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Blind Faith )No. 13, 2008)

Being in the center is often a good place to be. Politicians talk of being centrist, or of being just left or right of center in the political spectrum. Getting to the center or to the heart of the matter means finding the key issues for dealing with important concerns.

Do you know how to find the center of the Bible? If you are looking for the center book of the Bible, many people can tell you that it is Psalms. Open almost any Bible to the middle, and you will be in some chapter in Psalms. Not centrist enough? The center chapter of the Bible is Psalm 117. Still not any help? How about the center verse of the Bible: ” It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” (Psalms 118:8 NIV) Ok, that’s some better … but not much. Narrowing the focus to either Testament doesn’t produce much more enriching findings. In the Old Testament, the middle chapter is Job 29, and the middle verse is 2 Chronicles 20:13: ” All the men of Judah stood before the LORD with their babies, wives, and children.” (2 Chronicles 20:13 NCV) Nice place to be, but it doesn’t offer much direction for living. You want to center your faith in the New Testament? Prepare to go to several locations. The center book of the New Testament is 2 Thessalonians, and the center chapter is Romans 13. The center verse in the new Testament is Acts 17:17, finding Paul preaching the gospel in Athens: ” In the synagogue, he talked with the Jews and the Greeks who worshiped God. He also talked every day with people in the marketplace.” (Acts 17:17 NCV) Nice example to follow, but it still isn’t very inspiring.

Maybe the metaphor needs to be changed. Instead of the center of the Bible, perhaps thinking about the center of gravity could be more helpful. The center of gravity is the point around which the mass of a body is distributed equally. Supporting an object at the center of gravity provides the maximum stability and maintains a state of equilibrium. In military parlance, the COG (center of gravity) is identified as the most important factor in accomplishing a mission’s objectives. Applied to the Bible, different life situations might suggest different passages as the center of gravity. When dealing with the death of a loved one, Psalm 23 often comes to mind. An especially inspiring experience of worship may call attention to Psalm 100. As I prepared for worship on Easter Sunday, a TV preacher spent several minutes detailing how everything in the Bible revolves around John 3:16. While John 3:16 certainly encapsulates much of the Bible’s message, I have another candidate to nominate as the center of gravity of my Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! {18} All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. {20} So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. {21} For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NRSV)

Obviously, the story of God’s love and grace, the revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the history of God seeking relationship with his creation, and much more cannot be boiled down to the few verses from 2 Corinthians 5, but they do concentrate the message of the Bible powerfully, and the rest of God’s Word to us revolves around what is clearly stated here.

God always wants us to come back into proper relationship with him and with the whole world. Verses 18 , 19, and 21 say, ” All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ,… in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them…. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Repairing the relationship does not depend on anything we can do, but God takes the initiative to make it possible. The Greek word translated reconciled conveys the idea of putting back together what should never have been broken apart. Being reconciled is more than slapping a patch over a break and hoping for the best. It involves restoring the break at the point of damage. Because we are separated from God by our sin, reconciliation is possible only by removing the root of the problem – our sin – and that is exactly what God does in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The passage explains what reconciliation with God and others means for followers of Jesus: ” If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” Verse 17 tells us that following Jesus changes everything. Much of the rest of the Bible explains how to live this new life.

The full circle of God’s mission in Jesus Christ, the effect Jesus has on our lives of faith, and our participation in God’s mission is summarized in these verses. Our purpose for life is set out in verses 18, 19, and 20: “God … entrusted the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Rather than seeking the upper hand with others, we are commissioned to work to live together with all people, from whom we should never have been broken apart. Again, this is possible only because of what God has done through Jesus Christ, not because of any peace talks any of us can convene on our own. But we are God’s officially endowed representatives for doing the work of reconciliation and telling everyone that it is possible only by following Jesus in genuine faith.

Everything in the Bible centers around this message. Almighty God, who is praised magnificently in Psalms and other writings, is the one who reconciles us to himself in Christ. All of humankind rebels against God, as the historical narrative of the Bible recounts, and only a new birth from God can save us from ourselves and our sin. God has work for us to do, making individuals and groups of people, tribes and nations whole again in body, mind, and spirit, and the Bible instructs us in demonstrating God’s love and spreading his Word to all the world. Mixing metaphors, the whole Bible message turns on this point, the entire Bible makes sense read through this lens, this key unlocks the truth revealed in every line of the Bible. It is a crucial passage in my understanding of Christian faith.

Where do you find your own center of gravity for your daily life? Can you locate it in the pages of the Bible? When you think of what following Jesus means in your life, does a centering passage of scripture come to mind?

