Coming to Jesus is not like coming to church

Continuing to read Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened..."

Coming to Jesus is not like coming to church. We don't have to leave our burdens at home and make ourselves presentable. We don't drop our burdens at the door, enter into his presence, and then pick them up again on the way out. There are lots of things that we do to take our minds off of our troubles, coming to Jesus is not one of them. All of our entertainments, spiritual or otherwise may provide some relief, reprieve, and distraction from the things that weary us, and it's important to have this kind of outlet in our lives. But coming to Jesus is not a distraction from the central issues of our life. We don't come to Jesus to feel spiritual, to feel forgiven, or to get rest. Many of the things that we come to Jesus for are only a byproduct of coming to him with our burdens. To come to Jesus to get rest is like trying to catch a butterfly: the more you chase it the further away it flies. Rest is the result, not of pursuing rest in Jesus, but of bringing our concerns to him.

The most important burden to bring to Jesus is the burden of our own sin. We feel its weight, and "weight", is an appropriate biblical word for our sin (Heb. 12:1). This weight is the most fruitful of all the burdens we can bring to Jesus. I would like Jesus to give me rest without making me face my sin. I don't want my time with Jesus to be a confrontation, I want it to be pleasant. But Jesus knows that its getting wearisome for me to keep carrying around the same old garbage day in and day out, year after year. He wants me to bring my burdens into the relationship with him. It is both an act of desperation and an act of courage to come to him with all of my stuff. So many Christians have an unfruitful relationship with God because they aren't willing for God to talk straight with them about their life. Bring your burdens to Jesus and he will give you rest.

I find that we are often reluctant to bring the burden of what others have done to us into our fellowship with Jesus for similar reasons. We don't want to feel the pain again, don't want to be reminded of it. We don't want to have to forgive, don't want to feel like we are being forced into yet another injustice. We don't want to acknowledge that our own sin may have played a role in our being hurt.

Jesus can't heal a burden that is not brought to him. If I keep my suffering, my sin, my anger, my bitterness, outside the door of my spiritual life I will find that I experience a temporary distraction through prayer and worship and bible study but that I receive no significant healing. Many people multiply their spiritual exercises and devotions hoping in this way to crush the burdens that they are carrying around. The actual result is that all the pressure creates a counter force that eventually erupts in ever more pain.

Don't think that when Jesus says: "Come to me, you who are weary and burdened..." that he is inviting you to a world of make believe where your sin and the pain inflicted on you by other's sin no longer matters. As the verse goes on to say, he is inviting you to put on a yoke, to pull with him in one harness, to accomplish the work that leads to rest and peace.

Is the place where I meet with Jesus a truly honest place or do I bring my penchant for keeping secrets into the most holy place of my life?

The importance of steeped tea

This morning our pastor was talking about the value of "steeped" tea. (Now don't get the wrong impression about our pastor from this. He runs his ministry on pure java but he is still able to identify with those living in the tea counter-culture.) His point was that we should not simply rush on from passage to passage in our Bible study. From time to time we should just sit with one passage and revisit it day after day until all the nutrients and flavour of the words begin to be released into our hearts and minds. As I listened to him I decided that I would take a couple of verses and stick with them for a while to see what would happen. I'll record the results here. So, here's what were going to steep:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

I love the invitations in Scripture, they are so welcoming and accepting. I love to hear Jesus say "come to me." He has such interesting ways of determining who qualifies to come. He doesn't say, "come to me all you Jews" or "come to me all you religious people" or "come to me all you good living people" or "come to me all you intelligent people" but "come to me all you who are weary and burdened." Anyone carrying around a disappointment, a hurt, a wound. Anyone tired of living, worn out from the battle, used up, spent, down to their last crust, running out of rope. "Come to me." We're used to invitations in our culture. The whole advertising industry is one big invititation: "Come to me all you who have money and I will satisfy your needs with clothes, tools, toys, technology..." But God says: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?" (Isaiah 55:1-2). (Make appropriate applications here to the Christmas holiday mindset).

