll ever experience.
Have you ever felt that freedom when you dance? Have you ever experienced that joy and abandonment when you’ve just let your body move to the music?
Although God is probably not asking us to gyrate our bodies throughout each day, He is inviting us to move to the rhythm He has created within creation and which He has instilled within us.
Monday, April 5, 2010
What a God!
What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven – and the future starts now! God is keeping a careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all – life healed and whole.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
The Message, I Peter 1:3-9, 13-16
What a God we have! What a gift we’ve received in our salvation.
There is nothing better. There is nothing that can bring us such joy. There is nothing else that can lead to a life (no matter what) of REJOICING.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
We experienced a feast at Easter. It was a table filled with delicious fruits, vegetables, meats, and treats. The table overflowed with lots of food. Could you imagine having such a feast by yourself? Can you imagine coming to this table and seeing that you are the only one there? What a waste? I can’t possibly eat all that is there. There is so much more than I could ever want or need. Others have to come.
Thankfully, there were others at this feast. A huge part of the joy of the meal was not simply good food, but good friends and the opportunity to get to know each other better. There is something very right about SHARING in the feast together. It wouldn’t be the same if I (or you) was alone.
Now imagine what you’d think if the table was filled with a little food and not very good food. You’d be much more hesitant to want anyone else to experience this meager table. For one, there is not enough to go around and two, who would want to eat this simple fare anyway? Based on what you see on the table can determine how much you want others to be there and share in the meal.
The table of God’s salvation is the most amazing feast you can imagine. It’s a table that overflows. There is no way you would ever imagine sitting at this table alone. Others have to come. So bring everyone from your church and every Christian you know and seat them around this table. It is still way too much for even this crowd to enjoy. More have to come. The feast is so splendid and beautiful and there is such quantity, more just have to come.
Too often, I (and maybe you) lack the urgency that we see modeled in the disciples. We fail to see the significance of the table we sit at. We fail to see the overwhelming bounty of God’s grace right before us. And as a result, we too easily forget about the people around us, those who have not responded to God’s invitation to come. We sit there too focused upon the minutia of our lives and fail to see the feast before us. Until we truly see and keep looking at the gift of our salvation, we will be less likely to invite others to come. And isn’t this our calling? We are called to be family members who are invited to bring everyone we can to partake at this table. There is more than enough.
May God help us long for every person we know to come and sit at God’s table of grace. May we not get so caught up in the busyness and distractions of our life that we forget our true calling and we fail to look closely at the feast that lies before us. May you and I commit to praying for our lost friends and family every day, asking God to bring them home and asking God to use us to help them see the Way.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”
The Message, I Peter 1:3-9, 13-16
What a God we have! What a gift we’ve received in our salvation.
There is nothing better. There is nothing that can bring us such joy. There is nothing else that can lead to a life (no matter what) of REJOICING.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
We experienced a feast at Easter. It was a table filled with delicious fruits, vegetables, meats, and treats. The table overflowed with lots of food. Could you imagine having such a feast by yourself? Can you imagine coming to this table and seeing that you are the only one there? What a waste? I can’t possibly eat all that is there. There is so much more than I could ever want or need. Others have to come.
Thankfully, there were others at this feast. A huge part of the joy of the meal was not simply good food, but good friends and the opportunity to get to know each other better. There is something very right about SHARING in the feast together. It wouldn’t be the same if I (or you) was alone.
Now imagine what you’d think if the table was filled with a little food and not very good food. You’d be much more hesitant to want anyone else to experience this meager table. For one, there is not enough to go around and two, who would want to eat this simple fare anyway? Based on what you see on the table can determine how much you want others to be there and share in the meal.
The table of God’s salvation is the most amazing feast you can imagine. It’s a table that overflows. There is no way you would ever imagine sitting at this table alone. Others have to come. So bring everyone from your church and every Christian you know and seat them around this table. It is still way too much for even this crowd to enjoy. More have to come. The feast is so splendid and beautiful and there is such quantity, more just have to come.
Too often, I (and maybe you) lack the urgency that we see modeled in the disciples. We fail to see the significance of the table we sit at. We fail to see the overwhelming bounty of God’s grace right before us. And as a result, we too easily forget about the people around us, those who have not responded to God’s invitation to come. We sit there too focused upon the minutia of our lives and fail to see the feast before us. Until we truly see and keep looking at the gift of our salvation, we will be less likely to invite others to come. And isn’t this our calling? We are called to be family members who are invited to bring everyone we can to partake at this table. There is more than enough.
