Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Feel-Good Gospel

Introduction

            I have the opportunity to talk to lots of people about Christ and I’ve discovered something very interesting: I am warmed by people who are committed followers of Christ and I am challenged by those who refuse to believe in Christ. But there’s another group that I just can’t figure out what to do with—I’ll call them “fence-sitters.” They’re not really into the whole committed following thing but they believe in Christ. I met with someone like that this week. For the sake of our story, I’ll call him Bob (not his real name). So the conversation began when Bob wanted to know what I did for a living. I get this a lot and I really wish I had an easy answer. I mean, I’m a carpenter to pay the bills and provide resources for this ministry, but my calling is to be a pastor. So that’s usually how I try to answer that question. Awkward right? And the next question is almost always, ‘Oh what church do you pastor?’ That’s when I try to explain that my ministry consists of weekly electronic lessons that are read around the world; I don’t know the majority of people who read the lessons; no building; not pews; no altar; no stained glass; no praise band; no strobe lights; no fog machines, just God’s word rightly divided (hopefully) and applied to our lives. I explain that I meet with people during the week in a ministry capacity and most of those people also happen to read my lessons. It’s a very non-traditional form of church but it is the only church some people have because of where they live and a variety of other reasons. I can usually anticipate the next question as well—‘So where do you go to church?’ I try to explain that I don’t go to “church.” I go to my office every day after work and prepare for my weekly lesson. The person I’m talking to usually has a puzzled look on their face but at least the thirty minute conversation about what I do for a living comes to a merciful end and I can turn the conversation around and begin talking about their beliefs or unbelief. Honestly, the whole thing is complicated and awkward and I wish I could streamline my answer but I haven’t figured that out—it’s a work-in-progress. So after I did this little dance with Bob, he began to share where he was in his faith walk. He told me he’s been to lots of different churches and has finally settled on a very popular, local mega-church. I asked him about his selection criteria and here’s what he told me, I’ll paraphrase: I don’t want to go anywhere where they preach “fire and brimstone.” I don’t want to go somewhere where the pastor is “too preachy.” I don’t want to be “lectured to.” I don’t want to hear about “sin and hell.” I want to go somewhere where I’m “not bored.” I want to go to a church that makes me “feel good.” So he settled on this particular church because what they do and say makes him “feel good” about himself and his life. He found what is now so popular in our culture—a place that preaches The Feel-Good Gospel. I will confess that I have been accused of pretty much all the things Bob doesn’t like about church so, even though I’ve read the Bible front to back countless times, I went looking for something I must have missed somewhere; I want people to feel good and people want to feel good so naturally, Jesus must have wanted people to feel good. I decided I would look at the very heart of the Gospel message—I mean, if the message is coming directly from Jesus, it must feel good, right?

Subject Text

Matthew 16:21-28
21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Context

            There is a progression of thought in Chapter 16 that culminates in our Subject Text. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus spars with the religious leaders who wanted Him to perform some kind of miracle as proof of who He claimed to be even though he had already performed countless miracles to that point. Instead, Jesus makes a veiled reference to his death and resurrection after three days when he tells them that the only sign he will give them is the sign of Jonah. Remember, Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days before the fish spit him out. I have no doubt the religious leaders were simply left scratching their heads at this reference. Their image of the Messiah was that of a conquering military/political leader who would liberate them from Roman oppression and restore Israel to national prominence. Opposition to this image of the Messiah held by the religious leaders and, most likely, the Jewish community in general is probably what motivated Jesus to warn his disciples about the teachings of the religious leaders in vv. 5-12. Therefore, in order to set the stage for the disciples to begin to grasp the full impact of Jesus’ revelation in our Subject Text, it would be important for the disciples to understand exactly who Jesus was, which is established in vv. 13-20—Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He was the One they were waiting for; the One that would make all things right; the One who would set them free. The only problem is that no matter how much Jesus wanted to erase their false understanding of the Messiah, they clung to the type of Messiah they thought Jesus should be; they wanted Jesus to be the powerful, charismatic, and the conquering hero they had been waiting for; there is no way they wanted the Gospel message in our Subject Text; they wanted The Feel-Good Gospel. But, as always, Jesus wasn’t going to give them what they wanted, He was going to give them what they needed.

