The Deep Things
Everyone with a broad understanding of life fails to understand life and its depth.
In the physical world, the jack of all trades is often in the master of none. The people who travel to the most countries usually fail to understand what it means to live there, much less their own home. The more a man learns to understand women in general (whether he is a playwright or a philosopher) the less he understands any particular women, much less love.
Of course, in the physical world there are exceptions.
A historian may have a detailed knowledge of all the US presidents, but if you found him alone and asked him about Cooledge you might be surprised to learn he is very intimate with the life of Cooledge. And we may hear of a man with many friends who genuinely seems to care about each one of them personally.
The spiritual world is different.
In the spiritual world a person either understands deeply or he does not understand at all. In spirit the narrow path leads only to life -and nowhere else. In spirit the broad road leads only to destruction -and no where else. Either a man is devoted to a singular master, or his devotion is disbursed among a multitude -which is another way of saying he has no devotion.
We are required to have faith, for it is what the righteous live by. The pagans have a certain kind of faith, yes, or at least on some occasions. When the flight is smooth they (may) believe they will arrive safely and on time. When the conversation is pleasant they (may) believe they have a good friendship. This common faith, this broad faith, is not the saving faith we are called to.
A common faith, a faith that is commonly held among men, is also a faith in many things ... in common things. Most people have faith in the fire department to put out fires, the rain to waters crops, and the effectiveness of many people working together. At the same time, no one is totally certain about any one of these things and in a very true sense the common faithful have no faith.
The understanding of the world (of the broad majority) is itself broad and of a majority of cases, in other words a probability. Most car travel does not end in death or even in an accident, and this is the assurance (which is not a complete assurance) that the world takes up as consolation in its fears. They try to extend this knowledge over many things, and, if they can, over everything. This is why it is so common to hear people package their decisions with "all things considered" and "when you take it all into account...". Their appeal is so extensive it is totally impossible for any human being to wrap their mind around it.
This is the world the writers of the Bible responded against. In the haste of trying to swallow literally everything the world has truly acquired nothing. And Paul describes this as 'ever learning, they are unable to acknowledge the truth'. And when the pagans pray they try to be heard on account of their many words ... or their loud voices ... or their cutting and bleeding. In contrast to these broad half-measures Paul contends that he has resolved to only know one thing: Christ crucified.
To the Greeks this is foolishness.
In the same way, a person who has learned what they value most -over and above all things- will never be understood by the vast majority of people on this earth. A few deep words can be spoken by a person whether they are simple or very thoughtful. When the world hears a few simple words, they mistake the smallness in number for a smallness in value. This is the error of the world.
When the widow offered only her mite in the collection, few people would have counted her offering as greater than the offering of others. Perhaps they considered it comical. Maybe some people thought to themselves, 'If only she had obeyed God more, then she would have had more to give.' But it was the widow who gave the most.
And it was also the widow who received the most. 'How much did she receive?' The world asks, 'And how many things did she receive? Only one thing?! How pathetic!'.
These are the questions we are always hearing in the world. One can easily envision two school boys talking with each other: 'How many minutes did you spend making out with her? How many times did you kiss her? How many guys have dreamed of doing the same thing, and how much did you end up spending on her?' The numbers could answer each question with perfect exactness, and those who boast in numbers receive their reward in full.
It takes only a small change to ask deeper questions.
The change may even be so small that a sharp ear could not succeed in noticing the difference: 'How much do you like her? How lovely did you find her to be? How long did you want to be with her?' And the question which offends because of its soberness: 'How serious are you about her?'
The eyes of the world never have enough of seeing, and they are never satisfied. They look restlessly for the metrics, the measurements, the benchmarks even in the very matters which cannot be measured. The world searches for analysts, scientists, i.e. "The Experts", to tell them what love means and how they can 'get' others to 'love' them.
The eyes of the righteous are focused also -more focused actually. They are focused exactly and precisely on the very things which cannot be seen with the eyes. The righteous are able (and ready!) to notice the subtle movements of love, the quiet 'as you wish' and the 'it was my pleasure' which say so little and yet say everything.
Jesus tells us that those who act 'to be seen' receive their reward in full. This is another way of saying their reward is not very deep. By contrast, the righteous do not even know what they will receive as their reward because, as the Scriptures say,
This is the mystery of Godliness. No human being walking this earth is able to express or even conceive the depth of the gifts God gives to His children. The love of Christ is deep: it is like a fountain that springs up inside the heart of the believer and never runs dry. The broad cisterns of the world, however, are dry and they can hold no water -only the appearance of it.
In the physical world, the jack of all trades is often in the master of none. The people who travel to the most countries usually fail to understand what it means to live there, much less their own home. The more a man learns to understand women in general (whether he is a playwright or a philosopher) the less he understands any particular women, much less love.
Of course, in the physical world there are exceptions.
A historian may have a detailed knowledge of all the US presidents, but if you found him alone and asked him about Cooledge you might be surprised to learn he is very intimate with the life of Cooledge. And we may hear of a man with many friends who genuinely seems to care about each one of them personally.
The spiritual world is different.
In the spiritual world a person either understands deeply or he does not understand at all. In spirit the narrow path leads only to life -and nowhere else. In spirit the broad road leads only to destruction -and no where else. Either a man is devoted to a singular master, or his devotion is disbursed among a multitude -which is another way of saying he has no devotion.
We are required to have faith, for it is what the righteous live by. The pagans have a certain kind of faith, yes, or at least on some occasions. When the flight is smooth they (may) believe they will arrive safely and on time. When the conversation is pleasant they (may) believe they have a good friendship. This common faith, this broad faith, is not the saving faith we are called to.
