Doctrine or Discipleship?

Belief or Discipleship?
by Richard Rohr 

 

I often say that we do not think ourselves into a new way of living, but we live ourselves into a new way of thinking. I’m not suggesting that theory and theology are unimportant; but I believe that faith is more about how we live on a daily basis than making verbal assent to this or that idea. In fact, my life’s work in many ways has been trying to move heady doctrines and dogmas to the level of actual experience and lifestyles that are an alternative to our consumer culture. In today’s reflection, Shane Claiborne—an Evangelical I deeply respect—invites us to quite literally follow Jesus:

Over the past few decades, our Christianity has become obsessed with what Christians believe rather than how Christians live. We talk a lot about doctrines but little about practice. But in Jesus we don’t just see a presentation of doctrines but an invitation to join a movement that is about demonstrating God’s goodness to the world.

This kind of doctrinal language infects our language when we say things like, “Are you a believer?” Interestingly, Jesus did not send us into the world to make believers but to make disciples [see Matthew 28:18-20]. You can worship Jesus without doing the things he says. We can believe in him and still not follow him. In fact, there’s a passage in Corinthians that says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, author’s paraphrase).

At times our evangelical fervor has come at the cost of spiritual formation. For this reason, we can end up with a church full of believers, but followers of Jesus can be hard to come by.

One of the reasons that Francis of Assisi is so beloved is that he followed Jesus so closely. In Shane’s words:

Francis did something simple and wonderful. He read the Gospels where Jesus says, “Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor,” [Matthew 19:21] “Consider the lilies and the sparrows and do not worry about tomorrow,” [Luke 12:24, 27] “Love your enemies,” [Matthew 5:44] and he decided to live as if Jesus meant the stuff he said. Francis turned his back on the materialism and militarism of his world and said yes to Jesus.

 

"Mining for Wisdom Nuggets"

There are mining town all over this planet.  In your opinion what is the job of a miner.  What would you call the method a miner uses in his work?  What is the miner looking for? 

June 20, 2019 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11  Psalm 36 5-10 John 2: 1-11

Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian.  So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school.  When the boy said he did Johnny inquired, "What are you learning in Sunday school?" "Last week our lesson was about Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding.  The audience chuckled but Johnny trying to keep a straight face then said, "And what did you learn from that story?" The boy went silent for moment. It was apparent he hadn’t thought about this.  All of sudden he blurted out, "Well I suppose If you're going to have a wedding, it might be a good idea to invite Jesus!"

You know, that is pretty profound advice.  Jesus is, at least for those who claim to be Christian, a sign of God being present in your life.    Jesus brings God into the picture and kindles within us the Holy Spirit.   Both relationships, your relationship with God and the relationship with a spouse were meant to be lifelong.   The first one shouldn’t end with the placement of a ring on someone’s finger, unfortunately for many it often does.  This, to the unknowing couple, creates an incomplete and fragile crevice in their relationship.  The relationship with Jesus shouldn’t end either with the claim that one has found salvation.  This make Jesus to small and too incomplete.  These covenants are for daily living not just for moment in time, what do we say?  Until death do us part!  Jesus at the weeding is not only keeping the party going, his presences there is a sign of God’s life long and eternal love for the couple.    

So then, It is a good thing to have Jesus at wedding ceremonies, more so it is good to have Jesus show up in our daily lives not just on Sunday.   

Many followers and preachers often focus here on the miracle at Cana, and miss out on mining for the deeper nuggets of wisdom for our daily lives.  Here, the ancient Hebrew practice of Midrash can be effective for us today. We must become like a miner, digging for those hidden golden nuggets of wisdom.  They are not always visible at first read and are often hidden within the stories, you have to dig for them.   The miracle is really secondary to what Jesus brings to the gathering.  Upon closer observation, the first two verses reveal our first nugget.  In order to have Jesus present, an invitation must be extended.  Inviting Jesus in, sets the stage for not only their gathering, but we too, must extend the same invitation, to have him present in our gatherings and in our daily lives.  The second nugget can be found when we hear of the family’s most embarrassing moment.  Let us not turn Jesus’ presence in our lives into a show piece as the hypocrite does, we invited Him in because we know Jesus helps us through the ups and downs of our daily life.  He is the only one who can save us from ourselves.  

Just when the party gets going, they run out of wine.  This is not really a life and death situation folks, well at least for some of us, yet even here Jesus comes to the rescue.  Another Nugget:  There is no cry for help that is too trivial for Jesus if Jesus has been invited into your story, into your life.  We do not have to make detailed requests for the Universal Christ to understand our needs, Jesus knows even when we cannot ask.  His mother simply states a problem while staring at her son.   Has this ever happen to you as child, you know the stare, "your room is a mess" the urgency to do something about it may not have be spoken, but the message is loud and clear.

This miracle story it is a great illustration of what can happen when Jesus is invited into our lives, He is always there for us through the thick and thin.    We humans can get carried away with neglect and indulgence leaving God and Christ out of our live but, when we do, we do not see trouble coming.  How many extend a daily invitation for Christ to enter in?    