What about the broken relationships in your life? How are you letting God repair the breaks? How are you helping to reconcile people to God and to one another? Participate today in God’s brand new creation in your life and in the world, made possible only through Jesus Christ.

J. Edward Culpepper, Ph.D.

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Blind Faith (No. 12, 2008)

Easter brings out all kinds of celebrations of life. Trees and

flowers bud and blossom with multiple shades of green, yellow, pink,

white, and the rest of the rainbow of colors. The landscape transforms

from the cold browns and grays of Winter to the lively chromatic

promise of Spring. New clothes rival the palate of floral displays.

Symbols of new life and fertility, such as bunnies and chicks, populate

Easter folklore. What celebrates life more than a basket full of

chocolates, jelly beans, and marshmallow peeps?

Of course, Easter for Christians celebrates the profound

triumph of life over death in the resurrection of Jesus. The promise

that death does not have the final word, but that new life is the gift

of God through faith in Jesus Christ is absolutely central to Christian

faith. Easter Sunday worship resounds with the affirmation of new life

spoken by the angel at Jesus’ empty tomb to the women who went to

anoint his dead body, “Jesus, who has been crucified… {6} is not

here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the

place where his body was. {7} And go quickly and tell his followers,

‘Jesus has risen from the dead.’” (Matthew 28:5b-7a NCV) Christians

exuberantly respond to worship leaders’ proclamation of new life,

“Jesus Christ is risen!” with their own confident profession of faith,

“He is risen, indeed!”

As good as we feel by celebrating all of life, and particularly

by celebrating new life in the power of the resurrection of Jesus, we

may still sell our joyous celebration short. Reveling in the bright

flower blossoms of Spring is easy. Every Spring cheers us with

refreshed blooms and growth. Jesus’ resurrection is infinitely much

more than any seasonal refreshment, though. It is the radical reversal

of human experience with sin and death. The full impact of Jesus’

resurrection cannot be appreciated without a keen sense of the reality

expressed since antiquity in the Apostle’s Creed, that Jesus ” suffered

under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.”

Fully accepting the reality that Jesus died has been an

important part of the Christian church’s celebration of Easter. A

crucial element of Holy Week worship services, during the week between

Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, for centuries has been Tenebrae, the

“Service of Shadows.” It is usually conducted in somber tones, a dirge

reflecting upon Jesus’ death. In the ancient Christian tradition

Tenebrae began at sundown on Holy Wednesday and continued for four days

including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Worship

services held on the four days underscored the service, betrayal,

trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. The purpose of Tenebrae is to

emphasize the fact that Jesus died – he died – for our sin. Too

quickly, we often gloss over his death in a headlong rush to reach the

joyous celebration of life at Easter.

A meditation on the death of Jesus has stuck in my thoughts

since I first heard it sometime around 1974. It is cast as the musings

of the beloved disciple, John, as imagined by Ragan Courtney in the

gospel musical, Celebrate Life. John, Matthew, and the other

apostles recall how their world was violently plunged into chaos when

the rabbi who had taught them the depth of God’s love, Jesus, was

arrested and put to death. His monologue always heightens my sense of

Jesus’ death:

He died that day. He walked straight down that

road with all sorts of resolve, and he died. And I cried every step of

the way without shame because my grief was holy. I knew every step he

took had been walked by millions of men marching through the valley of

the shadow. But he died for them all. Over all those broken stones and

black thorns. And he walked it alone. I thought, ”How can I bear not

having him with us?” I felt as I walked through the crowd that I

shouldn’t weep for what stupid reason, I can’t remember. . . The tears

in my eyes formed prisms so that I saw hundreds of him walking away . .

. to die. All the grasses bent their heads and the wind blew a sad, sad

refrain. And I watched him walk to the altar again and

again.

His whole life had pointed into this

eventuality. He died. Why was he so abused? Because he loved? Is love

so horrible to look at that people must kill it?

(John, Celebrate Life, Ragan Courtney,

Broadman Press, 1974)

Jesus died. His death deeply affected

people who witnessed the event. A Roman army officer, a seasoned

commander of a hundred men, was strangely moved by his death: When the

centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how

he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39

NIV) Yet, he died. His death contrasts so

starkly with his teaching about God’s mercy, justice, and love. It

does not square with his making sick people whole, or his feeding of

hungry crowds, or his forgiveness of outcast lawbreakers, or his

embrace of society’s untouchables. But he died!