"Come to me." Something is being required here. It is not required that we be anything but needy, nonetheless there is something being asked of us. "Come." We are being asked to come. I thought of all the people who intentionally got up, burden and all, and came to Jesus. I thought of Zaccheus who climbed a tree and waited. I thought of the four friends who ripped their neighbours roof off so they could bring their friend to Jesus. I thought of the woman with the "issue of blood" who got in close enough to reach out and touch Jesus. I thought of the Centurion who came to Jesus for his son. I thought of example after example of people who got up and went looking for Jesus. It's not people who are weary and burdened who find rest. Its people who are weary and burdened and who get up under the weight of that burden and come to Jesus. This is what I am doing by steeping this tea. I'm coming to Jesus. I'm responding to his invitation. I'm telling him what's on my heart. I'm getting into proximity with him. I'm reaching out and touching him. I'm ripping the roof off of what ever is standing between me and a relationship with him. I'm getting into touching position. I'm getting into listening position. I'm comparing Jesus' invitation with all of the other invitations that came in the mail this week, as inserts in the newspaper, and as flyers and shout outs from all the people who are ready to meet my needs for a small fee.

Let the steeping begin.

"We do not want you to become lazy..."

Continuing to read Hebrews 6:7-12
"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised."

Since at least the sixth century the church has thought of laziness (sloth) as one of the "seven deadly sins." This spiritual problem has been thought about so much over the years that it has been given a technical name: "acedia." Acedia is a Greek word that refers to the malaise, or sluggishness of spirit, that lies unexamined in a person's life. Laziness is the symptom, the light on the dashboard, that warns of the presence of the problem.

This is a laziness that can be present in the context of a very busy life, a life filled with activity and far reaching goals. The specific reference of this laziness is our lack of love for God that results in our neglect of "helping his people and continuing to help them." We don't love God if we don't love what God loves, and God loves people. I can easily make the case that God also loves what I'm most interested in, of course he does, but that is not the issue here. The issue here is that "God so loved the world that he gave...". I am being challenged to get in touch with what God "so loved...". The specific object of his giving was the lost, broken, wounded souls that he created to live in fellowship with him.

This is a deep challenge for me. It is not opposed to my nature (I was created in the image of God, to be like him), but it is opposed to my history (which I'll spare you). The roots of acedia are not biological but historical whether viewed in terms of the individual or the entire sweep of human life on this planet. Courage is required to turn our backs on a history that feeds the malaise. Others have found the way through: "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." We may begin by imitating but we will end by inheriting. Love can be learned and it can dispel the gloomy spirit. Carry on with "faith" and "patience."

"...show...diligence..."

Continuing to read Hebrews 6:7-12
"We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure."

This is a much deeper challenge than it first appears to be. I was tempted to pass over this verse quickly, perhaps just to rap up this section with one last blog and move on to something else. Diligence has never been a problem for me. I always have a multitude of interests and projects on the go. Mix these in with all of the usual responsibilities of work and family life and you have both a mandate and a recipe for diligence. Fortunately I had one of those sober second thoughts before I moved away from this subject. Hermeneutical lesson number one: pay close attention to context. This verse is not about diligence. This verse is about the previous verse. Diligence is not the goal, it is the means to the goal. What the writer is pressing home here is not that we would be hard working, driven people but that we would be people who are all about loving God and others. Diligence of one sort can be the enemy of diligence of another sort. My focused, passionate life, either in my work or my hobbies, can submerge my attention to the fact that I live in a world where love is given and received, neglected and ignored, cherished and explored. The two great commandments are not about empire building, not about making my mark, not about asset acquisition, they say simply: love God (with everything you've got) and love the people around you (as much as you love yourself). If this seems like a truism, simply a restatement of the obvious, then I suspect that we are attempting to brush aside this challenge. These two basic commandments challenge everything we are as self-centered, material obsessed, worldly beings. We are being asked here to get in touch with the deepest priorities of the living God who "loved us and gave himself for us."

The promise that is attached to this application of diligence to our relationships with God and people is that we will "make our hope sure." The mark of the person who lacks faith is that he is "without hope and without God in the world." When I enter into meaningful relationships of love and nurture I will increase my sense of hope. Hope is a by-product of relationship. Relationship increases security, isolation feeds insecurity and meaninglessness. We are not being asked to do something here that has no payoff. Our duty to love is a deeply self rewarding activity. What greater gift could I give to myself than the gift of hope?

We interupt this program...

I'll take a break from Hebrews today to comment on a post by Sunshine over at A Dream of Being Orange. Sunshine is discussing the role that grace plays in destroying "the root of bitterness." At the end of her post she quotes this verse from II Samuel 14:14

"Like water spilled on the ground which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, He devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him."

