No Greater Love

Introduction

            Since the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the United States has been involved in eight other major wars including our current military involvement in Afghanistan. Added together, these wars represent nearly 1.4 million American casualties, 1.5 million wounded Americans and another almost 40,000 missing Americans. Here in America we just commemorated another Memorial Day in remembrance of our war veterans past and present. In light of the shameful way our government is currently abusing and allowing some of our veterans to languish and die as they await medical attention, I thought it would be important to try and get an idea of what it means for someone to knowingly risk their very lives for the freedom and safety of others. For those of you reading or listening to this message in other countries, I don’t want to exclude you in this lesson. This lesson includes all those who give their lives in the service to their respective countries for the sole purpose of maintaining the freedom and safety of the people they love. The purpose of this lesson is not to debate whether or not sending troops to war is proper or moral. There are those who believe that military intervention is the answer to every international problem and some who believe that military intervention is never the answer to any international problem. I’m just a simple pastor who knows little to nothing about international conflict. However, I suspect the answer is neither one nor the other exclusively. Ultimately, our military personnel aren’t in a position to make those decisions. Instead, when they are ordered to engage in a military conflict, they do so with the belief that their actions are protecting the country and the people they love as well as protecting our way of life. Do you want to know why we should place a very high value on our military personnel? Because they place such a high value on us! They are paid very little, have to spend long stretches of time away from their families, endure some of the harshest environments in the world, and most importantly, risk their very lives as part of their daily duties. In essence, there is nothing in their military service for them other than knowing that they have done what they can for benefit of others. Let me ask you a question—can you show me a more concrete example of love than an extreme act of self-sacrifice? I’m not talking about self-martyrdom as in the case of Muslims who sacrifice their lives for what they believe is their own spiritual benefit—that’s selfish and cowardice. The members of our military (as well as our civilian first-responders) offer their services and in some cases their lives so that others are safe and can live and be free and there is No Greater Love than that. This is precisely what Jesus told his disciples and exactly what he demonstrated through his self-sacrifice and death on the cross.

Subject Text

John 15:9-17

            ⁹“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.”

Context

            In order to appreciate the depth of meaning in our Subject Text, we must go back to the end of chapter 13 that somewhat forms a pericope with our Subject Text. At the end of chapter 13, we see that Jesus tells the disciples that He will soon be leaving them. In 13:34 Jesus gives the disciples, and by extension all of us, the command that they are to love each other the way He has loved them. This theme of “love” will continue through our Subject Text. However, there is another thread that weaves its way into our Subject Text—self-sacrifice. At the end of chapter 13 Peter attempts to show his devotion to Jesus when he claims that he would lay down his life for Jesus. However, Jesus predicts that Peter won’t lay down his life for Him but will instead deny Him three times leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus commanded them to love one another the way that He loved them. However, at this point they have yet to witness the extent of Jesus’ love for them—they will only understand the depth of His love as they witness the way He sacrifices Himself for the benefit of all humanity. It is only at that point that they will understand the depth of love that Jesus demands—a love that is selfless and sacrificial. The theme of love continues in chapters 14 and 15. Jesus also establishes His rightful place in the divine Trinity based on His unique relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit whom He promises will comfort the disciples after His departure. After Jesus demonstrates His love for the disciples by His death, they will fully appreciate that there is No Greater Love than the love that leads to self-sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Text Analysis

            Our Subject Text and the text surrounding it is some of the strongest and direct evidence of Trinitarian theology. There can be no doubt of the existence of the Trinity after reading chapters 14 through 16 which includes our Subject Text. If you want to learn more about the defense of the Trinity, you can access a previous three-part series titled Defending The Trinity, at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-1.html, http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-2.html, and http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2011/12/defending-trinity-pt-3-conclusion.html respectively. In v. 9 Jesus tells the disciples that the perfect love shared between He and the Father is the same love that He has shown the disciples. In the verses leading up to our Subject Text, Jesus compared Himself to a vine with His followers as the branches connected to and drawing life from that vine. Jesus explains that a branch no longer connected to the vine withers and dies and then is gathered together and thrown into the fire. Jesus carries the same language forward into v. 9 when He tells the disciples to remain in His love in the same way a branch must remain connected to the vine in order to survive. “Love is the true bond which gives unity to the moral world, and inspires discipleship. All that Christ experiences is the result of the Father’s love: all that the disciples are called to be and to do is the outcome of Christ’s love. This love of Chris was to be retained as their possession by their conforming themselves to it.”[1]

            There are two interesting things to note in v. 10. First, the verse is a conditional clause—If they obey Jesus, then they will remain in His love. The second thing to note is that they, as is the case for all of us, are to obey his commands—plural. Discipleship is an all-encompassing life that includes obedience of the mind, of heart and of action. “As children of God, disciples ‘live by the truth’ (Jn 3:21), which is the same as ‘remaining in Jesus’ teaching’ (Jn 8:32). Genuinely knowing divine reality will inevitably be reflected in the way disciples live; they will obey everything that Jesus has taught them. The disciple’s life of obedience is the only true life because it is aligned with God.”[2]

            When Jesus tells the disciples that He wants His joy to take root in their lives in v. 11, He intends something more than happy feelings. Too often we mistakenly understand joy as being strictly synonymous with happiness. Although the two can be related, true joy transcends the emotion of happiness that depends on circumstance. Joy does not bow to the demands of circumstance. Instead, biblical joy is rooted in a vibrant and abiding relationship with Jesus. When our lives are bound to His life like a branch is bound to a vine, then our lives will overflow with the joy that flows from the divine life of Christ. The joy of being in right relationship with God through Christ will serve as the equilibrium in a world fraught with highs of excitement and adventure to lows of disappointment and failure. “The perfect joy which Jesus has, because he is in full communion with the Father and does his will, is to be granted to the disciples also…The world cannot take away this joy and consolation any more than it can take away the peace which he gives, for they are grounded in revelation and do not belong to this world. This is the reason why his disciples are to be separate from the world and are to expect the world’s hatred and persecution.”[3]

