Sam is a pranic healer, studying to be a naturopath, and has some church background. Whenever I take a casual shift at work with Sam, conversations tend to run down wildly complex and thought provoking paths. Amidst my questions about pranic healing, chakras, auras and enery, and his about church, Jesus, how I view God and the spiritual encounters I’ve had; we often end up taking a lot longer to get our work done.
In talking about Jesus a few weeks ago he said something I’ve been pondering over, “I believe Jesus has so many good teachings to help us live.”
In thinking on it further that evening I realized how much emphasis my church experience has placed on what Jesus does for me, an individual. We accept grace so easily, so much more easily than we accept the teaching of Jesus about how to live out the Kingdom of God practically. The phrase “the teachings of Jesus” sat with me for a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever come across something that sounded so strange in the light of what I’ve seen Christianity made out to be…. and that scares me.
The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7, leaves me wondering if the eternal life we are given by Jesus actually eventuates with us practicing the life Jesus taught (and lived).
Quite disturbingly at the end of the Sermon on the Mount I came across a seemingly familiar story I thought I knew, the story about the man who built his house on the rock and the man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27). I can still recall the Sunday school song we use to sing and to be honest I think I could pull out all the actions to it as well. But it seems Sunday school taught the wrong story. I never knew it came at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
So what is it about? It’s about choosing God (building on the rock) or not choosing God (building on the sand), right? Right? Actually, it’s not. Verse 24 says it all, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Go read the story (four verses… it won’t take long).
The story becomes even more challenging when linked with the words Jesus brings to the crowd just before it:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
5 Comments
Great call, Laura. It’s weird, but I grew up with a contempt for non-Christians who would say, “Jesus was a great teacher” as though that statement wrote off his divinity or the work of the Cross. Yet I think we’re as guilty of missing the point that he WAS a great teacher.
Of course, what that asks of us is to learn, to follow and to act. And strangely, we’re not so fond of that bit
“I realized how much emphasis my church experience has placed on what Jesus does for me, an individual”
Nice post LuLu.
I read the entire Gospel of Luke on Friday night. Well, I skipped some little bits. It was such a confronting exercise in seeing the life and purpose of Jesus lived out, encompassing all of the little stories that we’re exposed to as church kids which tell us how to live.
It’s so easy when we take the bits and pieces of the stories, to end up moulding them into a lesson that is more on par with “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” as a good thing to keep in mind.
It is so much more than that. Thanks for reminding us not to compartmentalise the Gospel.
On reflection, I think we are so familiar with the stories that we speed read it through in our head - “2 men, one wise, wise on rock, fool on sand… ok, be wise, build on rock, build on God”
lack of time, propositional thinking, over-simplify all work against us here.
I love hearing from people who closely, slowly read the text and pick up the, in this case 4, words that totally frame the story.
thanks.
I think it’s easy in our reformation Christianity to only emphasise the main contention: that we are saved by grace, not works. I’ve often come across people who in effect tell me that grace means that there is no place for works at all. Pointing to the scriptures like James and indeed here, usually doesn’t convince people.
In passing reference to the grace/works debate, I think they are ballanced in the equilibrium of a nice two word sentance.
Grace Works.
Read it with every possible emphasis and meaning you can think of. She earns $13.50 an hour at the local cafe.
But all I really stopped to say was that your story made me think of Ghandi’s comments about christianity.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have an ‘out-of-culture” experience every now and then, and be able to see our lives without the habitualised social trappings that define us.
I always wonder why people who travel lots become budhists. I don’t think it can all be attributed to opium and hashish. I think perhaps its because they meet a peaceful teaching without prejudice or prior knowledge, and it makes sense. Probably a lot more sense than our consumerised christianity with all its aftermarket additions and post-production adjustments.
How amazing it must be, to be blind, and then see for the first time.