Have you ever let the full impact of Jesus' words hit your life?
When I was in high school, my friend and I rented a movie called fearless with Jeff Bridges. It looked interesting enough, we weren't really all that picky. We were going over to his girlfriend's house. She had one of her friends over. I guess it was supposed to be a double date or something...maybe...I don't know. Anyway we put the movie in and began to watch the story unfold of a man in a plane crash, suffering from PTSD, who thought he was invincible, and saved many of those around him. Only to find out he needed saving himself. We got to the end of the movie and the girls were ready to talk. My friend and I couldn't say a word. He walked up to the VCR, got the movie out, and we walked out the door. The impact of the story was just too strong for words.
I was at a planning meeting the other day for camp meeting. The theme this year for the over all camp meeting is "Coming back home." Basically a call to meet Jesus again and reconnect with him on the foundational level. We talked about what this might mean for the youth tent this year and discovered meeting Jesus might mean something very different then some sort of nostalgic home coming. If we were to meet the real Jesus, to hear the uncut and uncensored message of Jesus, it might just make us a bit uncomfortable. The impact might be more than we are ready for.
I find this to be true in Luke 16. There are several difficult parables and teachings here for us to take in. Jesus starts with the story of the shrewd manager encouraging us to use worldly wealth to make relationships for eternity. That sounds OK, sure we are all for using money in any way we can. But he follows this us with you can't serve God and Money. The money theme is continued with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. They die and the rich man goes to hell and Lazarus the beggar at his door goes to heaven. We don't have any reason for the disparity other than the rich man had luxury and ease in this life and Lazarus did not. Do we go to hell because we have experienced luxury and ease in this life? This parable suggests the answer might be yes, especially in you have a beggar suffering at your front door and do nothing about it. This is a hard teaching.
In the middle of the money talk Jesus reminds us of his stance on divorce. If you divorce and marry another you commit adultery, if a man marries the woman who has been divorced he commits adultery. When was the last time you hear a sermon on this one? The divorce rate in the church is the same outside the church, both running at about %50. These are hard teachings! Jesus uncensored? It makes us just a little uncomfortable.
The positive side of these teachings are really worth thinking about though. If there are poor on our door step caring for them is important. If the rest of the world is suffering for lack of food and water and we have plenty, then let us care for them. Marriage as well. Rather than having to worry about divorce and adultery let's be intentional in making our marriages even better.
I am glad we have a God who is forgiving and when we are less than loving to the poor or too our spouses he forgives us when we come running back to him. I also want to let the words of Jesus impact my life. It's uncomfortable sometimes to really engage with the down and out, with the poor, with the homeless and addicted. When we are running around in this world just trying to make ends meet, its hard not to get focused on money. With all we need to get done in life it can be difficult to step back, take some time, and focus on our marriages. When was the last time you had a really true heart to heart with your spouse? When things blow up at home the grass is greener on the other side of the desk.
When we let the words of Jesus, the uncensored Jesus, truly impact out lives it can be difficult. But it's worth it! My marriage is living proof!
May we open ourselves up to the words of Christ today and let them impact our lives. May we become followers of the uncensored Jesus.
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