Whipping us into shape
CROSS PURPOSES # 101
17 October 2007
Recently the Sydney based pastor’s of LCA NSW have worked their way through a study of the Seven Deadly Sins. Our material was largely based on a workbook put together by a chap called Maxie Dunnam and his (pastor) daughter Kimberly.
I guess you know those sins: Pride, envy, avarice, lust, sloth, anger and gluttony. It was pretty challenging stuff – quite confronting. Today I’d like to point you to a phrase from their chapter on anger. They talk about how there is place for a very right and necessary anger. And of course pointed us to Jesus walking into the Temple precincts and discovering that the space, sacredly set aside for the gentiles, was filled with marketeers. He made a whip and …
The Dunnam’s posed a question. “Jesus made a whip to deal with something that was entirely outrageous. For what purpose would you make a whip?”
Ouch. Nailed. Spoken to. Addressed. Convicted. What sort of thing / circumstance / situation / event would get me angry enough to take action. Sure there are things that get my dander up – get me ropeable etc etc – usually because I’m protecting my own interests. Especially in regard to family we get very protective and that’s good.
What I struggle with is the way that if it doesn’t affect me directly then I don’t care. And that’s exactly what sloth is. If lust is sinfully passionate, then sloth, “not caring”, is sinful apathy. “I can’t be bothered. It’s none of my business”.
I wonder what we’d look like if we had Jesus’ passion for people to be free of their burdens, guilt, sin and apprehension. It’s not just that people get ripped off – sometimes it’s the system that needs to be challenged because it’s the institution that does the ripping off. In our culture it’s the little people who are usually on the receiving end of trouble – those who can’t depend on themselves.
Similar things might be said about climate change, companies that promote asbestos (or some such) when they know it is deadly, allowing the building of pulp mills which destroy ecosystems through their input and output, governments which allow health systems to run down, governments which lie to us or set out to massage the truth to us – ah the list goes on.
But you know, Jesus the Christ reserved a very special anger for those who block the simple and the unlearned from knowing their forgiveness and freedom under God. Check it out. He reserved his deepest anger for the legalists and lawyers.
So there’s the question. Especially in regard to the Kingdom; “For what purpose would you make a whip?”
Fred
PS What would happen to you if you suddenly got bathed with the passion of the Holy Spirit of Jesus for the spiritual welfare of the people around you?
Most Christians have enough religion to feel guilty about their sins but not enough to enjoy life in the spirit. (Martin Luther)
17 October 2007
Recently the Sydney based pastor’s of LCA NSW have worked their way through a study of the Seven Deadly Sins. Our material was largely based on a workbook put together by a chap called Maxie Dunnam and his (pastor) daughter Kimberly.
I guess you know those sins: Pride, envy, avarice, lust, sloth, anger and gluttony. It was pretty challenging stuff – quite confronting. Today I’d like to point you to a phrase from their chapter on anger. They talk about how there is place for a very right and necessary anger. And of course pointed us to Jesus walking into the Temple precincts and discovering that the space, sacredly set aside for the gentiles, was filled with marketeers. He made a whip and …
The Dunnam’s posed a question. “Jesus made a whip to deal with something that was entirely outrageous. For what purpose would you make a whip?”
Ouch. Nailed. Spoken to. Addressed. Convicted. What sort of thing / circumstance / situation / event would get me angry enough to take action. Sure there are things that get my dander up – get me ropeable etc etc – usually because I’m protecting my own interests. Especially in regard to family we get very protective and that’s good.
What I struggle with is the way that if it doesn’t affect me directly then I don’t care. And that’s exactly what sloth is. If lust is sinfully passionate, then sloth, “not caring”, is sinful apathy. “I can’t be bothered. It’s none of my business”.
I wonder what we’d look like if we had Jesus’ passion for people to be free of their burdens, guilt, sin and apprehension. It’s not just that people get ripped off – sometimes it’s the system that needs to be challenged because it’s the institution that does the ripping off. In our culture it’s the little people who are usually on the receiving end of trouble – those who can’t depend on themselves.
Similar things might be said about climate change, companies that promote asbestos (or some such) when they know it is deadly, allowing the building of pulp mills which destroy ecosystems through their input and output, governments which allow health systems to run down, governments which lie to us or set out to massage the truth to us – ah the list goes on.
But you know, Jesus the Christ reserved a very special anger for those who block the simple and the unlearned from knowing their forgiveness and freedom under God. Check it out. He reserved his deepest anger for the legalists and lawyers.
So there’s the question. Especially in regard to the Kingdom; “For what purpose would you make a whip?”
Fred
PS What would happen to you if you suddenly got bathed with the passion of the Holy Spirit of Jesus for the spiritual welfare of the people around you?
Most Christians have enough religion to feel guilty about their sins but not enough to enjoy life in the spirit. (Martin Luther)
posted by PastorFredVeerhuis at 12:28 PM
1 Comments:
What would I do? I'd take my kids from school, an environment where evey turn is a step away from who they are in Christ (christian school too). At home we would build up our relationship as a family putting God at the top of our day. Find out about who these great small people are, what they need to grow and learn as God's lights with the gifts he has given them.
I'd be strengthened by God's spirit when the going gets tough. I'd find a new community of friendships - even when the ones in my own faith community don't want to understand me.
I'd walk the lonely road of living counter-culturally, just like Jesus, so I could see my small sisters in Christ be free to live as God created them at their baptism.
...And the journey continues.
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