May God help us long for every person we know to come and sit at God’s table of grace. May we not get so caught up in the busyness and distractions of our life that we forget our true calling and we fail to look closely at the feast that lies before us. May you and I commit to praying for our lost friends and family every day, asking God to bring them home and asking God to use us to help them see the Way.
Prodigal God - Keller
These are excerpts from Timothy Keller’s book, The Prodigal God.
Elder brothers obey God to get things. They don’t obey God to get God himself-in order to resemble him, love him, know him, and delight him. So religious and moral people can be avoiding Jesus as Savior and Lord as much as the younger brothers who say they don’t believe in God and define right and wrong for themselves. Pg. 42-43
Because sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge just as each son sought to displace the authority of the father in his own life. Pg. 43
There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord. One is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course, and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being very, very good. Pg. 44
The gospel: In its view, everyone is wrong, everyone is loved, and everyone is called to recognize this and change. Pg. 45
The first sign you have an elder-brother spirit is that when your life doesn’t go as you want, you aren’t just sorrowful but deeply angry and bitter. Elder brothers believe that if they live a good life they should get a good life, that God owes them a smooth road if they try very hard to live up to standards. Pg. 49-50
If a group believes God favors them because of their particularly true doctrine, ways of worship, and ethical behavior, their attitude toward those without these things can be hostile. Their self-righteousness hides under the claim that they are only opposing the enemies of God. When you look at the world through those lenses, it becomes easy to justify hate and oppression, all in the name of truth. Pg.54
Elder brothers may do good to others, but not out of delight in the deeds themselves or for the love of people or the pleasure of God. They are not really feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, they are feeding and clothing themselves. The heart’s fundamental self-centeredness is not only kept intact but nurtured by fear-based moralism. Pg. 62
The last sign of the elder-brother spirit is a lack of assurance of the father’s love. The older son says, “You never threw me a party.” Pg. 63
Elder brothers have an undercurrent of anger toward life circumstances, hold grudges long and bitterly, look down at people of other races, religions, and lifestyles, experience life as a joyless, crushing drudgery, have little intimacy and joy in their prayer lives, and have a deep insecurity that makes them overly sensitive to criticism and rejection yet fierce and merciless in condemning others. What a terrible picture. Pg. 70-71
Pride in his good deeds, rather than remorse over his bad deeds, was keeping the older son out of the feast of salvation. The elder brother’s problem is his self-righteousness, the way he uses his moral record to put God and others in his debt to control them and get them to do what he wants. His spiritual problem is the radical insecurity that comes from basing his self-image on achievements and performance, so he must endlessly prop up his sense of righteousness by putting other down and finding fault. Pg. 77
To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness-the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope and trust in things other than God, and that in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.
It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord-lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness-that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed. Pg. 78
Jesus had not come to simply deliver one nation from political oppression, but to save all of us from sin, evil, and death itself. He came to bring the human race Home. Therefore, he did not come in strength but in weakness. He came and experienced the exile that we deserved. He was expelled from the presence of the Father, he was thrust into the darkness, the uttermost despair of spiritual alienation-in our place. He took upon himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home. Pg. 101-102
The Bible insists on using sensory language about salvation. It calls us to “taste and see” that the Lord is good, not only to agree and believe it. Pg. 107
The climax of history is not a higher form of disembodied consciousness but a feast. Pg. 110-111
Jesus is saying that the inevitable sign that you know you are a sinner saved by sheer, costly grace is a sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of service to the poor. Younger brothers are too selfish and elder brothers are too self-righteous to care for the poor.
