Imitating Jesus

Could there be Christian traditions that are actually a danger to me?  Traditions have the power to shape my lens to see things in the Scriptures that are not there and to blind me to things that are there.  It is hard for evangelicals to imagine that we ourselves could be blind to truth within the Bible, but we need to go no farther than the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law to see the power of tradition to blind men to the truth.

The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were rigorously trained in the Scriptures.  They had memorized and studied the same Old Testament that we say is inspired of God, powerful, and sharper than any double-edged sword . . . and yet Jesus said that their traditions had nullified the Word of God (Mark 7:13).  Joseph Hellerman observes that:  “Tragically, Pharisees, chief priest, and others simply had too much invested in their own view of reality to respond to the prophetic challenge that God brought to their personal lives and precious cultural institutions through the words and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.  So they had Him crucified.  .  .  . Contemporary Christians would be utterly arrogant to assume that we are somehow immune to similar theological blind spots.”[1]

It is my pride and fear that will keep me from allowing my doctrine and my ministry practice to be tested against the Word of God.  I must be willing to admit that I may have been wrong and courageous enough to change a practice that I once held as a conviction but now realize was a preference.   When our desire is to be aligned with truth we will have no fear of examination but rather be inspired to continue a pursuit of knowing and living the truth.

In closing, N.T. Wright captures for me the attitude that I should have towards my traditions (some of which I love dearly) and the Scripture.  He writes: “For me the dynamic of a commitment to Scripture is not ‘we believe the Bible, so there is nothing more to be learned’, but rather ‘we believe the Bible, so we had better discover all the things in it to which our traditions including our “protestant” or “evangelical” traditions, which have supposed themselves to be “biblical” but are sometimes demonstrably not, have made us blind.”[2]

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[1] Hellerman, Joseph H., “When the Church Was a Family” (Nashville: B & H Academic, 2009), p. 61.

[2] Wright, N.T., “The Challenge of Jesus”( London: SPCK Publishing ,2000)

In my last post (How to View Your Disciple-December 30^th, 2009), I wrote that the lens through which I view my disciple speaks to him louder than my words or actions.  For this reason alone I should evaluate my lens, but it is also important for me to assess my lens because it effects how I perceive myself, others, and God.

Yet a personal lens is difficult to detect.    It was Thoreau who said: “It is as hard to see oneself as to look backwards without turning around.” N.T. Wright gives three questions to help me recognize my lens:

1.  What are the stories I tell?

In order to identify the lens through which I view the world I must listen to the stories I tell others, the stories I enjoy hearing, and the stories I tell myself.  “Human life, then, can be seen as grounded in and constituted by the implicit or explicit stories which humans tell themselves and one another.”[1] A life is an unfolding story that fits into the larger story of God.  Just as I get to know someone by listening to their life’s story, so I must learn to evaluate my own story in order to understand my lens.  The movies I enjoy, the television shows I watch, and the books I read, give a glimpse into my worldview.

2.  What are the symbols in my life?

Symbols are powerful.  The clothes I wear (e.g. A Boston Red Sox hat), the car I drive, the tattoo I display, the church I attend, my room decor, the bike I ride, my “green” grocery sack, the music I listen to; can all be symbols of my worldview.  Not everything in my life is a symbol, but there are certain things that have grown out of my worldview and become symbols.  One way to recognize a symbol is that “symbols can often be identified when challenging them produces anger or fear.”[2]

3.  What is my characteristic behavior?

My dad and my aunt had major surgery on the same day.  The first question my dad asked when he could communicate was how is Pat? None of us were surprised at his question because my dad cares for others, even in his own pain.  What do I avoid? How do I fill my time? What excites me? What bores me?  My predictable behavior points to my lens.

One last thought.  Another challenge are the deep emotions stirred up when evaluating a lens.  Courage is required because you will have to face fears associated with your life experience and you will also need humility to admit that you may have been wrong in some of your perspectives.

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[1] Wright, N.T., “The New Testament and the People of God” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), p.38.

[2] Wright, N.T., “The New Testament and the People of God” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), p.124.

My fear obstructs the making of disciples. A discipler is to love his disciples, but if I am insecure it is difficult to love others. I have experienced the pain of rejection which has caused me to become fearful and leery of relationships, I even fear those who love me the most. The voices of insecurity and shame boom in my head something like this:

• “I can’t even get my own act together, how can I help someone else?”
• “I have disqualified myself from ministry.”
• “If this person finds out what I am really like, they will not want to continue in this friendship.”
• “I can’t afford to go through another relational disappointment, so I had better play it safe right now.”
• “Why would they want to spend time with me?”

Christianity has tried to accommodate this fear by creating ministry systems and programs which require a minimal amount of relational investment. The problem with these approaches is that the kingdom of God was founded upon and still advances on sacrificial love. There is no place for fear in my life, because fear disrupts my relationship with others so that I can no longer love.

The obvious question is, “how do I remove fear from my heart?” First, I need to understand that wrong thinking is the cause of my fear. My view of God and my perception of how he views me are incorrect which has resulted in me having a fearful outlook on life.

So then, the antidote for my fear is a right understanding about the Lord’s love for me. Jesus takes the initiative to love me first, which in turn removes the fear from my heart, (because love drives out fear, 1 John 4:18) so that now I am able to love others as Jesus has demonstrated through his own death on the cross.

The fears that your disciple is being forced to face is an indicator of where the Lord is at work in his life. One cannot follow Jesus and fear. Jesus confronted the fear in the hearts of his own men by leading them directly into their fears. One day a lake storm came up while he was asleep in the boat; he was frantically awakened by his disciples who were afraid for their lives. He was amazed at their lack of faith, for all fear is the consequence of a void of faith (Matthew 8:24). Even today, as a man seeks to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit will lead him into his deepest fears in order for him to face and root out those fears.

When your disciple faces his fear it can have an adverse affect on his attitude and behavior. People respond to fear differently, some lash out (possibly at you!), some withdraw, and others self-medicate. During these times of fear it is not only an opportunity for you to teach your disciple the power and love of God, it is also an important time for you to affirm your own love for him.

Here are a couple of suggestions as you walk your disciple through his fears:

1. Pray for the faith of your disciple, that it will remain strong.
• Luke 22:31-32 “Jesus said, ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’”
• 1 Thess 3:10 “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.”
2. Do not project you own fears on your disciple, nor minimize the object of their fear. We do not all fear the same things.
3. Love and fear are incompatible. Clearly communicate both God’s love for your disciple, as well as your own.
• 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.