            Jesus finally gets to His specific command in v. 12 when he tells His disciples to love one another with the same kind of love that He has loved them. And He goes on to clarify exactly what kind of love He intends in v. 13. The disciples will witness this level of love in the coming days when Jesus sacrifices Himself on the cross for the sins of humanity. Biblical love is always a sacrificial love; a love that is concerned first and foremost with the well-being of another. And the ultimate display of that love is laying down our own life for the life or benefit of someone else. It is the consummate theological paradox that we are to live according to Christ’s commands and to love even to the point of giving up our lives for another which is the supreme display of the life of love we have been commanded to live. Christ demonstrated His love for us when He died for us. However, the principle is more about self-sacrifice than it is about dying for someone else. Specifically, there are things far more difficult than physically dying for another and that is serving one another when we can’t afford it or don’t feel like it. At times, dying might seem preferable to faithfully serving another in love especially in the case of serving someone who is particularly unlovable. “As a new family the believers are called to enact the values of kin toward one another. The Christians are repeatedly urged to ‘love one another,’ specifically after the example of Jesus, who valued the well being of his sisters and brothers above his own life [Sisters and brothers being defined as those who believed in Him and do the will of the Father (Mt 12:46-50)]. Just as it would be disgraceful for us to ‘love’ our kin only as long as that love costs nothing, so the people joined by the blood of Jesus are to ‘go the distance’ in loving each other. Putting one another ahead of our comfort level, our attachment to our money, even our personal safety—this is the kind of love for one another that, for John at least, sums up all of Jesus’ teaching. This is to be the church’s essential mark, so that the world would recognize our connection with Jesus by the love we show one another.”[4]

            When Jesus calls the disciples His friends in vv. 14-15 we have to remember what He just got finished telling them in v. 13, that a person can show No Greater Love than to lay down their life for a “friend.” And that is exactly what Jesus will do in the coming days. Their relationship to Jesus has gone beyond that of servants who come and go as they are told. Instead, Jesus now considers them to be friends; partners in fulfilling the will of the Father. Jesus has told them and revealed to them everything that the Father has told Him and revealed to Him. Consequently, Jesus now considers them to be friends. But just like v. 10, v. 14 is a conditional clause that reiterates the need for their obedience to his commands. People often don’t like conditions when it comes to their relationship with Christ because to them it borders on a performance relationship as opposed to a relationship based in grace. However, the fact that Jesus conditions his relationship with us is an important reminder that we are not permitted to take that relationship for granted. Grace is not an excuse to live as though our lives are not governed by Christ’s commands to love one another, to share the hope of the Gospel with all people and to be holy as He, the Father, and the Spirit are holy. “Jesus expects his disciples to obey his commandments. This is a condition of being his friends. Life with him involves conformity to his thought, not as an optional extra, but as an obligation. Moreover, Jesus sums up his demands on his disciples in one commandment, ‘a new commandment’, which requires them to love others as he has loved them…Jesus sets out his own and his Father’s example as the pattern for his disciples. The radical nature of this demand is seen in the comment that the greatest love is the love of a man who gives everything, including life itself, for his friend, which is not only a commentary on the love of Jesus in his passion, but also on the Christian ideal.”[5]

            Jesus reminds the disciples in v. 16 that they aren’t accidental followers; victims of chance. Instead, Jesus sought each one of them out specifically as disciples with an intended purpose and that purpose, once He equipped them with what they needed, was to bear fruit in a dying world. For more on bearing fruit, you can access a previous lesson titled, How’s Your Fruit Tree at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2014/03/hows-your-fruit-tree.html. V. 16a is an assumed conditional clause. Even though the condition does not begin with an “if” statement, it is assumed because v. 16b completes the condition with the “then” element of a typical conditional clause. In other words, if the disciples are obedient to their purpose to bear fruit, which is undoubtedly an allusion to spreading the Gospel and making disciples, then the Father will give them what they ask for in the name of Jesus. “The confident prayer described in 15:17 is a byproduct of the intimacy with Jesus offered in 15:15-16. To be a branch, to be a disciple, does not mean that we can make some claim on the vine and demand it to produce what we wish. Prayer ‘in my name’ is not a formula that guarantees we will get what we want. Centuries of Christian experience bear this out. But prayer that is itself inspired by the spiritual presence of Jesus, that is in harmony with his will, that is in accord with what he is doing in nurturing the vineyard—this prayer will succeed.”[6] In the process of preparing this lesson, my wife and I, by coincidence, were talking about the unbelievers in our lives that we have been praying for in some cases for many years. She expressed the frustration that I often feel when those we have been praying for do not seem to respond to our prayers. I agreed with her that it can be exhausting to pray without seeing results. But we agreed that since faith is not something we can force on the people we are praying for, prayer is our only option. And knowing that the salvation of unbelievers is also God’s will, we have to trust that our prayers are never wasted.

            Jesus closes his instruction in v. 17 reiterating his command that the disciples are to love each other. Jesus leaves no room for equivocation in his instruction to the disciples and to us. We are called to love each other regardless of the cost. Although this verse restates what Jesus was saying in v. 12 and ends this section of Jesus’ teaching, it forms a transitional contrast with the teaching in the verses that follow. “The disciples must love each other because they would take Jesus’ message to a world that despised them. Christians get plenty of hatred from the world; from each other we need love and support. Jesus legislated love. He required his disciples to make peace with one another, to place the interests of others above their own, and to solve differences quickly. He knew they were diverse in background, but he ordered them to love each other. Jesus knew that setting this high standard was essential to preserving the unity of the church. If he required it, the believers would accept and live out this standard. Backbiting, disrespect, and bitterness toward fellow believers strips the church of its power.”[7]

Application

  “When the doorbell rang Monday evening December 4th, about 9:30, I wondered who would be visiting at this hour of the evening. But when I walked up to the door and saw two U.S. Army officers standing on the patio at the bottom of the steps, I knew instantly what was happening. This is the only way the Army tells the next of kin that a soldier has died.

         

At that moment, I felt as if I had slipped off the edge of a cliff and there was nothing to grab onto; just a second beyond safety, falling into hell. If only my life could have ended just a moment before this so that I would not have to hear the words they were about to say. If only I could blink myself awake from this horrible dream. But it wasn’t a dream.