Text Analysis

            Jesus, never one to pull punches, especially with his disciples, drops a bombshell on them in v. 21. There is no way the disciples, who had just confessed that Jesus was the Son of God, saw this coming from Jesus. We take Jesus’ revelation for granted when we read it because we see Jesus’ life and ministry, in large part, as a completed story; a significantly finished work of art. However, staying with the art metaphor, the disciples are still looking at a significantly blank canvas or a largely untouched block of stone. It would not be until much later when more brush-strokes are added or more of the stone is chiseled away that they would be able to see a clearer image of who Jesus really was. Consequently, their minds must have been spinning as they tried to reconcile their image of the Messiah with the image Jesus was painting for them. While the disciples (and the Jews in general) were happy with the simple paint-by-numbers picture of the Messiah, Jesus was painting a grand masterpiece of the true reality of God’s salvation plan for humanity through Him. “The passion of Jesus was the working out not of the will of Jesus’ enemies but of the will and purpose of God to bring benefit to humanity…Matthew interprets the resurrection and ascension of Jesus as God’s appointment of Jesus to the position of highest authority in the cosmos.”[1]

            Reality can be a tricky thing. The revelation of what is true can have varying degrees of impact on people. Most of the time, we have a sense of what is real and unreal; what is true and what is false and usually when what we believe is real or true is corrected because we were wrong it is a fairly benign event. For example, get ready for this shocking revelation—Santa Claus is not real! For most of us, making the transition to this reality was relatively innocuous (I hope I didn’t just rock your world with that revelation about Santa Claus). There are, however, some revelations that are far more difficult or painful to accept. For example, the infidelity of a spouse or the diagnosis of a terminal illness or the sudden death of someone close to us can leave us in a state of unbelief even in the face of what is true and real. This is what we see in v. 22 and Peter’s response to Jesus’ revelation about His impending fate. Peter was prepared to confess that Jesus was the Christ but it is the same Peter who refuses to accept the reality of what it means to be the Christ. “Did Peter after all call Jesus Christ in the true sense? The answer must be: Yes, ethically. He understood what kind of man was fit to be a Christ. But he did not yet understand what kind of treatment such a man might expect from the world. A noble, benignant, really righteous man Messiah might be, said Peter; but why a man of sorrow he had yet to learn.”[2]

            Peter has gone from receiving divine revelation about Jesus’ identity in 16: 17 to being inspired by Satan to impede Jesus’ mission in v. 23. Being unwilling to accept what is real and true leaves us grasping at extremes as we desperately try to make the untrue true or the unreal real. Peter had a vision of reality about Jesus in his mind and was not yet willing to accept the true reality of who Jesus was and what He was sent to do. But Jesus, in no uncertain terms, puts Peter in his place. Not only does Peter not understand the reality of Jesus’ life and ministry, he fails to understand the reality of what Jesus’ example means for him as a disciple. When Jesus tells Peter that he is a “stumbling block,” it “shows that it is precisely the suffering of discipleship that Peter does not understand, because he does not comprehend the way of the Lord himself. The meaning of discipleship is that Jesus goes on ahead and prescribes the way.”[3] There is an important principle that Jesus is teaching here—Our reality is only true insofar as it conforms to the reality revealed to us by God through Jesus Christ. All other versions of reality, no matter how good or sound they seem to be, are not true.

            The reality of who Jesus was and is doesn’t stop with His life and ministry. It has ramifications for his disciples and by extension all of us who claim to believe in him as Lord and Savior. When we get to v. 24, Jesus dispels any illusions we may have about what it means to be a follower of Christ. We want our lives to be a certain way—smooth, easy, and comfortable. When we envision our lives as followers of Christ, that vision usually doesn’t include a cross. But the reality is, according to Jesus, that anyone who wants to follow Him must embrace a life where the cross plays a significant role. “Following Jesus, therefore, meant identifying with Jesus and his followers, facing social and political oppression and ostracism, and not turning back. For some, taking up the cross might indeed mean death. To ‘follow’ Christ is also a moment-by-moment decision, requiring compassion and service. Following Jesus doesn’t mean walking behind him, but taking the same road of sacrifice and service he took.”[4]

