Slave To No Other

[note: this is the beginning of a series on Jesus’ teaching commonly called the “Beatitudes” (Mt 5:3-12 )]

When it comes to following Jesus, where do I begin? Do I pray a commitment prayer, get baptized, become a member of a church, or just change the religion category on my Facebook profile?

Jesus started the first sermon we encounter in the four Gospels with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 ESV)

Why poverty of spirit? It is the way to pass through en route to God’s kingdom and the “foundation of all other blessedness… the jewel of a Christian’s garb.”

But what is it? Is it gloominess, melancholy, or an air of angst? Poverty of spirit is not humility precisely but the cause and root of humility.

It is living “on the alms of God.” In this, I see myself as a beggar before God and nothing more. I complain of my broken spiritual condition, of my spiritual cravings. A beggar is vocal because he knows he is starving. “Longing is the umbilical cord of the higher life” (Søren Kierkegaard) And thus, it is seeking complete and regular nourishment in the words of God, like a tree planted by streams of water

It is having a true sense of my inability to do anything to kiss up to God or barter with him. It is a deep sense of utter dependancy, knowing that every breath I have is a gift of God and every good thing I do is an expression of God’s grace working in my life. It is knowing I can’t define God or save myself.

It’s being dissatisfied with my self and aware of self-destructive tendencies. It’s being willing to part from my self-defining tendencies, my self-driven desires, and my self-exalting vision of the future. It is being fully aware that all good that has happened, is happening, and will happen is a gift of God. It is being weaned from self .

It is not centering myself in what I have (my stuff), what I do (my resume), or whom I’m with (my group), but lets God’s perspective define me. “What a man is before God, that he is and nothing more.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

It is being aware how spiritually vulnerable we are and has a true sense of personal weakness and culpability in any situation. It is being teachable, learning from all sources of truth while at the same time being careful knowing how easily it is to be gullibly tossed around by the next fad of ideas. It is revering God so deeply that I tremble.

It is being willing to be used of God, aware that God’s plans are usually not my plans. It is a willingness to forgo current pleasure and satisfaction aware that there is a purpose higher than myself.

It has a deep sense of what spiritual wealth looks like and is willing to sacrifice everything for it.

It is many more things and this idea is saturated throughout Jesus’ teachings. It is the first command repent connected to Jesus message that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Thus, to follow Jesus, I start by acknowledging that my own path is sorely lacking and worth abandoning when I’m confronted with his better way, the way of life .

(with help from the writings of Thomas Watson, Frederick D. Bruner, John Calvin, Søren Kierkegaard, Jeremiah Burroughs, Brennan Manning, and a few others)

During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. —George Orwell

I’ve asked God for many things in my life. I’ve prayed before countless tests and exams, visits to the dentist, and important phone calls. In my life I prayed for good grades, good health, a good wife, a good job, a good place to call home, children, and these days, a good night’s sleep. I’m sure that I’ll pray for many more things in the years to come.

If I could pray just one thing, what would it be? A million dollars (tax free)? Fame and popularity? Or like with a genie, for three more wishes? In Psalm 27 we see a prayer for just one wish:

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” (Ps 27:4 ESV)

We know that God doesn’t exist in one building or atop just one mountain. In these globe-trekking days, where is “the house of the Lord”?

With Christ we see that the ““the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) — that God moved his house to where we were. And we look to the future when the resurrected will dwell in ““the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb 11:10). But what about now? Between the first and final resurrection, why should we pray this singular prayer?

Dwelling in God’s house is not as much about longitude and latitude as it is about a relationship, an attitude, a direction.

In God’s house…

• our identity is as citizens of Christ’s kingdom
• our safety is secured by God’s protection
• our provision is reliable as His children
• our hope is in his faithfulness, because he’s come through before
• our worth, our beauty is in Him
• we feel most at home.

Is that worth praying for? Is that better than passing an exam, an audit, or passing by the dentist’s drill? If I had to pray one thing, this sounds good. It doesn’t cover everything I want, but it covers everything that God knows I need.

So the next time I experience an unanswered prayer or become impatient waiting for God, may I narrow my wish list to just one thing…

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple…. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Ps 27:4,14)

_______, it has been an honor and joy during these past few months to meet with you and walk with you towards this day. I am very excited for you both and while much could be said, I will try to be brief.

The second passage you chose, an excerpt from Paul’s letter to the church in Rome , tells us that God is for you. This passage communicates the most through its questions, (a.) “Who can bring a charge against you?” (b.) “Who condemns you?” and (c.) “Who can separate you from the love of God?” These questions, in many ways, summarize the challenges every marriage faces, issues of guilt, shame, and separation. In all of these, This passage tells us that God is for you. Who can be against you? As the first reading, Psalm 121:2 says, “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Paul started his letter describing how the human race turns away from God and how He takes initiative to draw people to himself, pay their debt through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and defeat all dark powers through Christ’s resurrection. God’s love is not blind. It bound him to keep his promises to Abraham and respond to our rejection by sending Christ (cf. Kierkegaard). What we read today is a climax of an entire section which asserts that our brazen rebellion, hard-headedness, and self-delusions cannot stop God’s love.