As the officers made their way into our living room, I rushed back into our bedroom and told my wife Romayne to get up; we had company. And they were going to tell us that Ross is dead. I knew of no other way to say it.

We rushed back out to meet the officers, and then the appointed spokesperson recited the standard message that Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis had been killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq, that day. They could tell us nothing more except that Army regulations required that the family be notified within 4 hours of the event. They offered their sympathy and support, and the Chaplain prayed for our strength in the days to come, and then they left us alone in shock, grief and disbelief.

In the days that followed, we were informed of the details of his death. The entire world probably knows those details now, since there was so much excitement about his heroic deed. Hundreds of family, friends and acquaintances offered us their words of prayer and comfort. But only time will take the edge off the knives that have wedged into our hearts.

Ross did not become OUR hero by dying to save his fellow soldiers from a grenade. He was a hero to us long before he died, because he was willing to risk his life to protect the ideals of freedom and justice that America represents. He has been recommended for the Medal of Honor, and many think that he deserves to get it without the typical 2 years that Congress has required of late. We, his parents, are in no hurry to have our son bestowed with this medal. That is not why he gave his life. The lives of four men who were his Army brothers outweighed the value of his one life. It was just a matter of simple kindergarten arithmetic. Four means more than one.

It didn’t matter to Ross that he could have escaped the situation without a scratch. Nobody would have questioned such a reflex reaction. What mattered to him were the four men placed in his care on a moment’s notice. One moment he was responsible for defending the rear of the convoy from enemy fire; the next moment he held the lives of four of his friends in his hands.

The choice for Ross was simple, but simple does not mean easy. His straightforward answer to a simple but difficult choice should stand as a shining example for the rest of us. We all face simple choices, but how often do we choose to make a sacrifice to get the right answer? The right choice sometimes requires honor.

Our Bible tells us that God gave up his only son to die for us so that we may live. But Romayne and I are not gods. We can’t see the future, and we didn’t give our son to die, knowing that he will live again. We gave him to fight and win and come home to us and marry and grow old and have children and grandchildren. But die he did, and his mother, dad and sisters must face that fact and go on without him, believing that someday we will meet again. Heaven is beyond our imagination and so we must wait to see what it’s like.”[8]

            Pfc. Ross McGinnis died on December 4, 2006 in Baghdad, Iraq when an enemy combatant lobbed a grenade into the vehicle to which McGinnis was assigned as a gunner that was also transporting a number of his fellow soldiers. Although McGinnis had the option to save himself, he instead threw himself on the live grenade that killed him when it exploded. He did, however, save his friends. I can’t even begin to tell you how many stories I found like this one as I was doing my research for this lesson. Each story was certainly heartbreaking but they were also inspiring; inspiring because each sacrifice demonstrated a profound depth of love. And the fact that McGinnis’ friends are alive to tell his story demonstrates that there is No Greater Love than when a person lays down his or her life for a friend.

---

[1] W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983), p. 830.

[2] Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), p. 861.

[3] Colin Brown, gen. ed., New International Diction of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), p. 359.

[4] David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), p. 436.

[5] Donald Guthrie, New Testament Theology, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1981), pp. 663-664.

[6] Gary M. Burge, John—The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), p. 427.

[7] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 441.

[8] Arlington National Cemetery Website, www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ramcginnis.htm, (accessed May, 25, 2014).

Playing Favorites

Introduction

            If you’re like me, you’ve watched as someone else was always the favorite-something—teacher’s pet; coach’s pet; most popular boy; most popular girl; prom queen; prom king; most likely to succeed; the prettiest girl on campus; the most handsome guy in the office; the most fun at parties. Are you beginning to remember some of those titles? For some people, “success” was defined as being recognized or being able to associate with one of these people who seemed to exist on a different stratosphere than the rest of us. Being with them or being recognized by them seemed to mean in some small way that we were possibly on their level. Being excluded, however, didn’t have a neutral meaning, it meant that you were at a lower level; a kind of lower life-form. We see this at all levels of our society don’t we? Tell the truth, have you ever been in the presence of a celebrity and felt better about yourself? Tell me you haven’t envied someone rich and famous—a prominent politician; a world renown author; a brilliant scientist; a talented actress; a famous singer; a dominant professional athlete. If I asked you to name one person, not named Jesus, you’d like to spend a day with, who would you name? Who was the first person that popped into your mind? I’ll bet it wasn’t the homeless man that stands on the same street corner you pass every day on the way to work. It probably wasn’t the single mom working at the Starbucks where you get your coffee every morning. Was it the son who disappointed you and you haven’t talked to in years? Was it the daughter you kicked out because she disobeyed you and got pregnant? How about the gay guy who lives with his partner in the apartment down the hall? Most of us have learned which people are the most advantageous for us to associate with and which ones embarrass us or make us uncomfortable. Let me just clarify something—I am not a ribbons-for-everyone kind of guy. There are winners and losers in everything. Some people are more talented than others. Some people are smarter than others. Some people are stronger and faster than others. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about judging someone’s essential value based on these things. We see it every day, and I’m going to make a broad assumption that we are all guilty of it to some extent or another, at school, at work, at home, in our communities and sadly in our churches. I came across an egregious example of this last week that I want to share with you.

            Ok so this pretty much covers everything I was trying to explain to you earlier. What was your first reaction when you read this? Disgust? Anger? Embarrassment? Those where certainly my feelings but probably not for the reasons you might think. I felt those things because I know I have behaved like the Sad Sister before and I know that my actions have wounded in the same way that Wendy was wounded. If you’re like me, maybe you too are guilty of Playing Favorites from time to time. I’m not proud of it but I’ve done it. It’s a common mistake, not just in our present day, but as part of the sinful human race throughout history. James, the brother of Jesus, had to deal with this as well when he learned that there were people in the church who were Playing Favorites with those who were wealthy and influential in their culture at the cost of those who were not. Let’s look at how James addressed the issue and see where we might need to change the way we think and act.