            Until now, even though Jesus tells his disciples that he would be killed, this is the first mention of the cross. The disciples knew that the cross was Rome’s gruesome instrument for execution, but they didn’t yet understand the literal and metaphorical meaning of Jesus’ reference to the cross. Jesus, therefore, goes on to explain in vv. 25-26 the implications of failing to accept the harsh reality of being a follower of Christ and clinging to some false Gospel that paves the way to a smooth, easy or comfortable life. Jesus tells us that pursuing this kind of life, although it seems right, will actually cost us our lives because we are pursuing a life that isn’t based in the reality revealed to us by Jesus. Jesus’ claim in v. 25 is both literal and figurative. A time would come when almost all of them would have to decide if they would deny the Truth and save their lives or stand up for what they believed and be put to death. This is the literal image Jesus was talking about. However, all of them would have to decide if they would cling to the life they wanted or give up that illusion and lay hold of the life; the true reality, of being a faithful follower of Christ regardless of the cost. This is the metaphorical image Jesus is talking about. When Jesus gets to his question in v. 26, we run headlong into the true reality of life. If we are unwilling to accept the Truth about what it means to live as a faithful follower of Christ along with our own cross, then life has no real purpose; no real meaning. It is only when we embrace a life of selfless service and sacrifice that we will find the true life God intended us to live. “The person who tries to hang on to his own will and reject what God desires for him ultimately loses eternally all that he is attempting to protect in this life. Paradoxically he might go to the most extreme lengths to preserve physical existence or to try to discover the essence of his existence, but in the end, apart from being in the center of God’s will, there is nothing for him but death for his soul. On the other hand, the person who lets loose of her own self-centered desires and accepts God’s will for her discovers true life—salvation and righteousness and the fulfillment that she gains as she receives the reality of life in the kingdom of heaven.”[5]

            One of my favorite movies of all time is Field of Dreams. In the movie, the main character plows a portion of his cornfield under in order to build a baseball field because he heard a mysterious voice say “If you build it, he will come.” He took this to mean that he should build a baseball field in the middle of his cornfield. Once completed, long-dead, iconic baseball players began to appear from the surrounding cornfield to play baseball on the newly constructed field. At the end of each day, the players would walk into the cornfield and magically disappear until the next day when they would return. The farmer endured ridicule from the surrounding community and financial hardship because a significant portion of his farm no longer produced a crop. You see, only the people with the courage to believe in the miracle of the baseball field could see the players. On one particular day, the baseball players invited a visiting writer who was able to see them into the cornfield. The farmer was a bit incensed because he was not invited. He went through a litany of obstacles and struggles he had endured because he constructed the ball field and yet never asked how it would benefit him. Now, however, he wanted to know: “What’s in it for me?” You can see how the film ends and why the mysterious voice called him to build the field as part of one of my previous lessons titled, What’s In It For Me at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-in-it-for-me.html. When Jesus explains to his disciples what it means to be his followers and the struggles that await them, it’s not really unreasonable for them to wonder how it would benefit them. I don’t know for sure if that’s what the disciples were thinking but it appears that Jesus might be trying to calm their concerns in v. 27 when He assures them that all those who are faithful followers when He returns at the end of time will receive their reward according to their faithfulness. “Jesus goes on to remind us that glory indeed awaits ahead but only after suffering. Christ will compensate and exalt all believers (and judge unbelievers) when he returns in his glory, which exactly represents the radiance of God the Father (Heb 1:3). High Christology again appears here since Jesus functions precisely as the God of Old Testament prophecy (see Zech 14:5). ‘What he has done’ is more literally his practice (a singular noun) and refers to an individual life viewed in its entirety. Did one commit oneself to Jesus, or did one serve only oneself (recall 10:32-33)?”[6]

            It is difficult to understand Jesus’ meaning in v. 28 and has been variously interpreted over the centuries. Was Jesus referring to the days immediately following his resurrection? Was he referring to the day when he would return in His glory as referred to in v. 27? Or was Jesus referring to something else altogether? Since all those who heard him speaking have died without seeing Jesus return in His glory according to the second coming of Christ at the end of this age, Jesus must have been referring to something else. More likely, Jesus was referring to either his transfiguration which we will read about in chapter 17 or he was referring to Pentecost and the beginning of the Church. In either case, some of the disciples were witnesses to one or both of these events. “With no other hint in the passage, the immediate context suggests that the event Jesus intends as signaling his coming as the Son of Man in his kingdom is the Transfiguration, which immediately follows. It may seem strange to speak of ‘some who are standing here will not taste death’ to refer to three disciples who will witness the transfiguration in a mere six days. But we must remember that Jesus is continuing to call for an urgent response to his kingdom mission that is now headed to the cross.”[7]

