students of jesus

I’ve been intrigued lately with those things that impressed Jesus. Some things captured his attention. I’m not smart enough to present a systematic theology of God’s heart, but I know that he has one. I’ve seen it in the scripture, and I've seen in in my life. Have you? He stops the course of time and history and bends low to the affairs of men.

This Monday let me present my simple list of what catches God’s attention. If you meditate on these few suggestions, I’ll bet you could add a few more:

• The Father loves humility. It turns his head. But I’m quoting myself. You can read my view of a humble heart in last week’s post.
• Jesus was impressed by faith. When he encountered genuine trust, he never failed to point out how rare it can be. He usually discovered faith in the socially unacceptable places of his day, like women and foreigners (Matthew 8:10 and 15: 28 are two examples).
• Jesus stopped for the bold: A blind man screaming on the sidelines evoked this question from the Lord, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18: 35 - 43) Can you imagine Jesus interrupting his schedule to ask you--personally--”What do you want me to do for you?”
• Jesus defended outrageous acts of worship: When Mary crashed a party to lavish attention on Jesus other people criticized her impropriety. But Jesus said “Leave her alone.” (John 12:7) Do I pour out my passion in a way that would bring Jesus to my defense?

Jesus loved these traits. He rewarded them. But there is one human trait that never seemed to impress the Lord: our intelligence. True, I want every part of my being to serve the King, but one thing is sure: God is never impressed by anyone’s intellect, but he is frequently impressed with people’s hearts.

 

Roger Michell’s 2002 movie, Changing Lanes, is about what it takes to change your life. Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is a young lawyer eager to make his mark while working for his fiance’s father. Doyle Gipson (Samuel Jackson) is an divorced alcoholic father desperate to retain visiting rights with his children. Both men need to change, neither of them realize the depth of their need until they share a small automobile accident on the F.D.R. in New York City.

John Eldredge once observed that Hollywood dreams the dreams but the world still needs people like Joseph and Daniel to interpret the meanings. This film is filled with spiritual meanings. The characters have no use for each other, but God has a destiny in mind for each of them, and for them both together. The movie is set in the world of litigation and disagreement, and each man demonizes the other largely because of selfishness and lack of love for their neighbor.

No one would characterize Changing Lanes as a religious film: it does not preach: it portrays. The characters curse and rail against what they consider injustice and bad luck, but in their distress God is offering them repentance and new life--will they take it? In my opinion you should watch the film to find out.

I’m wondering today if I became a dramatically better writer overnight. With last Thursday's post, When Famous Christians are Gay, traffic to Students of Jesus increased ten-fold, and comments tripled their usual rate.

Why did so many more people visit this particular blog post and recommend it to others? To be sure, there were some unusual elements: I’ve never written specifically about sexuality before; I’ve never focused on a celebrity before; and never addressed the politically charged topic of homosexuality before. These three elements combined to generate increased buzz and discussion--but why?

Sexuality: Does our sexual activity fall under the Lordship of Jesus? Is there a connection between sexuality and spirituality? In the 16-month life of this blog I’ve never written specifically about sex and the life of a disciple. My bad--it’s a significant part of how we express our devotion to Jesus: gay, straight, single, married, widowed, divorced. My failure to address the sexual part of our being effectively pushes sex into the closet, as if spiritual people do not concern themselves with sex. Big mistake. I’m determined to address this area soon.

Celebrity: Say what you want, Jennifer Knapp still knows how to promote an album. The twin interviews with Christianity Today and The Advocate certainly put her back into the public eye after a seven-year absence. And readers apparently care. What is it about celebrity that draws our attention? As followers of Jesus, why would we respond more strongly to her story than someone unknown? True, her celebrity stems from recording “sacred” music targeted at a Christian market, but what does this reveal about our values as consumers of Christian culture?