Christianity, therefore, is perhaps the most materialistic of the world’s faiths. Jesus’ miracles were not so much violations of the natural order, but a restoration of the natural order. God did not create a world with blindness, leprosy, hunger, and death in it. Jesus’ miracles were signs that someday all these corruptions of his creation would be abolished. Christians therefore can talk of saving the soul and of building social systems that deliver safe streets and warm homes in the same sentence. With integrity. Pg. 112
Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts. Pg. 113
Jesus doesn’t love us because we are beautiful; we become beautiful through Jesus’ sacrificial love. He is the ultimate spouse to us, his “bride,” in the gospel. Pg. 118
If we say “I believe in Jesus” but it doesn’t affect the way we live, the answer is not that now we need to add hard work to our faith so much as that we haven’t truly understood or believed in Jesus at all. Pg. 124
There is no way you will be able to grow spiritually apart from a deep involvement in a community of other believers. You can’t live the Christian life without a band of Christian friends, without a family of believers in which you find a place. Pg. 125
Christians commonly say they want a relationship with Jesus, that they want to “get to know Jesus better.” You will never be able to do that by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church, in Christian community, with strong relationships of love and accountability. Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness. Pg. 127
Elder brothers obey God to get things. They don’t obey God to get God himself-in order to resemble him, love him, know him, and delight him. So religious and moral people can be avoiding Jesus as Savior and Lord as much as the younger brothers who say they don’t believe in God and define right and wrong for themselves. Pg. 42-43
Because sin is not just breaking the rules, it is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge just as each son sought to displace the authority of the father in his own life. Pg. 43
There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord. One is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course, and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being very, very good. Pg. 44
The gospel: In its view, everyone is wrong, everyone is loved, and everyone is called to recognize this and change. Pg. 45
The first sign you have an elder-brother spirit is that when your life doesn’t go as you want, you aren’t just sorrowful but deeply angry and bitter. Elder brothers believe that if they live a good life they should get a good life, that God owes them a smooth road if they try very hard to live up to standards. Pg. 49-50
If a group believes God favors them because of their particularly true doctrine, ways of worship, and ethical behavior, their attitude toward those without these things can be hostile. Their self-righteousness hides under the claim that they are only opposing the enemies of God. When you look at the world through those lenses, it becomes easy to justify hate and oppression, all in the name of truth. Pg.54
Elder brothers may do good to others, but not out of delight in the deeds themselves or for the love of people or the pleasure of God. They are not really feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, they are feeding and clothing themselves. The heart’s fundamental self-centeredness is not only kept intact but nurtured by fear-based moralism. Pg. 62
The last sign of the elder-brother spirit is a lack of assurance of the father’s love. The older son says, “You never threw me a party.” Pg. 63
Elder brothers have an undercurrent of anger toward life circumstances, hold grudges long and bitterly, look down at people of other races, religions, and lifestyles, experience life as a joyless, crushing drudgery, have little intimacy and joy in their prayer lives, and have a deep insecurity that makes them overly sensitive to criticism and rejection yet fierce and merciless in condemning others. What a terrible picture. Pg. 70-71
Pride in his good deeds, rather than remorse over his bad deeds, was keeping the older son out of the feast of salvation. The elder brother’s problem is his self-righteousness, the way he uses his moral record to put God and others in his debt to control them and get them to do what he wants. His spiritual problem is the radical insecurity that comes from basing his self-image on achievements and performance, so he must endlessly prop up his sense of righteousness by putting other down and finding fault. Pg. 77
To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness-the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope and trust in things other than God, and that in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things.
It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord-lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness-that you are on the verge of understanding the gospel and becoming a Christian indeed. Pg. 78
Jesus had not come to simply deliver one nation from political oppression, but to save all of us from sin, evil, and death itself. He came to bring the human race Home. Therefore, he did not come in strength but in weakness. He came and experienced the exile that we deserved. He was expelled from the presence of the Father, he was thrust into the darkness, the uttermost despair of spiritual alienation-in our place. He took upon himself the full curse of human rebellion, cosmic homelessness, so that we could be welcomed into our true home. Pg. 101-102
The Bible insists on using sensory language about salvation. It calls us to “taste and see” that the Lord is good, not only to agree and believe it. Pg. 107
The climax of history is not a higher form of disembodied consciousness but a feast. Pg. 110-111
Jesus is saying that the inevitable sign that you know you are a sinner saved by sheer, costly grace is a sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of service to the poor. Younger brothers are too selfish and elder brothers are too self-righteous to care for the poor.
Christianity, therefore, is perhaps the most materialistic of the world’s faiths. Jesus’ miracles were not so much violations of the natural order, but a restoration of the natural order. God did not create a world with blindness, leprosy, hunger, and death in it. Jesus’ miracles were signs that someday all these corruptions of his creation would be abolished. Christians therefore can talk of saving the soul and of building social systems that deliver safe streets and warm homes in the same sentence. With integrity. Pg. 112
Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts. Pg. 113
Jesus doesn’t love us because we are beautiful; we become beautiful through Jesus’ sacrificial love. He is the ultimate spouse to us, his “bride,” in the gospel. Pg. 118
If we say “I believe in Jesus” but it doesn’t affect the way we live, the answer is not that now we need to add hard work to our faith so much as that we haven’t truly understood or believed in Jesus at all. Pg. 124
There is no way you will be able to grow spiritually apart from a deep involvement in a community of other believers. You can’t live the Christian life without a band of Christian friends, without a family of believers in which you find a place. Pg. 125
Christians commonly say they want a relationship with Jesus, that they want to “get to know Jesus better.” You will never be able to do that by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church, in Christian community, with strong relationships of love and accountability. Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve, and love Jesus will you ever get to know him and grow into his likeness. Pg. 127
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