Subject Text

James 2:1-13

            ¹My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. ²Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. ³If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? ⁶But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? ⁷Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? ⁸If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. ⁹But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. ¹²Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Context

            James says something in our Subject Text that will only make sense if we understand the context of his letter. According to the first verse of the letter, James is writing to the Jewish Christians that have scattered among the gentile nations. It’s important to keep in mind that these Christians didn’t just wander away from Jerusalem in search of greener pastures. Instead, these were Christians who were fleeing the persecution of the Church in Jerusalem specifically during the two decades after the death of Jesus. Persecution of the Church in Jerusalem began shortly after the first Pentecost not at the hands of Rome but by and through the Jewish leadership. Among this group was the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus who played a role in the stoning death of Stephen. The Jewish leadership in Jerusalem was the Bible’s version of the rich and famous. They were the ones everyone wanted at their gatherings and banquets. Christians weren’t being persecuted by the poor and oppressed, they were being persecuted by the privileged class before they fled Jerusalem. However, James has learned that the dispersed Christians are courting and celebrating the very class of people who created the oppressive environment that caused them to flee Jerusalem in the first place. The dispersed Christians had the opportunity to live and act differently in relation to those who are normally marginalized by society—the poor and oppressed. Instead, James exposes their hypocrisy because they are Playing Favorites with the “important” people in their midst while claiming to be Christians under the authority of the God’s command to love their neighbor as themselves—especially the neighbors whom no one else seems to love.

Text Analysis

            James wastes no time getting to the point in v. 1 when he tells the believers very bluntly that they are not to show favoritism toward anyone. You can look for an exception of some sort but you won’t find it. James is not making a suggestion here. The verse is written grammatically in the imperative so it should be understood as a strict command that the believers must not show favoritism. James’ instruction is blunt and to the point and without equivocation. But what exactly does James mean by “favoritism?” The word that is translated by the NIV as favoritism is derived from the Greek word prosOpon that translates literally as “partiality.” The grammatical structure of the verse can be understood as creating a kind of oxymoron that would be understood as believers who “hold the faith while showing partiality.”[1] Implying that the one cannot be a believer in “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ” while at the same time Playing Favorites. This seems like a simple concept but it can get very confusing at times. This is not a question of whether or not we should show a proper level of respect for those who are in positions of authority over us. For example, the President of the United States is treated differently because of the position he holds then is the White House gardener. However, this does not mean that the President is more valuable as a person than is the gardener. In that respect they are equals. The President and the gardener are equally valuable as persons created in the image of God. A more important position does not equate to a more valuable person. The key distinction is value of person.

            James attempts to clarify his instruction in vv. 2-4 by offering an example to illustrate his point. It was common practice to invite an important or influential leader to a gathering or banquet as a status symbol. Religious leaders loved it when the people made a fuss over them—giving them special recognition and always seating them at the head of a table where everyone could identify them as the most important person at the event. The host, too, would receive special recognition as one who was important enough to attract an important or popular guest. Note how many times the host was specifically mentioned whenever Jesus was there as a dinner guest—Matthew was a host (Mt 9:10-11); Zacchaeus was a host (Lk 19:1-10), Simon the Leper was a host (Mk 14:3-9), etc. Having an important person accept a dinner invitation gave people the impression that you were also important. James, however, warned the believers that segregating guests based on their outward appearances was in conflict with the spirit of the Gospel that prohibits passing judgment on one another based on one person’s perceived value over another. What the believers don’t realize is that they are unnecessarily creating division amongst themselves. In fact, v. 4 can actually be translated as “Are you not divided among yourselves?” according to the Peshiṭtâ (the Syriac Vulgate). In the Peshiṭtâ, the same word for “divided” in the Greek is used in Luke 11:17—“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined…” “The reference to the verse before us might be to the class distinctions which were thus being made, and which would have the effect of engendering envy and strife, and thus divisions.”[2] Like any culture, there were distinct socio-economic classes during the time of Jesus. However, Jesus worked really hard to break down those distinctions be emphasizing the essentially value of the person. Jesus regularly elevated the poor to the position of divine favorability and James’ audience has somehow forgotten that and reverted back to the old way of catering to the “important and influential” people at the expense of the poor among them. “What James has in mind is at least the sundering of the community into the haves and the have-nots by this one symbolic act. And surely we can extend this also to include using a standard for judgment that is at odds not only with the great prophetic tradition (e.g., Isaiah 58), but also with Jesus’ own teachings and practice (e.g., Luke 6:20-26; see also Luke 1:46-55). And, if we keep 2:1 in mind, James intends for his readers to know that Jesus himself was poor and was raised to glory and that faith in that Jesus as Messiah involves commitment to those like him—the poor.”[3]

            James reminds his fellow believers of something very important in v.5 with respect to the God’s perspective on the divine value of the poor. James reminds them that one of the defining attributes of the poor is the depth of their faith and that they are heirs to the Kingdom. James’ description of the poor in v. 5 ties in perfectly with his reference to Jesus in v. 1 because it was Jesus who said: Blessed are the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; the pure in heart; the peacemakers; those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for they will be comforted, be filled, be shown mercy, see God, be called sons of God, and inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus makes clear and James reminds his audience, and by extension us, that God doesn’t put value in gold rings or fine clothes. God puts value in the person and He is especially concerned with the welfare of those less fortunate. “No Christian is called ‘rich’ in the letter, and when Christians act like the rich or try to increase their wealth (4:13-16) they are criticized. Wealth for James is dangerous at best and those who hold onto it instead of sharing it are not viewed positively. James has a different view of the poor. The poor Christian is ‘exalted’ (1:9) and is an heir of the kingdom (2:5; cf. Luke 6:20). The poor are persecuted by the rich, but they should be patient, for the coming Lord will take up their cause (5:6-8). Thus for James ‘poor’ is an honourable name for people within the community, while ‘rich’ is reserved for those outside. The community itself is condemned when it favours the wealthy over the poor, for it is then taking the part of the rich, who persecute the church…The epistle of James, then, reveals a theology of the poor in line with the teaching of Jesus and significant strands of Jewish tradition before him.”[4]