Jesus has been invited to attend this wedding and His presence has a profound effect on its outcome.    Mary, understanding the embarrassment the family was faced with, so she looks to her Son for help.  At first, Jesus show reluctance to fulfill his mother’s unspoken request, because it is not time yet to show His authority over life and death He tells her.  Yet because of the invitation, Jesus’ true nature, which is to be a servant to all, comes shining through.    Jesus never fails the voice of the one who asks for help.   
                                                   Jesus on the Main Line”

Signs as we all know point to something and the signs in this story testify to something that is greater than we are - and it is that greater thing we are meant to be mining for - not the miracle in itself.  The signs here point to many things about Christ and about His relationship with us.   Here are three: 

First  - In turning water into wine,  Jesus takes what is and shows us that it has the possibility to become something new.  What can that do for us here today?   Well for those of us who might feel anxious or tired, fearful, devoid of joy, empty or board, lacking in purpose – WE can be transformed by the power of inviting His presence into our lives.   WE can be turned into something rich, fragrant, and ripe with the fullness of joy through His presence and care for our lives.   There is a lot of gospel in that for all of us.  Who doesn’t need his care, who doesn’t need his presence, Jesus can bring new life, even to that which appears to be dead to life.   May I suggest to take the story of Lazarus for instant not as fact but as a metaphor and dig for its deeper meaning.   He was apparently dead for over three days yet still responded to the voice of Christ.  Hearing it he was able to walk out of his darkness back into the light where Christ reigns.  Our Hope is that Jesus will fill the dead emptiness in our lives.  He can take whatever it is that we bring to him - no matter how little or how much and utterly remake it into something way beyond the best that the world is capable of providing.   Our Nugget here is "Trusting".  Put your TRUST in Jesus for He can literally change your life.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonder face and the things of earth will grow strangely of dim, in the light of His glory and grace.

Second -  John notes that wine, not just new wine but the best of wine came from thirty-gallon of water,  think of it, because of His generosity and their gratitude the time for celebration had once again begun.  Your new life awaits you because you have invited him in, now the seed must be planted so it can grow.  The soil which can grow this new relationship best is thankfulness.  Our nugget here you see is your Gratitude.

Thirdly - the Gospel story emphasizes the abundance of what Jesus can provide.  The wedding guests went from having no wine at all, to having almost enough to swim in.  By putting your trust in Jesus you too can share in His generosity of the abundant life.  One in which the wine of life will be the best ever - your cup will always be full to overflowing.  Thus this miracle was a sign pointing to the prize, the nugget here is: Jesus' is that prize.   He is the long-awaited deliverer of your life.   He is the one who will purify you and make the circumstances of your life palatable.   Jesus always provides more than is needed.  Isn’t that GREAT!!!!   

  

"Jesus and The Bible"

                   Scripture can be understood on at least four levels: literal meaning, deep                                          meaning, comparative meaning, and hidden meaning.

More than telling us exactly what to see in the Scriptures, Jesus taught us how to see, what to emphasize, and also what could be de-emphasized or ignored. Beyond fundamentalism or literalism, Jesus practiced a form that the Jewish people called midrash, consistently using questions to keep spiritual meanings open, often reflecting on a text or returning people’s questions with more questions. It is a real shame that we did not imitate Jesus in this approach. It could have saved us from so many centuries of righteousness, religious violence, and even single-issue voting.

Rather than seeking always certain and unchanging answers, the Jewish practice of midrash allows many possibilities, many levels of faith-filled meaning—meaning that is relevant and applicable to you, the reader, and puts you in the subject’s shoes to build empathy, understanding, and relationship. It lets the passage first challenge you before it challenges anyone else. To use the text in a spiritual way—as Jesus did—is to allow it to convert you, to change you, to grow you up as you respond: What does this ask of me? How might this apply to my life, to my family, to my church, to my neighborhood, to my country?

While biblical messages often proceed from historical incidents, the actual message does not depend upon communicating those events with perfect factual accuracy. Spiritual writers are not primarily journalists. Hebrew rabbis and scholars sometimes use the approach of midrash to reflect on a story and communicate all of its underlying message. Scripture can be understood on at least four levels: literal meaning, deep meaning, comparative meaning, and hidden meaning.

The literal level of meaning doesn’t get to the root and, in fact, is the least helpful to the soul and the most dangerous for history. Deep meaning offers symbolic or allegorical applications. Comparative study combines different texts to explore an entirely new meaning. Finally, in traditional Jewish exegesis, hidden meaning gets at the Mystery itself. Midrash allows and encourages each listener to grow with a text and not to settle for mere literalism, which, of itself, bears little spiritual fruit. It is just a starting point.

Whatever is received is received according to the manner of the receiver. [1] This statement from Aquinas was drilled into me during seminary. People at different levels of maturity will interpret the same text in different ways. There is no one right way to interpret sacred texts. How you see is what you see; the who that you bring to your reading of the Scriptures matters. Who are you when you read the Bible? Defensive, offensive, power-hungry, righteous? Or humble, receptive, and honest? Surely, this is why we need to pray before reading a sacred text!

Jesus consistently ignored or even denied exclusionary, punitive, and triumphalist texts in his own inspired Hebrew Bible in favor of passages that emphasized inclusion, mercy, and honesty. For example, referencing two passages from Exodus (21:24) and Leviticus (24:20), Jesus suggested the opposite: “You have heard it said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you . . . turn the other cheek” (see Matthew 5:38-39). He read the Scriptures in a spiritual, selective, and questioning way. Jesus had a deeper and wider eye that knew which passages were creating a path for God and which passages were merely cultural, self-serving, and legalistic additions.

From daily devotions by Richard Rohr