We think we know God. We think we know how he will react to various scenarios in our lives. Just when I'm ready to pronounce on what God's actions will be in a certain situation he comes up with an "instead." When its time to call down fire from heaven, Jesus says... "instead...". When its time to destroy Nineveh, God says... "instead...". When it looks like a good day for a stoning, Jesus says... "instead...". When the prodigal son is prepared to live the rest of his life in shame, the Father says... "instead...". When I've stubbornly gone my own way, again, and expect I've tried His patience one too many times, God says... "instead...". When someone I love disappoints me and I decide to walk away or give them the silent treatment, I think I'll say... "instead...". Wouldn't that be just like God. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph. 5:1).

"God is not unjust..."

Continuing to Read Hebrews 6:7-12
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."

The encouragement continues, against the background of a solemn warning, and procedes to address a potential point of discouragement. There are some brief phrases that pop into our minds from time to time as we travel along this path of producing a useful harvest. Phrases such as "its not fair," "its not worth it," "I'm just wasting my time," "I'm not appreciated," "it doesn't make any difference anyway," sneak up on us and club us over the head. These are the points in our Christian life when we find ourselves standing there feeling rather stunned. Its a short leap from these rather general statements to the more specific: "God isn't fair." If it helps me to acknowledge the presence of these thoughts at points in my life, I can remember Jeremiah (accusing God of being a deceptive stream, sometimes there's water and sometimes its just dry), or Jonah (accusing God of loving the wrong people and of giving him a bummer of an assignment), etc.

Just so that there isn't any confusion about this the writer of this letter takes the time to say: "God is not unjust." God takes note of all the things you have done for Him as you have served your family, friends, and enemies. Others may take you for granted, fail to thank you, remember only the bad and forget all the good. But "God will not forget your work and ... love ...". Everything we do for one another in this world is taken as "love shown to God." The same God who forgets our sins is the God who never forgets our love. Keep on working at the harvest. God is watching with loving attention.

"...we are confident of better things in your case..."

Continuing to read Hebrews 6:7-12
"Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case - things that accompany salvation."

The warnings are serious, the acceptance of responsibility for my spiritual life is serious, the consequences for neglect are serious BUT "even though we speak like this" we need to realize that there is a very powerful positive force at work in our life. "We are confident of better things." There is reason to be confident concerning our own lives and the lives of those we love who are in Jesus that "better things" than thorns and thistles will come up out of the good soil on which the seed of God's word has fallen. This is the point of balance that God wants us to live our lives on. Living in tension with the warnings and the promises. Listening equally to the curses and the blessings. Do not be discouraged by the presence of thorns and thistles, take responsibility for them, own up to them, repent of them and be confident that better things are in store for those who have given their lives to Jesus. There are things "that accompany salvation" that are working themselves out in my life. I can be confident of this as I let God speak to me about my actions, attitudes, thoughts and desires.

Not everyone, of course is in the same "case" in this world, but "we are confident of better things in YOUR CASE."

"Land that produces thorns and thistles..."

Continuing to read Hebrews 6:7-12
"Land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be destroyed."

It is abundantly easy to grow thorns and thistles, even on land (perhaps particularly on land) that previously has been cultivated for better crops. The recipe for growing weeds is neglect and inattention. No watering, fertilizing, or pruning is required. The takeover of the weeds makes the field "worthless," which is in stark contrast to the cultivated field, which is "useful."

We are here talking about the spiritual field that is our life. A spiritual field like this is not in a neutral position. It is "in danger." It runs a risk "of being cursed." Even a very good field has some content of weeds but danger to the harvest increases as weeds are allowed to multiply out of control. It is up to me to take responsibility for the weed content of my field. I value my field and keep a close eye on the invasion of weeds in my thoughts, my private life, my choices, and my relationships. I know that a field that gets out of control will not go on that way forever, there is an endpoint to every abandoned field: "it will be destroyed."

God has made us all landowners. How is the harvest coming along?

"Land ... that produces a crop ..."

Continuing to read Hebrews 6:7-12
"Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God."