            Imagine for a moment being invited to an elaborate dinner party that included a number of important, powerful, influential, and famous people. Now imagine entering a banquet hall with assigned seating. As you walk by the banquet tables you see name cards at each place setting. You recognize all the names because they identify people of prominence you’ve either seen, heard about, or read about. The only problem is that you can’t find your name on any of the name cards. When you ask one of the servers where you should sit, he directs you to speak to the host. When you make an inquiry of the host, who is also a friend of yours, you’re told that you have a couple of options—you can either stand along the walls of the banquet hall or sit on the floor at the feet of those seated at the tables. How would you feel? Angry? Humiliated? Embarrassed? How about insulted? Well the believers James is addressing had insulted the poor by doing exactly that according to v. 6. To make matters worse, if that were possible, they were catering to the rich among them; the very people who were oppressing them by manipulating the legal system. “Roman courts always favored the rich, who could initiate lawsuits against social inferiors, although social inferiors could not initiate lawsuits against them. In theory, Jewish courts sought to avoid such discrimination, but as in most cultures people of means naturally had legal advantages: they were able to argue their cases more articulately or hire others to do so for them.”[5]

            James doesn’t elaborate in v. 7 exactly how the rich are slandering the name of Christ but it is likely that James is making a close correlation between Christ and the poor and oppressed with whom Christ most closely associated with. As such, to offend the poor was tantamount to offending Christ. It is also likely that the rich looked down on the poor as they hauled them into the courts to settle their debts and in the process spoke disparagingly of their faith in Christ. To insult someone bearing the name of Christ through faith is, by extension, an insult to Christ. In the ancient near east, a person’s name was no small matter. It carried special meaning and often pointed to the original bearer of that name. For example a son would bear the name of his father in addition to his own (e.g. James and John, sons of Zebedee). Similarly a slave would bear the name of his owner in addition to his own (e.g. Onesimus, slave of Philemon). Consequently when the son or slave is offended or injured, the father or master is offended or injured as well. For more on the importance of names in the ancient near east, you can access a previous lesson titled, What’s In A Name, at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/04/whats-in-name.html. “Religious differences may have played a role in the decisions of the rich to oppress the poor and defenseless Christian community. The ‘slander’ directed against Christians may have taken several different forms. The word James uses is blasphēmēo, from which we get the word ‘blaspheme.’ In its deepest sense, the word connotes a violation, usually in speech, of God’s own person (see, e.g. Matt. 9:3; 26:65; Mark 2:28-29). But it can be extended to include any slander that involves God, even indirectly—such as criticism directed against Christian behavior by other believers (1 Cor. 10:30; Rom. 14:16) or abuse heaped on believers by unbelievers over differences in morality (1 Pet. 4:4). Because James supplies so little information, we can only speculate about the exact situation here. It may have been Gentiles profanely mocking the God whom believers claimed to worship. It may have been Jews criticizing Christian claims about Jesus. Or, more generally, it may have involved unbelievers making fun of Christian morality and worship practices.”[6]

            We get to James’ justification for his criticism in vv. 8-9 when he says that they have violated the law by showing favoritism. And the law James says they have violated is the law of love, specifically the law to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Not surprisingly, this is also referred to as the “Royal Law” because it was given to us by King Jesus himself who commands us to “Love each other as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). And because they have violated the Royal Law specifically, James proclaims them to be lawbreakers generally. “Christians know well that it is God’s character not to regard the appearance of things but to evaluate people on the basis of what is in the heart. How then can the Christian who is called to reflect God’s character give preferential treatment toward the rich visitor while dishonoring the poor by treating them with less dignity?...The disciple is challenged to take seriously Jesus’ reevaluation of people, according to which it is the poor who are ‘favored’ or ‘honored’ to be heirs of the ‘kingdom of God’ and the rich are the disprivileged ones. James insists that these reevaluations ‘heard’ from Jesus now shape interactions in the community of faith…Treating people differently on the basis of appearance is a violation of this part of the ‘royal law.’…The Christian’s refusal to value another human being as he or she would wish to be valued makes the Christian a transgressor of the law, a mere ‘hearer’ who does not allow an understanding of the law to shape his or her response to each new situation.”[7]

            Many of us attempt to rationalize our sins as being worthy of condemnation such as committing murder compared to sins which to us seem like “no big deal.” But God doesn’t view sin this way according to vv. 10-11. God does not handicap sin as though some forms of sin are more acceptable than others. Instead, God views sin as constant or linear meaning that no sin is more or less egregious than any other with the exception of the sin of blaspheme against the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29). As a result, committing one type of sin is no different than committing any other type of sin and committing one sin is no different than committing multiple sins. To God, who is the final Judge, it is all the same. James insists “that one is a lawbreaker even though not all commandments are actually transgressed. This has been called a unitary understanding of the law, so that the readers of James’ epistle cannot claim innocence of the charge of transgressing the entire law simply because some commandment(s) remain unbroken. A failure to love the poor—a failure demonstrated by showing favoritism toward the rich—undercuts the whole intent of the law and places one under condemnation as a transgressor of the law…From a particular viewpoint, James is saying that one does not have to break all the commandments of the law to be classed as a lawbreaker.”[8] As I have often told you and would like to tell you once again, proper interaction with God is not based on keeping a specific set of laws as a matter of ritual but instead is based on an intimate relationship with Him and with people. Let me see if I can show you this by illustrating the juxtaposition between the Law generally and the Royal Law specifically as James identifies. In order to be the “perfect” law-keeper, a person must always keep all commandments perfectly (James 3:2). However, even though that same person may stumble on the road to perfection by just one failure (Mt 19:16-22) he or she can actually be deemed to have kept the law in its entirety by loving one’s neighbor (Mt 22:34-40). In this respect, God demonstrates that His heart is not moved when we maintain a strict set of rules but when we love others as we love ourselves.