Paul tells us why:

When we were unable to help ourselves, at the moment of

our need, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. {7}

Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although

perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. {8} But God shows

his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were

still sinners. {9} So through Christ we will surely be saved from God’s

anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of

Christ’s death. {10} While we were God’s enemies, he made friends with

us through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends,

he will save us through his Son’s life. (Romans 5:6-10 NCV)

My sin and your sin , our resistance to God’s way of life, draws us

into the battle lines against Jesus, the personification of God’s love

and grace. To end the battle, not by obliterating us, but by defeating

the power of our sin, Jesus died. Paul says, ” Once you were separated

from God. The evil things you did showed your hostile attitude. {22}

But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical

body. He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without

sin, fault, or blame.” (Colossians 1:21-22 GWT) Only as we realize the

enormity of God’s love for us demonstrated in Jesus’ death can we begin

to appreciate the unfathomable gift God has offered us through Jesus’

resurrection life. Simply stated, ” When people sin, they earn what

sin pays–death. But God gives us a free gift–life forever in Christ

Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NCV)

Don’t rush to your Easter celebration so hurriedly that you

bypass the hard reality of the death of Jesus. Sin always leads to

death, but because of God’s grace, instead of leading to my death,

Jesus is the one who died. Because of his death, my sin is forgiven.

Because of his resurrection life, I have hope for life, meaningful life

here and now, and life forever with God. Once I have traveled that

train of thought, I am truly ready to exclaim on Easter Sunday morning

in joyous celebration of life, “Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen,

indeed.”

J. Edward Culpepper, Ph.D.

Blind Faith (No. 11, 2008)

“Donkey duty! Why us? Donkey

duty!” the two disciples might have thought in disgust.

Why couldn’t Jesus send somebody else, like the big show-off Simon, or

the “Me first!” Brothers, James and John? Who knew what kind of

braying, obstinate drudgery they would have to endure to bring back

this untamed donkey colt – or from the colt’s owners – that Jesus had

sent them for? Surely Jesus knew someone with a horse, or maybe even a

believing centurion or publican with a chariot he could use for his

arrival in Jerusalem! But, no! They were sent on donkey duty!

Around Bethany, the crowds that had dwindled to almost

nothing only a few weeks earlier in Galilee had once more swollen to an

eager throng. When they heard that the rabbi who had raised Lazarus

from death was back in town, everyone wanted to come and see both Jesus

and Lazarus. Many people had finally come to Jesus in full faith

because of his calling Lazarus back to life. Now, with Passover only

six days away, they were sure that he would head for the beloved

capitol city, Jerusalem, to take his rightful place in the Temple.

The donkey-duty disciples might have been thinking about the

stories of Jesus’ miracles and the wonderful words of life and love

they had heard Jesus speak that they could be telling to inquirers in

the crowd back at Bethany. They should have known by now that getting

the colt would go exactly as Jesus had said it would. When they

returned with the donkey, the disciples used their coats as a makeshift

saddle, hoping to add whatever dignity they could to Jesus’ ride on it

into Jerusalem.

Word spread quickly that Jesus was headed into the city.

People from Bethany, apparently inspired by the disciples saddling of

the donkey with their coats, began “rolling out the red carpet” for

Jesus with their own coats. Others rushed out from Jerusalem with palm

branches, waving them excitedly to welcome Jesus, and adding them to

the padding for the colt’s clip-clopping hooves. The donkey-duty

disciples’ mundane act of obedience blossomed into an impromptu praise

and worship gathering, a bold declaration of Jesus’ ministry of

salvation. Their simple act of service gave the crowd the chance to

celebrate their faith in Jesus: “A great crowd … {13} … took

branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus, shouting, ‘Hosanna!

Praise God! God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! God

bless the King of Israel!’” (John 12:12a, 13b NCV) Some began to sing

from Psalm 118: “The whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with

joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had

seen. They shouted, {38} ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of

the Lord! May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!’” (Luke

19:37-38 NIRV)

As the parade route turned down the Mount of Olives toward

Jerusalem, Jesus began to weep. Was he thinking how quickly the cheers

of the parade crowd would change to the jeers of the crowd along the

processional to Calvary? Many in the parade crowd were making public

professions of their faith in Jesus by shouting, “Hosanna!” Others,

it seems, were only caught up in the excitement of the moment. Who

doesn’t like a parade, with energetic throngs of people shouting and

cheering, perhaps singing and dancing as parades into Jerusalem often

inspired (remember the parade with David and the Arc of the Covenant).

