A Sweet Story
The
Balaam story in Numbers 22—23 makes it clear that Balak saw Israel as
something to be cursed and Balaam saw Israel as an opportunity to make
himself rich. I wonder what weary Israel thought of itself just at that
particular time? We know this: He who knew her, really knew her, knew
her as the nation that had broken his heart for a generation in the
wilderness and as the nation that would break it again and again. All
the more remarkable, then, that he said of her (Numbers 24:5): “How
beautiful are your tents O Israel.”
We
don’t have to guess what the powers in Jerusalem thought of the NT
church (Acts 4—5), of what the people of Ephesus who worshipped Artemis
thought of the new people among them (Acts 19:1-41) or how they were
received by the Gentile world. There are suggestions throughout the
various NT letters that their opinion of themselves varied with their
experience and, of course, at some levels it matters what the Church
thinks of itself. But ultimately it matters only what God thought and
thinks of her. She is what he says she is and not what society or
the world powers think—not even what they themselves think (see the
Lord’s remarks to the seven churches in Revelation 2—3).
So what is she really?
A
clear description has been given of her from various sources that all
combine and go in the one direction. Here’s how it goes often enough.
Jesus,
that poor soul, was too high-strung for a world like this. He was a
good man, gentle and grieved by the evil and suffering he saw all around
him. He cared a lot about the poor and probably worked many
psychosomatic cures. You know how caring people can do that for hurting
hearts.
His
sensitivity might even have unhinged the poor thing because he said
things like he was the light of the world, that the dead would all arise
one day when they heard his voice, that if people wanted life they
would have to feed on his flesh and blood, that he was God’s unique Son
and that if he was killed he’d rise again—things like that. (Of course,
though his later disciples said he
did, we can’t really be sure he said any of these things; but if he did
we’re not to jeer, we should pity him because his sensitivity could
easily have driven him harmlessly mad.)
When
it came to his teaching—the material that makes sense, that is—we find
his teaching matching his actions. It would be too much to say he was
original for much of what he said he had learned from his Jewish
heritage but his beautiful life would have added strength to his
teaching.
In
any case, it’s a hard old world and his people, especially the leaders,
had had enough of him and for some reason that we can only guess at
they did away with him. Sad as it is, like every other human he stayed
dead and by now he has turned to dust in some unknown grave, but you
know, he was dearly loved! So it’s as though someone wrote over his
tomb: “Gone but not forgotten!” For indeed he wasn’t forgotten and his
followers gathered together to remember him and keep his wise, gentle
sayings alive.
We
can almost hear them now as they shared his beautiful sayings with one
another and anyone who would listen. “You remember how he used to say
things like, ‘Love one another…treat one another right…live in
peace…work out your differences between one another.’ Ah, yes, a dear
gentle soul, we won’t soon see another like him. And may we having
gathered together to fondly remember him all leave this place and be
better friends and neighbours because as long as we do he’ll always be
alive in the world.”
And
that is how the Christian movement started. It’s (at its best) a vast
number of people who wish to follow the teaching and lifestyle of that
beautiful 1st century figure. We can safely ignore all the
extraneous materials we find written about him and try to follow (most
of) his central moral teachings because, after all, the thing that
counts is how we are to treat one another in this life—the rest is
irrelevant.
Indeed, a sweet story!
And I suppose that there are some who really believe it.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.
From Gary...
I especially like today's post; Jim tells a tale that sounds good, but
in reality has nothing to do with the heart of Christianity- Jesus as
sacrifice for our sins. Sometimes its a good thing to think like this,
but be very, very careful when you do. At this point, you might find it
useful to open your Bible and turn to 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15:1-9 and
read for yourself... truth!!!
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