In the first question, Paul speaks of accusation. We all have guilt, and in marriage you will find many ways that you can hurt one another. No backstabbing is as powerful as that of a spouse. Few disappointments are felt as deeply. You will sin against each other, both intentionally and through neglect and sloth, and you will have no excuse. In verse 33 of this passage, Paul asks, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” Who accuses you? As Christ-followers, your response to sin should be different. When you experience your partner’s sin, it hurts, but in Christ you can show mercy because God has been merciful to you. As C.S. Lewis says, through Jesus, God forgives the inexcusable in us, and the love of God helps you forgive the inexcusable in your partner. Who accuses you? “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Secondly, Paul asks, Who condemns? One of the joys of marriage is a physical openness without shame. Also, the emotional openness can be freeing when both people feel safe and supported. Yet, one of the challenges of marriage is that you come to know so much about a person that it is tempting to shame them in front of others, whether family or in public. You are acutely aware of their weaknesses. Instead of being a help that comes alongside honorably and respectfully, it is tempting to put a spotlight on their weakness. Whether it’s a nag, a snide remark, an exposing of dirty laundry, or overcompensating for them, shame is powerful.

Who condemns? Jesus, who died and rose again, is at God’s throne above the cosmos, interceding for you, _______. Your cosmic status is not one of shame. You are a delightful topic of divine conversation. God the Son is talking to God the Father, and he speaks very highly of you both. This is a great encouragement and example for us. When you are tempted to gripe about your husband “with the ladies” or scorn your wife among “the fellas,” remind yourself, “what is Jesus saying about my spouse right now?” The ancient church fathers note that one of the key dangers in spiritual life (and I would add in marriage) is forgetfulness. We are too often caught in the moment and forget the big picture. Who condemns you? __ (Groom) __, as you see her today, beautiful, radiant, pure, and dressed in white, that is her reputation God the Father hears from Jesus. Don’t forget. __ (Bride) __, as you see him today, stately, handsome, enraptured & engaged, noble, true, and pure, don’t forget. Who condemns? Remember Jesus’ intercession.

The final question Paul asks is one of separation. The infamy of our age is how often wedding promises are abandoned. We regularly hear that marriage will bring us self-realization, fulfillment, personal growth, physical gratification, and happiness. When it doesn’t, we are tempted to separate and abandon our promises. Others might praise marriage and never divorce, but when we observe a mere social contract kept for raising a family, a life of 50/50 negotiations and cold pragmatism, we see relational separation that results in lives of quiet desperation. Loving for the sake of self-fulfillment is contradictory to God’s love, and keeping a contract without love does not reflect the character of God.

While you are making a contract/covenant today and all of us here today wish you much happiness, your main mission is to forge a life of oneness. This is your new spiritual discipline. Solid, healthy, lasting oneness takes a lot of work and will be challenged at every turn. Seek such a deep oneness that the obligations of this contract become almost unnecessary. (B. Roberts) There is great joy in this oneness, great security in a love that never lets go, great assurance in experiencing kept promises, great connection in living all of life together and engaging deeply with someone for decades, great assurance that the one who knows your dirty laundry will loves you more in ten years than he does today. There is a great consolation to experience a love that is tender in sickness, generous in affection, ready to listen, quick to encourage, and playful at just the right time. It’s great to have someone who just “understands.” This life of Christ-driven oneness is worth it.

Who can separate? It is a love that is greater than our mistakes, greater than our need for satisfaction or fulfillment or even our need for being loved. It is a love that is solid, has deep integrity, and keeps its promises. It is a love willing to walk through pain, through “the valley of the shadow of death,” that never gives up because it knows what is on the other side of the pain. It is a love that builds up, that washes feet, that is willing to die for another. It is a love that defends, that leads, and that comes alongside.

Who can separate? The love of God, in which this passage climaxes, is one that all the powers of the cosmos and all the suffering and trials of life cannot overcome. This is the commitment God makes with you. He will be your help, your “rear guard” in the battles of life, your refuge in the storm, your strength when you feel weak. Jesus promises that his followers will be persecuted as he was, as your Christian friends in China can testify, but suffering will not separate you from the love of God. When God promises to love, he keeps it. This love is greater than life and greater than death. God’s love for his people is a marital love, and a good healthy Christian marriage of man and woman is a picture of God’s love for us.

_______, May God fill you with a fresh sense of Christ’s self-giving love, and may that be the driving force in your new life together, that your marriage might increase his fame in the world.

I feel like a scrooge. I watched Elf the other night, where those with enough “Christmas Spirit’ end up “Saving Christmas.” While the myth of Santa seems tame enough, all its recent mythical attachments increasingly bother me.

Christmas, in its essence, is about the Creator of the Universe giving an undeserved, unearned, and immensely necessary gift to creation. The Creator incarnates himself as a human in order to save humanity who brought ruin on themselves. This gift is one of grace — unmerited favor. So can we really “save Christmas” through warm feelings and jolly singing? Christmas does not need saving, but we do.

Not only is the celebration of divine unequivocal gift-giving regularly replaced with a much lesser story, but the gift itself is stripped of all that is of lasting value. It doesn’t take long to learn that getting more stuff does not deeply satisfy. Santa is a messiah whose gifts are fleeting and temporal. They will corrode, fall apart, and leave us wanting more. But the blessing of God is of divine making, of eternal quality, and does not disappoint.

As we enter into Advent, let us take time to prepare our hearts to receive God’s gift in Jesus and treasure Him more than whatever stuff we might think we want or is marketed to us.