            If the James’ epistle is anything, it is a call for the practical application of our faith. In vv. 12-13, James insists that how we speak and the way we act must reflect what we say we believe. The profession of our faith means we must reorient our way of thinking to align with the heart of the One who has placed His name on us. Remember, we have been saved from the punishment our sins deserved because God is merciful and loves us passionately. Consequently, as His followers, our lives must reflect the same characteristics of mercy and love towards one another. Keep in mind the name of a person reflects one or more of the essential characteristics of that person. As people bearing the name, “Christian,” we should be defined by love first and foremost. However, the only way to enter into a loving relationship with broken and sinful humanity is to soften our hearts to mercy. James reminds his readers that God will only extend mercy to them to the degree they extend mercy to others. “The wise community is quick to hear and act upon what the Torah commands, knowing that it articulates God’s will according to which all people will be either blessed or judged at the coming triumph of God’s reign. If the Torah is centered on the command to love the neighbor, especially those who are like the ‘widow and orphan in distress,’ then it is foolish to favor the rich over the poor when the result is eternal retribution. According to Torah, faith in God is embodied by works of mercy: true religion is an ethical religion, not confessional orthodoxy. To profess devotion to God without a complement of merciful works is foolish. Such religion is worthless for either heralding or entering the age to come.”[9]

            Many years ago when I started out in business, me and my peers used to have a saying when it came to career advancement that it’s not what you know but who you know that eventually leads to success. As a result, relationships were usually based on whether or not they served to advance our respective careers. It’s a foolish and dangerous principle because it inevitably leads to career advancement by stepping on the throats of those who aren’t in a position to help advance your career. This is nothing new as we see from our Subject Text, that James’ readers were doing the same thing. They wanted to improve their station in life by catering to the people they thought could get them there. But James wanted them to know that that behavior is the way of the world and they have been called to a better way; they have been called to love their neighbors—especially if they can’t do anything to help them. It’s different and at odds with everything the world teaches and practices and that’s precisely where we will find God touching lives and changing hearts. “Christianity grew and developed in confrontation with an environment that breathed hostility to its doctrines and practices. A chief reason for its triumph was the superior moral practices of Christians. The lives of early Christians showed that accusations against them were lies. They fed the needy, accepted the outcasts, buried the poor, cared for orphans and the aged, encouraged prisoners and victims of disasters, and showered compassion on the persecuted. Their lives proved that Christianity produced a superior character.”[10]

Application

            If you don’t think Playing Favorites creates division, let me remind you about a very famous story you can find all the way back in Genesis 37. In the story, Jacob had twelve sons but his favorite was Joseph and he didn’t hide his affection for him from his eleven other sons. Granted, God had a divine purpose for Joseph but the road to that purpose was laden with pain and suffering that had its roots in Jacob Playing Favorites. In fact, Jacob so favored Joseph that he made him a beautiful coat of many colors. Unfortunately, Jacob made nothing for his other sons. Eventually, Joseph’s brothers had enough of their father’s favoritism and Joseph’s boasting and they dropped him in a cistern to die. Some of his brothers grew a conscience and pulled him out of the cistern, and promptly sold him into slavery. In case selling Joseph wasn’t bad enough, his brother took the coat of colors from him, shredded it, dipped it in animal blood and delivered it to their father telling him that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. Still wondering if Playing Favorites creates division?

            Will you parents and grandparents allow me to say a few words to you? If you are favoring one of your children or grandchildren, will you please stop and think about what you’re doing? You might think you are being subtle but you can trust me when I tell you that your children and grandchildren know it and are suffering the pain of that favoritism even if they don’t show it. Additionally, you are creating division in your family that may not manifest itself for decades. Instead of building life-long bridges that lead to blossoming family relationships, you are constructing walls that will, inevitably, divide your family. Each time you favor one of your children or grandchildren above the others, you are adding a brick to those walls. Please, please think about what I’m saying and consider the harm you’re doing to your family by your favoritism and make a commitment to begin to tear down those walls.

            It’s easy to demonstrate the damage caused by favoritism in families because it is a somewhat closed social system. It is a bit more difficult for me to demonstrate the damage caused by favoritism in our society at large. However, it exists if we will only look with God’s eyes. All we have to do is follow Jesus around the Scriptures to see it: The Samaritan woman who was less than a person according to the Jews (Jn 4); The woman caught in adultery while the man who was complicit in the adultery is nowhere to be found (Jn 8:1-11); The woman who suffered from perpetual bleeding who had to live in a state of religious uncleanness for something she had no control over (Mk 5:25); The blind man who had to beg at the roadside (Lk 18:35); The man with leprosy who had to exist outside the city gates and warn people at a distance that he was unclean (Mt 8). Are you beginning to see the favoritism in the larger society? It’s there if you look with God’s eyes—It’s your fellow student who eats lunch alone every day because no one wants to include them; It’s your fellow worker who’s never included in group activities after work; It’s the neighbor who never gets any visitors; It’s the young, pregnant girl with the tattoos who works at Starbucks that you don’t talk to because you think she’s done something wrong based on her appearance; It’s the guy who lives a few apartments away that you never invite over when the rest of the guys come over to watch the game because you’re pretty sure he’s gay. Can you see some of it now? Here’s the most important thing I want you to understand. We recognize favoritism in our families because, as I said, they are a somewhat closed social system. It is far more difficult to detect the effects of favoritism in the society at large because we think it is a large open system where human experience is diluted across a much larger population. However, it is a small and closed family system from God’s perspective. When we show favoritism toward some, we serve to construct walls that divide people within God’s family. Never assume that your words and actions occur in a vacuum. We are not qualified to judge the value of one person over another. When we do that, someone will inevitably get hurt. There is always a price to Playing Favorites.

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[1] Frederick William Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), p. 887.

[2] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Vol. 4, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983), p. 437.

[3] Scot McKnight, The Letter of James, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011), p. 189.

[4] T. Desmond Alexander, Brian S. Rosner, D. A. Carson, Graeme Goldsworthy, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), p. 346.

[5] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary—New Testament, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 694.

[6] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James—The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), p. 109.

[7] David A. deSilva, An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004), p. 827.

[8] Ralph P. Martin, James—Word Biblical Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988), p. 69.

[9] Ralph P. Martin & Peter H. Davids, Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), p. 558.