Application

            Because the image of the cross has become so common, we tend to forget what it represents. Let me try and paint a picture for you in case you are unaware or have forgotten. Crucifixion was actually invented by the Persians in the 4th century BC. However, it was perfected by the Romans in the 1st century AD. Crucifixion is where we get the word “excruciating.” Death can come within hours or after days depending on the health of the victim and the patience of the executioners. Jesus’ feet were nailed to the cross with his knees bent at a 45 degree angle. Jesus hands were nailed to the cross at the wrist directly through the main nerve leading to the hand. Within minutes of being raised on the cross, Jesus’ shoulders, elbows and wrists became dislocated. As a result of this position, Jesus rib cage was in a position where he was unable to exhale. Therefore, since all the joints in his arms were dislocated, he had to push up on the nail in his feet in order to exhale. As you can imagine, someone who was nearly beaten to death prior to being crucified as Jesus was, didn’t last long on the cross. Crucifixion was an anatomical and medical catastrophe. So why am I telling you this, because Jesus says we are to pick up our cross and follow him. Let me know when this Gospel message starts to feel good. Hopefully the image of the cross and what it represented is clear in your mind because I’m not done. If that didn’t make you feel good then maybe this will—Jesus endured all that because of you and me. How does that make you feel? You see, Jesus paid the price for our sin on our behalf so we wouldn’t have to pay it. That’s the reality of the cross; that’s the message of the Gospel. Read what author Larry Crabb writes as part of a conversation with God as he records God’s words in the conversation:

            “Understand this: when spiritual leaders nudge the cross of My Son into the outskirts of their thinking, when they stubbornly fail to realize that only through the cross are they both forgiven for their arrogant self-obsession and empowered to love sacrificially, then painful wounds will be seen as a greater problem than selfish relating. When that happens, relating in a way that protects you from further wounding and enhances a sense of personal well-being seems not only necessary but moral…False teachers dismiss the promise of My Son’s return as if it were fiction, a promise with no implications for how they should live now. This…leads to a greater concern for making life work well than for personal holiness. The hope for a better life now determines how they choose to live. It justifies self-centered choices. The hope for a better life later—the only hope that has the power to sustain My followers in claiming the unique opportunity that suffering in this life brings to reveal My radically other-centered nature to a watching world—is largely ignored, treated with contempt.”[8]

            Let me try and make this simple for you, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for people who are looking for the easy way; the wide road; the smooth path. True followers of Jesus Christ are less interested in feeling good and more interested in being holy. True followers of Jesus Christ are prepared to lay down what they think is most important and take up what God thinks is most important. True followers of Jesus Christ are prepared to offer their lives for the benefit of others. There is only one true Gospel and it is a bumpy, narrow path with countless obstacles and hazards; It’s hard; It’s painful, and it will mean letting go of everything you value above Christ. What the true Gospel gives us in this life is hope and strength to remain faithful to our calling as followers of Jesus Christ. Are you prepared to take up your cross and follow Christ? Are you prepared to relinquish the life you want for the life that Jesus wants for you? Or are you looking for a different Gospel; a Gospel filled with unicorns and rainbows; a Gospel were everyone is happy, no one gets hurt, no one gets sick and no one dies; a Gospel where God is never judgmental and accepts all our behavior and beliefs as equally valid? Are you looking for The Feel Good Gospel? If so, don’t bother looking for it in the Bible, it’s not there—I checked.




[1] David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), p. 283.
[2] W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983), p. 226.
[3] Colin Brown, gen. ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), p. 493.
[4] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 77.
[5] Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew—The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004), p. 572.
[6] Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew—The New American Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1992), p. 261.
[7] Wilkins, Matthew, pp. 574-575.
[8] Dr. Larry Crabb, 66 Love Letters—A Conversation With God That Invites You Into His Story, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009), pp. 337-338.

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