How many among the palm-waving congregation that Sunday genuinely

trusted Jesus as Lord of their lives, and how many only shouted the

words because everyone else was doing it? Jesus had demonstrated God’s

love and grace both in teaching unlike anything his hearers were

accustomed to hearing and in the miraculous works of restoration and

healing he had done. Still, many did not believe that he was God’s

Messiah. Jesus cried out over the people lost in spiritual darkness as

he neared the capitol city: “He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the

city, he began to sob. {42} He said, ‘I wish you had known today what

would bring you peace!… But now it is hidden from your eyes…. {44}

You didn’t recognize the time when God came to you.’” (Luke 19:41-42,

44 NIRV) Jesus’ ministry was about more than exuberant crowds and

public spectacles. He was seeking heartfelt commitment of men and

women to follow him and to live with God’s love as their prime

focus.

Easter Sunday will once again draw the largest crowds

attending worship services in churches across the land. Some people

will “beat the crowd” and come early to Palm Sunday services. Worship

services don’t usually happen all by themselves, though. Many unseen

people perform all kinds of “donkey-duty” in order to provide others

the opportunity to join in praising God. Although people serve

joyfully in countless roles, even the most dedicated may sometimes feel

like they are always the ones sent to do donkey-duty. Caring for

children in the nursery, teaching often tuned-out youth, singing in the

choir, operating TV equipment, providing welcoming food for attendees,

and myriad other jobs can seem unappreciated, or regarded by those not

doing the jobs as unimportant. But the simple obedient service of

people doing those jobs is vital for others to participate in welcoming

Jesus as Lord. Just as the donkey-duty disciples had no idea of the

worship celebration and public witness about Jesus their obedience in

going for the colt would provide, we may not know what opportunity our

obedient service may open for others to find or express faith in

Jesus.

But don’t forget Jesus’ tears for those who know little more

about him than the commotion of public parades and spectacles. Many

sitting in Easter and Palm Sunday services will follow the crowd,

rather than genuinely following Jesus. Many will sing the words and

mouth the readings as they are prompted, without really knowing what

Jesus’ words and works mean to them as offerings of God’s love and

grace. Today, just as on the Olivet road long ago, Jesus’ heart yearns

for people to follow him obediently to accept God’s way of life.

How often do you feel that you have drawn donkey-duty as you

follow Jesus? Imagine someone who might not have the opportunity to

hear Jesus’ call to new life, or not have opportunity to be part of a

worshipping community without your obedient service. How can your

actions in praising and worshipping God inspire someone else to become

a follower of Jesus? Are you giving your true faith to Jesus, or do

you just cheer along with the crowd as Jesus passes your life by?

Take heart, if you find yourself on donkey-duty. Your

actions might just ignite a spectacular celebration in honor of Jesus,

“the One who comes in the name of the Lord.”

J. Edward Culpepper, Ph.D.

Blind Faith (No. 10, 2008)

Crowds were large, resembling political rallies for a favorite

son candidate, and Jesus appeared poised to go to Jerusalem in victory.

Passover was just a few months away. Spending time in the region of

Galilee, Jesus attracted throngs of followers from the cities of

Tiberius and Capernaum. Many who responded to Jesus came because they

saw in him hopes of physical healing, political liberation, or

alleviation of poverty.

At a rally near Tiberius, the crowd grew to more than 5,000

men, plus innumerable women and children. People who had seen Jesus

heal sick neighbors and had heard him debate the apparent religious

front-runners (and win!) flocked to him, eager to see and hear more.

No caterer showed up, but Jesus provided a fish takeout dinner for the

whole gathering, using a boy’s 5 breadsticks and 2 fish filets. Jesus

thanked his Father, then had his disciples hand out the food. After

the meal, they collected more than a takeout basket for each of the 12

of them. When the crowd became too frenzied because of the free

dinner, Jesus slipped away to avoid a premature merely political

fiasco.

During the night, Jesus strolled across the Sea of Galilee to

Capernaum. The Tiberius crowd, hoping for another good meal,

commandeered boats and followed him. Jesus read the crowd

perceptively. He knew that many of them were not solid supporters for

the right spiritual reasons, but were only looking for a free meal.

When he confronted them about it and explained what becoming a true

follower of his meant, the crowd evaporated. Jesus told them, “‘Life

is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life.

The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life.’ …

{66} Jesus’ speech made many of his disciples go back to the lives they

had led before they followed Jesus. (John 6:63, 66 GWT)

When Jesus’ poll standings plummeted, due to the defection of

people who had followed him with their bellies rather than with their

hearts, Jesus called together the inner circle to see what they wanted

to do: ” After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted

to be associated with him. 67 Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance:

‘Do you also want to leave?’ 68 Peter replied, ‘Master, to whom would

we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. 69 We’ve already

committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.’”