[10] Thomas D. Lea, Hebrews & James—Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999), p. 285.

Excellence

Excellence

About Mark Scott

            This week’s lesson is provided by Pastor Mark Scott. Mark is currently the Exposition and Leadership Pastor at Mountainview Community Christian Church. Before that he was the Academic Dean at Ozark Christian College (“OCC”). Mark taught New Testament and Preaching at OCC for 28 years. Prior to his many years at OCC, Mark was the preaching pastor at various churches for many years. Mark received his Bachelor of Theology from OCC; his Master of Divinity from Lincoln Christian Seminary; and his Doctor of Ministry from Denver Seminary. Mark has authored or co-authored numerous books and scholarly articles such as: “Reflections” in The Christian Standard, Lamp Devotionals from Acts and Nehemiah, “Biblical Preaching” (chapter) in The Mind of Christ (College Press), “Christian Love” (chapter) in Essentials of Christian Practice (College Press), a book entitled, Sermons On the Gospels (Standard Publishing), and many more. Mark has ministered internationally in Barbados, Scotland, Canada, Chile, Israel, Germany, Venezuela, Turkey, Greece, Rome, and Ukraine. Mark has been married to his beautiful wife Carla for almost 41 years. They have four children and ten grand-children.

Introduction

            For about two weeks this winter, I would come home at night, turn on the TV and immediately change the channel from HGTV (I think that’s our TV’s default setting) to the Olympics. Like lots of you, I love to watch the Olympics. There is something attractive about that level of athletic excellence.  These athletes have put in countless hours perfecting their skating, skiing, sledding, shooting, and curling (which I don’t really understand). What is it that makes excellence so attractive?

            We do see it in athletics, don’t we? I saw it in a college player who later played wide receiver for the Denver Broncos for thirteen years. His name was Rod Smith (#80). Rod played his college ball at Missouri Southern State University (Joplin, MO.). That’s NCAA Division II. His coach, Jon Lantz, was a good friend of mine and a deacon in our church. Rod received three degrees from MSSC—economics, general business, and marketing. He had 849 receptions, 11,389 yards, and 68 touchdowns in those thirteen years for the Broncos. He is 43 years old, was born in Texarkana, AR, and now lives in Denver. But here’s what I want you to know. He is only six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds—not stunning. He was an undrafted free agent but played his entire career with the Broncos. He’s not physically stunning but still holds the record in every receiving category in Broncos history. Why? I’m told that he never missed a practice or extra training camp. That’s excellence!

            We see it in the military, don’t we? I had lunch with one of members this week, Chaplain, Jeff Bell. I said, “Jeff, what does excellence look like in the military?” He said, “It comes down to one letter of the alphabet, ‘T.’” That stands for “trained.” When they use that letter that means the job is done. The soldier has moved from recruitment, matriculation, school, and development. It takes five years and costs $100,000. That’s excellence!

            We see it in the kitchen, don’t we? Good cooks often learn to work their magic by trial and error. My wife is an outstanding cook. Let me tell you that she learned lots of skills from her mother and a host of church ladies. Her mom could bake the best lemon meringue pie you every tasted? I, of course, wouldn’t have a clue about what she did. I just know that pie would melt in your mouth. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. That’s excellence!

            We see it in the studio, don’t we? I am always impressed by musical excellence. My wife’s piano teacher was a woman named Tasci King. She had degrees from USC in piano performance and she demanded excellence. She was as serious as a heart attack about it too. One thing I remember her teaching Carla was that when you are preparing a piece for recital and make a mistake, you don’t just start over. You go to that place where you made the mistake, and you isolate that spot. You play it over and over and over until you can do it perfectly. Then, and only then, do you incorporate that mistake area into the whole musical piece. That’s excellence! We were with a dear friend recently in Texas; his name is Rowlie Hutton and he’s the preaching minister at Kingsway Christian Church in Omaha. One of his daughters is studying piano performance at ACU (Abilene Christian University—Abilene, TX). She practices as many hours as she sleeps. That’s excellence!

            One of the core values that we desire for our church is that of excellence. So let me show you that in the life of Jesus himself. This week’s Subject Text comes from Mark 7:31-37.

Subject Text

Mark 7:31-37

            ³¹Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. ³²There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. ³³After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). ³⁵At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. ³⁶Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Context & Text Analysis

            V. 31—Jesus returned from the region of Tyre and went north to Sidon before swinging wide around to the east to reach the Decapolis (10 cities) While he had been in Tyre he ministered to a Syrophoenician woman. But he really hasn’t been in this area since chapter five. In chapter five he expelled the demons from a man who lived among the tombs. The man wanted to enlist as a disciple with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and witness. Evidently he did.  Earlier the crowd wanted Jesus to leave their country. Now, look what they do in the next verse.

            V. 32—They brought a man to Jesus who had a double problem. He was deaf and “had a speech impediment” (Gk. mogilalon). Of course those go together. How does one learn to speak? By listening. If one can’t hear, speaking becomes a challenge. The people begged Jesus to lay his hand (i.e. heal) on him. Side bar: I rejoice that we have several people in our church who use their spiritual gifts for our deaf friends. Do you know that our deaf friends represent a huge mission field in the United States? Only 2% of deaf people are Christian. Will you thank God for this small but significant ministry in our church and many other churches as well?

            V. 33—Watch how our Lord enters the world of this man. The miracles that Jesus performed on the deaf and blind are some of his most tender miracles. Jesus gives him private, undivided attention—do you suppose that is part of doing ministry with excellence—that when you are there, you are 100% there? Jesus goes through some sign language with his fingers, ears, and spittle. It’s hard to know where the pronouns go in this verse. Is Jesus demonstrating with himself or is he touching the man? [Spittle was regarding as medicinal in the ancient world.]

            V. 34—Jesus directed his gaze to heaven—probably to indicate to the deaf man the source of his healing. Then he sighed. Not sure what that was like. A sigh of empathy? A sigh of anger (cf. 8:12)—unbelief? A sigh of hurt—effects of sin in the fallen world? Or is it a sigh of anticipation like, “Here we go.” Then he says an Aramaic word that means, “Be opened.”