As one who has received so much from God, who "drinks in the rain," shouldn't something more come from this than just the quenching of my thirst? Some immediate questions arise:

1. What useful crop might I reasonably expect to produce?

First and foremost is character, a.k.a. "the fruit of the Holy Spirit," Christian humanism, the renewing of the image of God in us. This is what Jean Vanier calls the project of "Becoming Human." This is about giving attention to the quality of soil that all of our actions are eventually planted in and harvested from. Because right action is never enough. Our "righteous must excede that of the Scribes and Pharisees." Out of this good soil will arise all kinds of loving, joyful, peaceful...actions that will bless those around us.

2. Who are "those for whom it is farmed"?

This refers to both God and people. God is the immediate recipient of every crop we produce, whether good or evil. We bless God or curse God by all of our responses to his abundant rain upon the geography of our life. The people around us, in our circle of relationships, may glean in our fields all that is left there for them because we have been faithful in caring for the precious seed that God has scattered on our life and watered with his love.

3. What is "the blessing of God" that I should expect?

This is God's "favor." As in: "the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering..." (Gen. 4:4), "Whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 8:25), "A good man obtains favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 12:2), and many others. It is God's smile, God's companionship, God's investment in my life.

I have certainly produced my share of thorns and thistles that didn't bless anyone but oh, that I would produce a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed.

I am land that drinks in the rain often falling on it...
I am land...that produces a useful crop...

"Land that drinks in the rain..."

Reading Hebrews 6:7-12
"Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it..."

In a world of complaining and discontent, where nothing is ever good enough, fast enough, or accomodating enough it is a wonderfully contrary perspective to see myself as "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it." Many of us go through life feeling empty or at least feeling like some essential piece of the puzzle to our happiness is missing. We don't often think to challenge these vague feelings. We give them an authority and a prophetic voice in our life that is unwarranted.

The truth about me is that I am "land that drinks in the rain often falling on it." The truth about us is that God "has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3). If I don't challenge the feelings of deprivation I am subject to be mastered by them.

Often it never occurs to us that without any change in our circumstances we could think about our life in a radically different way. Give it a try.

"...always be zealous for the fear of the Lord."

Reading Proverbs 23:17
"Do not let your heart envy sinners but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord."

The human heart is alive with desire and longing. When the heart is sick its desires turn towards those things that will eventually destroy it. What is my heart's desire today? Do I have a longing, a zeal for God and His ways? This is unnatural to the flesh and seems odd. The flesh desires sinful ways: "the mind of the flesh is death" but "the mind of the Spirit brings life and peace." I need God to instruct my heart in what the proper objects of desire are. The compass is off and I don't even know it. "There is a way that seems right to a man but the end of it is death." I have to be told to set my desire towards God. I have to be told not to envy sinners. Until I learn that I cannot trust my own heart I will always be going astray. How many times has my own heart led me over the brink? Unaided by the Spirit the human heart will always go astray. This is a law of Spiritual entropy.

"See to it..."

Reading Hebrews 3:12-15
"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God."

The Biblical writers are unequivocal about where the responsibility lies for our spiritual condition. We are addressed directly: "See to it...". There are no exceptions: "that none of you...". We play games with ourselves where we imagine that in our case we are not responsible. Some other person or group of people, some other circumstance, some disability or limitation provides me with an exemption from responsibility for the spiritual condition I find myself in. I need to keep looking until I can find someone or something else that can "see to it" that I don't turn away from God. And of course I don't have far to look. There are all kinds of candidates for this role. The church is one of the biggest enablers in this regard. We have professional worship leaders who take responsibility for providing me with a meaningful worship experience, there are professional men and women of God who make sure I hear what God is saying to me on Sunday, someone else takes responsibility for my children's spiritual growth, etc. I pull in to church on Sunday like I pull in to the gas station. "Fill me up." The contemporary church environment breeds dependence. The problem with dependence is that when I am alone I have no resources of my own, someone else is the keeper of my resources. And I am alone most of the time, without my Sunday resources, away from the people "whoose job it is" to see that I don't turn away from God. Can I be blamed for straying under these circumstances?

"See to it..." Take responsibility for your own spiritual life. Worship God, listen to His Word, practice the truth, speak up for God in your world. Only then will other believers be of any use to you. "But encourage one another daily..." (v. 13). Encouragement does not take my responsibility away from me, it supports me in my choice to live for God. My family, my friends, my church, do not "see to it" that I live out the abundant life of Christ. They simply add more joy to a journey that I have chosen for myself because of my own convictions.