The Gospel in Parenthesis
We use brackets all the time. i.e. ( and )
The significance of these brackets aka parenthesis is really to add a side thought, something btw, kinda off tangent and not in flow with the more important part of conversation. In speech, we communicate it with a hand over our mouth, or indicated by the phrase "by the way". Basically, it means something less important than the things not in parenthesis.
Two things triggered off this thought for me- I was reading my friend's blog and she was writing about something before suddenly broke off a tangent and wrote a paragraph about how the Gospel was preached really well at some occasion. And right after that, she returned to her usual topic, nothing to do with God at all. Secondly, I was having a chat with a friend about how Christians shouldn't have such strong opinions and should instead, learn to be less rigid and stubborn. That way, more people would be happy if only we could accommodate their points of view.
Is that the way we live our lives with Jesus? Do we live with Him in brackets, in parenthesis? Do we ever get embarrassed of our faith, for taking radical points of view, and defending idealistic or naive positions? Or do we cling on desperately to the Cross of Christ and perhaps bear it in our idealism. After all, Luke 9:23 says "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Where is the cross we bear? If we are ashamed of living for Jesus with His full glory in our lives, then we are liars and the truth is not in us. Jesus cannot be covered in brackets.
After all, when He died for us, it was all about love- He was not ashamed of us, but willingly bore our sins when He did not deserve it. Philipians 2 says that 'he humbled Himself to death, yea, even death on a cross'.
Have you taken His cross, His thorny crown, His bloodied purple robe and those three rusted nails and shoved them between to brackets? Let us not do this to He who loved us so. Everyday should be a day of declaration, a day of passion, a day of mission.
The significance of these brackets aka parenthesis is really to add a side thought, something btw, kinda off tangent and not in flow with the more important part of conversation. In speech, we communicate it with a hand over our mouth, or indicated by the phrase "by the way". Basically, it means something less important than the things not in parenthesis.
Two things triggered off this thought for me- I was reading my friend's blog and she was writing about something before suddenly broke off a tangent and wrote a paragraph about how the Gospel was preached really well at some occasion. And right after that, she returned to her usual topic, nothing to do with God at all. Secondly, I was having a chat with a friend about how Christians shouldn't have such strong opinions and should instead, learn to be less rigid and stubborn. That way, more people would be happy if only we could accommodate their points of view.
Is that the way we live our lives with Jesus? Do we live with Him in brackets, in parenthesis? Do we ever get embarrassed of our faith, for taking radical points of view, and defending idealistic or naive positions? Or do we cling on desperately to the Cross of Christ and perhaps bear it in our idealism. After all, Luke 9:23 says "Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Where is the cross we bear? If we are ashamed of living for Jesus with His full glory in our lives, then we are liars and the truth is not in us. Jesus cannot be covered in brackets.
After all, when He died for us, it was all about love- He was not ashamed of us, but willingly bore our sins when He did not deserve it. Philipians 2 says that 'he humbled Himself to death, yea, even death on a cross'.
Have you taken His cross, His thorny crown, His bloodied purple robe and those three rusted nails and shoved them between to brackets? Let us not do this to He who loved us so. Everyday should be a day of declaration, a day of passion, a day of mission.
posted by leb at 7:29 AM
2 Comments:
interesting that you should share that. i was reading this book a colleague gave me the other day. it's a book study of Romans by St Helen's, Bishopgate.
In the introduction of Romans Paul proclaims that he is "not ashamed of the gospel of christ" and it should be well noted that he should have good cause to be ashamed. the persecution, the ridicule... if we think about it he could very well be disappointed with it. yet he boldly proclaims that he isnt.
he isnt ashamed because he knows what the gospel is, "a righteousness that is from God"! we proclaim it not to save people (though that is one of the ideas) but the main purpose for our articulation should be to simply glorify God by showing his goodness in the good news!
often we like to think of strategies to lure, or bait people into believing. crafting nice little arguements or attempting to create an ambience that may seem condusive to the acceptence of the message. but the message is ridiculous! it was meant to be. the message is radical!
our job is to tell, preach, share as it was shared back then. not to coerce, argue. these things have their place in the time directed by Him. but it shouldnt be the main concern in the sharing.
little 2 cent worth from one with little. =)
in giving what little she had- the lady with 2 cents aka 2 mites gave her all. and Jesus commended her for her worship.
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