Discipleship: Jesus invites everyone: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28) He loves us just the way we are--but does he let us remain just the way we are? What activities are compatible with becoming a follower of Jesus? When--and how--does he change us? Do we want him to change us, or is Christianity simply another lifestyle choice we add as an accessory to our lives? His anger burned against religious hypocrisy. He called self-righteous people “snakes” and “blind guides.” Clearly, he urged them to repent. Yet when Jesus befriended tax collectors and prostitutes did he endorse their lifestyle? Although we have no record of it, can we imagine that the woman at the well in John 4 remained in her living arrangements? Is a life-long embrace of sin compatible with the life of a disciple? The yoke Jesus offers produces peace and rest--but it is still a yoke.

These three topics have saturated my thoughts in the last four days. I invite you to think them through and dialogue with me in the days to come.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I rarely comment on current events, and I have never commented on anyone by name before in this blog, but I was invited to submit a comment elsewhere, so I’ve revised and expanded those remarks here today.

Just the other day Jennifer Knapp, a highly regarded Christian singer released interviews with both Christianity Today and The Advocate announcing she is a lesbian. The interviews were timed with news of her new album, which she will promote on separate tours this summer--one with Christian singer Derek Webb, and the other with the Lilith Fair festivals. Some Christians are shocked and disappointed, others have lauded her courage. One thing for sure is gays and lesbians in our congregations will watch the reaction of the Christian community in the coming days. In my opinion Ms Knapp's’s situation shouldn’t rise to the level of requiring comment from the pulpit any more than other people’s sexuality requires comment. The news about Jennifer Knapp simply brings what is usually below the surface back to the surface for a few days. It is a difficult question for me because I hold strong convictions in several directions.

First–the Evangelical church in North America has failed gays and lesbians for years. We have vilified, condemned, and marginalized homosexuals while straight Christians have continued to commit any number of sexual sins. We look the other way when straight Christians engage in premarital sex, or adultery, or (I say this with great horror) sexually abuse others. Rarely–very rarely–are these sins called out from the pulpit. We have failed homosexuals by making their identity almost exclusively about their sexuality while we allow straight people to define themselves by other markers in their lives. We have done these things and more. The standard Evangelical response, “hate the sin, love the sinner” is wholly inadequate precisely because we rarely exhibit hatred for other sins. If we actively condemned greed and materialism in our churches while assuring greedy materialists that we still love them how many Christians trapped in those vices would feel comfortable enough to stick around?

My second conviction is that homosexual activity is sin, and like all sin, one of it’s most dreadful consequences is that sin holds people back from the full potential in their relationship with their Creator. As a pastor, I am concerned about gays and lesbians in their shortcomings in the same way I am concerned about everyone in my charge, and myself for that matter. The fact that the Evangelical church has horribly mistreated gays and lesbians for decades means that we have lost our moral standing and the practical ability to speak to gays and lesbians. Sin does not separate God from me, it separates me from God. The reason any sin should be addressed is out of concern for the individual and their life with God. God does not need us to defend him, but he requires us to intervene in the life of those we care about. True intervention requires grace and truth. Both are necessary because we are not complete without both.

Finally, as someone who values the scripture highly, I am positively distraught at the abuse of God’s word by people on all sides of this question. Proof-texting and finger-pointing are abuses that surely anger God now as they did in Jesus’ day. Ignoring and distorting the gift of the scriptures also harms the person who comes to the text looking to affirm themselves rather than to submit to God (and lest anyone misinterpret that last sentence, I am talking about all “sides” of this issue). While some Christians use the scriptures as bullet-points in an argument, others have pushed back from the table and determined that we cannot know God’s will in the matter. The well-intentioned effort to describe the Biblical witness about homosexuality as a matter of differing interpretations is, in my opinion, misplaced. When did claiming to be clueless about what it means to be a disciple become the mark of following Jesus?

Please permit me one last observation: in his earthly ministry Jesus angered religious people while putting sinful people at ease. Yet no one would seriously contend that Jesus gave anyone a “pass” on their sinful behavior. The only One who had the right to judge others found ways to befriend the sinner and infuriate the self-righteous. I want to be like Him.

 

• Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (5:19)
• I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. (5:22)
• Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (5:48)
• Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. (6:25)
• For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks find; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (7:8)
• Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (7:21)