‘Love is the fulfilment of the law’ states Paul in Romans 13. In order to fully understand what an incredible statement this is, you have to understand a little bit about the place of the law (or the Torah) within the Jewish worldview. The law was a gift from God to his chosen people that enabled them to live within a covenant relationship with him. Obedience to the law was never a means of earning a right to that relationship (which was purely a gift). Instead it was an expression of love to the God who had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt and pledged himself to them in a covenant relationship. Obedience and worship has and will always be a response to God’s extravagant mercy and grace. As the Apostle John puts it: ‘we love because he first loved us.’
The law was therefore a little bit like a wedding ring – a precious gift that not only speaks of commitment and love, but also sets the person apart as belonging to someone else. The law was what set Israel apart as a people belonging to God. And within the context of the Old Testament, honouring this covenant relationship was the means to living within the circle of God’s blessing. It was also one of the means by which Israel could be a light to the nations: showing the world the generosity and kindness of their God.
The problem was, that for many, the law ceased to be an expression of their love for God. Instead it became a duty they felt obliged to live by. And when the hard work of loving one another is replaced by a simple set of rules, things begin to go wrong. But here Paul reminds us that at its very core, the law is about loving God and loving one another. And in the same way that the law set the people of Israel apart from other nations, so Paul suggests that it is our love for one another that sets us apart as children of the light (or children of the age to come). And with this idea we can hear the echoes of Jesus: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
So why is this idea of being set apart so important? The bible tells us that holiness (literally meaning ‘set apart’) is never about withdrawing from society in holy huddles. Such holy huddles can never be the means of demonstrating God’s love and light to the world around us. Instead, holiness is about being set apart for a purpose. Rather than encouraging withdrawal from society, it demands meaningful engagement with society. But instead of engaging on the world’s terms, it involves engaging on God’s terms. Such holy engagement never asks what can the world offer me. Rather, the key questions become what can I give to the world, and how can I demonstrate God’s love to these people.
So how do we live as people of the light in a dark world? Or using another Pauline image, how do we live as citizens of heaven here on earth? The answer is simple: we love our neighbours as ourselves. And in doing so the law is fulfilled: for love is both the means and the end in the Christian life.
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Wednesday 10 September 2008
Ascent and Descent
‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’
True humility is found not making ourselves small but in making God big.
The theologian Marianne Williamson writes: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
It’s important to note, the glory that shines from us is not a light that comes from within – it is the light of the glory of God reflected off us. It’s a little bit like the relationship the sun has with the moon. If you had never seen the sun and were shown the moon, you would marvel at its beauty and its power, with little knowledge that the greatness of the moon is entirely dependent on the power and greatness of the sun. The moon has no light in and of itself. It simply reflects the sun.
So too, the implication of Jesus’ teaching is that those who think they are like the sun (or want to be the sun like Adam and Eve) misunderstand their true identity and purpose and hence settle for less than they were made for. Instead it is those who recognise they are more like the moon and therefore point people to the sun – it’s those image bearers (or image reflectors) that discover their true identity and purpose. And their reward is in knowing and becoming more like the God they worship.
So how do we pursue this humility?
The answer is that we model our lives on the life of Jesus – who gave up everything in coming to earth, dying the death of a criminal, only to experience the exaltation of the resurrection 3 days later, followed by his ascension. Spiritual writers throughout history have spoken of this journey that is clearly outlined in the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2 as the journey of descent followed by the journey of ascent. The journey of descent, found in service and sacrifice always precedes the journey of ascent. As Jesus said, ‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.’
John the Baptist hit the nail on the head in declaring ‘You must increase and I must decrease Lord.’ For it is in our descent that Christ is lifted up. And here comes the great news of the gospel – Christ’s ascent provides the sure sign and hope of our future exaltation. The resurrection of Christ points towards the future resurrection of all of God’s people.
So with the incredible hope of new life that we taste in part today but shall taste in full when Christ returns and we receive our resurrection bodies – with that hope we find strength for today in building God’s kingdom and making his name great in all the earth.
True humility is found not making ourselves small but in making God big.
The theologian Marianne Williamson writes: ‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’
It’s important to note, the glory that shines from us is not a light that comes from within – it is the light of the glory of God reflected off us. It’s a little bit like the relationship the sun has with the moon. If you had never seen the sun and were shown the moon, you would marvel at its beauty and its power, with little knowledge that the greatness of the moon is entirely dependent on the power and greatness of the sun. The moon has no light in and of itself. It simply reflects the sun.
So too, the implication of Jesus’ teaching is that those who think they are like the sun (or want to be the sun like Adam and Eve) misunderstand their true identity and purpose and hence settle for less than they were made for. Instead it is those who recognise they are more like the moon and therefore point people to the sun – it’s those image bearers (or image reflectors) that discover their true identity and purpose. And their reward is in knowing and becoming more like the God they worship.
So how do we pursue this humility?
The answer is that we model our lives on the life of Jesus – who gave up everything in coming to earth, dying the death of a criminal, only to experience the exaltation of the resurrection 3 days later, followed by his ascension. Spiritual writers throughout history have spoken of this journey that is clearly outlined in the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2 as the journey of descent followed by the journey of ascent. The journey of descent, found in service and sacrifice always precedes the journey of ascent. As Jesus said, ‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.’
John the Baptist hit the nail on the head in declaring ‘You must increase and I must decrease Lord.’ For it is in our descent that Christ is lifted up. And here comes the great news of the gospel – Christ’s ascent provides the sure sign and hope of our future exaltation. The resurrection of Christ points towards the future resurrection of all of God’s people.
So with the incredible hope of new life that we taste in part today but shall taste in full when Christ returns and we receive our resurrection bodies – with that hope we find strength for today in building God’s kingdom and making his name great in all the earth.
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