(John 6:66-69 The Message)

Two research surveys reported this week indicate that many 21st

century Christians may be more like the fickle fish-craving crowd than

the faithful followers of Jesus and his disciples. A survey of over

35,000 Americans age 18 and older by the Pew Forum on Religion and

Public Life, The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, finds that 28%

of American adults have left the faith in which they were raised in

favor of another religion or no religion at all. If people who have

moved from one Protestant affiliation to another are included, 44% of

American adults have either changed religious groups or have turned

away from any religious identification altogether. 16.1% claim no

affiliation with any particular religious group, more than double the

number who say that they had no religious connection as children. Of

respondents age 18-29, 1 in 4 say they are not affiliated with any

particular religion. While some people move in a fluid religious

climate from one Christian community to another, the net result finds

more adults leaving any active practice of faith than those professing

faith.

The preceding conclusion is corroborated by a survey conducted

by the Barna Group entitled, New Statistics on Church Attendance and

Avoidance. The Gallup research finds that 23% of all Americans are

in a category Gallup calls “unattached.” These people have had no

connection with any regularly convened faith community during the past

year. About 1/3 of this group have never attended church at any time

in their lives. More distressing, 6 in 10 among this group identify

themselves as Christians, and 17% identify themselves as “born again

Christians.” The numbers consistently point out that those who live

without a regular face-to-face faith connection tend to be relatively

isolated from the mainstream of society, tend to be non-committal in

institutional and personal relationships, and typically revel in their

independence. Unfortunately, the unattached group was found to be the

fastest growing segment of the population. Connecting adults in the

unattached category to groups regularly practicing their faith was

found to be increasingly unlikely.

Jesus’ question to his disciples in the wake of large numbers

of defections by the crowd of supposed followers is painfully relevant

today: “Do you also want to leave me, too?” (John 6:67 GWT)

Temptations to abandon the often rigorous life of authentically

following Jesus come from various directions. For some, if the

affluence promised by “prosperity gospel” preachers fails to pay off,

then Jesus is dumped from their lives as just another bogus self-help

attempt. For others, trials may come through physical illness, family

distress, perceived social injustice, or a host of other wrongs. If

they do not find Jesus meeting their physical needs, then they may

decide to cut their losses and leave faith in the dust. Still others

may conclude that actively practicing Christian faith just doesn’t have

the social cachet it had in previous generations. Identification with

a faith group is not a crucial element for advancing in a career or

socially, so why bother? Rationalizations for turning away from the

demanding commitments to which Jesus calls us are easy to find.

Certainly, attending gatherings of Christians in a prayer

group, house church, or congregation is not absolutely essential in

order to be a follower of Jesus – but it is pretty close! Early

followers of Jesus were instructed, ” We must also consider how to

encourage each other to show love and to do good things. {25} We should

not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are

doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as

we see the day of the Lord coming.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 GWT) Being a

follower of Jesus was never intended to be a lone-wolf existence, but a

life supported by a community of Jesus followers. Even in a group,

temptations to falter in faith grip the most devout Christians. With

eight other disciples nearby, and Jesus just across the Garden of

Gethsemane from Peter, James, and John, they had trouble fulfilling a

simple request from Jesus: ” When he came back to his disciples, he

found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, ‘Can’t you stick it out with

me a single hour? 41 Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into

temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of

you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part

that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.’” (Matthew 26:40-41

The Message)

Following Jesus demands persistence. It involves more than

having physical needs and wants satisfied. Temptations to slack off or

to fall away abound, especially if you are separated from a community

of fellow followers of Jesus. Three would-be followers of Jesus gave

excuses for following another day (if they got around to it), but ”

Jesus said, ‘No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s

kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.’” (Luke 9:62 The

Message) I wonder if Paul had these words of Jesus in mind as he

told Christians in Corinth, ” So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let

anyone move you off the foundation . Always excel in the

work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the

Lord is not pointless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 GWT)

Are you sometimes tempted to turn away from active practice of

faith in Jesus when hard situations arise? Do you wonder if all the

time you spend in church or with another group of believers is

worthwhile? What response would you have if Jesus asked you, “Do you

want to leave me, too?” Find at least one other Christian or a whole

group of followers of Jesus, and commit yourself to pray for each

other, encourage each other in living out your faith, and openly give

praise to God for Jesus’ words of life. Where else but with Jesus and

Jesus’ followers can you find real life? Either don’t leave, or come

back to Jesus and his family in the church.

J. Edward Culpepper, Ph.D.