A common faith, a faith that is commonly held among men, is also a faith in many things ... in common things. Most people have faith in the fire department to put out fires, the rain to waters crops, and the effectiveness of many people working together. At the same time, no one is totally certain about any one of these things and in a very true sense the common faithful have no faith.
The understanding of the world (of the broad majority) is itself broad and of a majority of cases, in other words a probability. Most car travel does not end in death or even in an accident, and this is the assurance (which is not a complete assurance) that the world takes up as consolation in its fears. They try to extend this knowledge over many things, and, if they can, over everything. This is why it is so common to hear people package their decisions with "all things considered" and "when you take it all into account...". Their appeal is so extensive it is totally impossible for any human being to wrap their mind around it.
This is the world the writers of the Bible responded against. In the haste of trying to swallow literally everything the world has truly acquired nothing. And Paul describes this as 'ever learning, they are unable to acknowledge the truth'. And when the pagans pray they try to be heard on account of their many words ... or their loud voices ... or their cutting and bleeding. In contrast to these broad half-measures Paul contends that he has resolved to only know one thing: Christ crucified.
To the Greeks this is foolishness.
In the same way, a person who has learned what they value most -over and above all things- will never be understood by the vast majority of people on this earth. A few deep words can be spoken by a person whether they are simple or very thoughtful. When the world hears a few simple words, they mistake the smallness in number for a smallness in value. This is the error of the world.
When the widow offered only her mite in the collection, few people would have counted her offering as greater than the offering of others. Perhaps they considered it comical. Maybe some people thought to themselves, 'If only she had obeyed God more, then she would have had more to give.' But it was the widow who gave the most.
And it was also the widow who received the most. 'How much did she receive?' The world asks, 'And how many things did she receive? Only one thing?! How pathetic!'.
These are the questions we are always hearing in the world. One can easily envision two school boys talking with each other: 'How many minutes did you spend making out with her? How many times did you kiss her? How many guys have dreamed of doing the same thing, and how much did you end up spending on her?' The numbers could answer each question with perfect exactness, and those who boast in numbers receive their reward in full.
It takes only a small change to ask deeper questions.
The change may even be so small that a sharp ear could not succeed in noticing the difference: 'How much do you like her? How lovely did you find her to be? How long did you want to be with her?' And the question which offends because of its soberness: 'How serious are you about her?'
The eyes of the world never have enough of seeing, and they are never satisfied. They look restlessly for the metrics, the measurements, the benchmarks even in the very matters which cannot be measured. The world searches for analysts, scientists, i.e. "The Experts", to tell them what love means and how they can 'get' others to 'love' them.
The eyes of the righteous are focused also -more focused actually. They are focused exactly and precisely on the very things which cannot be seen with the eyes. The righteous are able (and ready!) to notice the subtle movements of love, the quiet 'as you wish' and the 'it was my pleasure' which say so little and yet say everything.
Jesus tells us that those who act 'to be seen' receive their reward in full. This is another way of saying their reward is not very deep. By contrast, the righteous do not even know what they will receive as their reward because, as the Scriptures say,
No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9b
This is the mystery of Godliness. No human being walking this earth is able to express or even conceive the depth of the gifts God gives to His children. The love of Christ is deep: it is like a fountain that springs up inside the heart of the believer and never runs dry. The broad cisterns of the world, however, are dry and they can hold no water -only the appearance of it.
Labels: Bible Reflection
5 Comments:
Some are born into a faith and kept there by fear. Others choose their faith and may change what they believe in many times during their life. Faith in Christ is received from God. There are times when it hurts so much to be a Christian that if I could, I'd probably quit being one but I can't quit being what I am. I can't stop believing in Jesus any more than I can change the color of my skin. In Christ, I have been forever changed.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Could you send me your email address? My email is:
burning@meredevotion.com
I've got a question for you.
Hi Pam,
Your comments have an originality to them, as if the one who wrote them is searching for words to describe something instead of recalling descriptions from other people.
Is Christianity something inherited at birth or something chosen? These are important questions, and I agree with you that faith in Christ is not something passed along like an heirloom. It has its origin in the gratuitous will of God.
I happen to disagree about the role necessity plays in choosing what you correctly portray as a hard and narrow road. Although I disagree, I think I see where you're coming from: there is something inside the true disciple that leads him away from indecision and duplicity. He or she is not blown by the wind but is -in some sense- determined, even if it is not in a deterministic way. And what an assurance this determination brings!
I believe that God is profoundly aware of His good work that He began in His chosen ones, and also that He will see it unto the day of completion. To this extent I think we agree. What I also find the need to accept (although it is hard and sometimes "hurts") is that the salt which loses its saltiness is no longer fit for anything, but best meant to be thrown onto the streets to be trampled by men. Hebrews 6 elaborates on this.
Although I believe God will see everyone He has chosen remain in His love, there is also the possibility of it going otherwise. Christ told his disciples (Matt 10) to fear God who has the power to destroy the soul in hell.
Anyway, sorry for the long response. Sometimes a few resolute sentances are the best, as you seem to understand. I hope you have a good day. I will remember you in my prayers.
BB,
I'm a woman and I never mind wordy responses. We women have to talk things through to understand them. As long as you are not overbearing or boring, it's fine!
Saying I'm original is a nice way to describe a rather excentric becoming an old lady.;-) Repeating is for when we are learning about the faith of others. Originality comes from the true experience of living our faith. It hurts to be a Christian. There is also no better place to be than in the presense of God continually. I know that someday it won't hurt anymore.
I'll send you my email. My computer isn't fuctioning so well though so I may disappear for awhile at any given moment...;-)
Pam
Oh geeeez, I can't even spell eccentric. Ex centric? hmmmm.
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