            V. 35—Ta Da! Some manuscripts use Mark’s favorite little word, “Immediately.” Ears got opened and tongues got loosed. The man spoke plainly or straightly, or correctly. If you read your OT you will see that this taking place was a sign that the Messiah had come.

            V. 36—Jesus charged (word of military command) them to tell no one. But they zealously (actually one of the words in the Bible for excellence—it means they abounded over the top). They preached (Gk. kerusso) it everywhere. We are not told why Jesus told them not to tell, but at this point he did.

            V. 37—This is the key verse.  They were “astonished beyond measure.” The phrase could be translated, “they were standing outside of themselves in a hyper way.” Jesus, especially portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, is “amazing.” He amazes us here. Then they say, “He does all things well.” Actually I need to tell you that, “well,” is the first word in the phrase. That means emphasis is being stressed. Jesus does all things (Gk. “kalos”) well. This adverb occurs 37x in the NT. It can be translated well, beautifully, fitly, appropriately, in the right way, excellently or splendidly. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Kittel) says: “organically healthy, fit, useful, serviceable.” Jesus makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.

            Jesus did things well or excellently. Even the lawyer knew that (Mk. 12:32). Even the Hebrew writer knew that (Heb. 8:6). Even Peter knew that (2 Pet. 1:3). Do we know that? Do we strive to do everything with excellence? How would we know? What would excellence look like? Well let me say what we don’t mean and then develop three applications that are both theological and practical.

            By striving to do all things excellently we don’t mean “Hollywood slick in ways that look fake or non-authentic.” If people walk out of our services and say, “Wow, I don’t think the worship leader missed a note today,” or, “The slides were spot on today,” or “The fat boy (That would be me!) didn’t mispronounce any words today,” I’m not sure we are doing excellence. If none of our servers dropped a communion tray today that doesn’t mean the service was a success. I remember hearing a preacher brag once that his church of 500 could do communion in five minutes tops. He was quite proud of that. I thought, “Big whoop.” Listen, my conversations with millennials convinces me that their generation is suspect of most anything if it looks too flashy. So what does doing things well really look like?

            I think it means: 1) Take Good Care of People. Isn’t that what Jesus did here? He met the need of a needy person. If we want a ministry of excellence let’s quit walking around brain dead and open our eyes to people. Get our antenna out. 1 Cor. 12:31 says, “And I will show you a more excellent way.” Then what does Paul do? He writes the 13th chapter—about love. If we love people we will carry on a ministry of excellence. Js. 2:8 says much the same thing, talking about the “royal law,” which is the law of love. Don’t forget that the context is about not showing partiality to the poor. Are we taking excellent care of the poor? 1Tim. 3:4, 12, 13 tells us that church leaders—elders and deacons—are to lead their families well. Are we taking excellent care of our families? And 3Jn 6 says that we are to be hospitable to strangers, particularly itinerant workers to send them on their way well. Are we achieving excellence in our hospitality? A ministry of excellence means we take good care of people.

            But it also means: 2) Partner with God to Restore Creation. Let me do a little word study leap here. Kalos (Gk. “well”) is the adverb of kalos (the noun). That made you warm and fuzzy didn’t it? Here’s my point. I don’t think this excellence or doing well stuff is puny. It’s big. When they translated our OT into Greek they translated the Hebrew word, “tov,” (Heb. “good”) with the word “kalos.” In other words, goodness, excellence, and doing well, goes back to creation. When God declares his creation good (and he does it several times, Gen. 1:10, 12, 21, 25, and 31) he is making a statement about his character and putting that character judgment on what he sees. So…when we carry out our Christian duties for God we are partnering with God to move present creation to new creation. This has all types applications—stewardship of the earth called ecology, witnessing to people to get them ready for the eschaton, and joining the universe to bring praise to God—to name only a few.

            Finally I think a ministry of excellence also means: 3) Think and work hard to do your best. God being our helper and the Holy Spirit being the one who empowers, we give it our best shot. There are a cluster of passages that emphasize this: Ecc. 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Mal. 1:8, 13, “When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? Would you offer them to the governor? Shall I accept that?” 1Cor. 14:12, “Strive to excel in building up the church.” Gal. 5:7, “You were running well, what happened?” Phil. 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, if there is any excellence…” Col. 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily (all your soul).” 1Thess. 4:1, 10, “Walk to please the Lord, more and more.”

            There is a cute little video about a young boy learning to ride a bike.  Maybe he can encourage us.  

            [I know you can do it. You must believe in yourself—just keep practicing.] Just keep practicing. Not bad advice. And may I say that this excellence thing takes all of us. There is an African Proverb that says, “If you think you are too small to make a difference try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.”

Application

            May I tell you a story as I close? While I was working at the college in Missouri, we were in need of a huge capital gift for a project on campus. Some of our first students were serving at the large Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY so we appealed to the church for some financial assistance. The church sent their missions committee to the college for a visit. Of course we wined and dined them and made the appeal. When they left they met with us and said that they were going to help with us with a large five-figure gift. Of course we expressed our thanks and then said, “Was there something that put you over the edge in making this decision? They said, “Yes.” We responded, “Can we ask what it was?”—Thinking it was the content of our appeal, etc. They said, “Well, we noticed that your grounds crew trimmed your grass by the sidewalks very well.” We said, “What?” They said, “Yeah, it was the grass.” We said, “You’re going to grant our request because we know how to run a weed whacker?” They said, “Well, excellence is one of our core values.” We trim our grass by the sidewalks too—Kentucky Bluegrass. When we saw how you took care of the facilities and land that God gave you we figured you would be good stewards of what we would give you. Yeah, it was the grass.”

            Listen to me folks. There is a drama coach at Ozark Christian College (“OCC”) named Mary Green. She grew up Catholic in Canon City, CO. My now deceased roommate, Tom Graham, led her to Christ. She came to OCC as a non-traditional student, got her degree, was Valedictorian, and hung around the college to teach and work. She has a plaque that hangs in her office that reads, “Remember that holy shoddy is still shoddy.”