November 16, 2003

(Note: This C-File was read for chapel at Harding University England on Sunday, November 17. Parenthetical notes are meant to read aloud in an ironic sense.)

There's a passage of the Bible that always lifts me up when I'm getting down, a passage that, no matter what I'm going through, always manages to inspire and uplift me and prepare my spirit for another day in God's kingdom. There's a passage of the Bible so calming and perfect that I thought I would share that with you today. But I couldn't find it, so we're looking at Matthew 23 instead.

I am now going to read the passage for you so you'll have it fresh on your mind. For those of you reading this online, you'll just have to make do with your own voice and Bible.

(read Matthew 23 in sonorous voice)

I would say this passage is my favorite in the New Testament, except for the part where it drives a chilling spike of fear through my soul. The tone of Jesus' sermon here runs against the image of Jesus that has been drilled into my head after year after year of Sunday School lessons, youth conference devotionals, keynote speakers, and flannelgraphs. Jesus is supposed to be this totally loving, meek, unassuming man who always wears a white robe with a little blue sash and looks like a Caucasian and always has at least two happy, smiling children and/or adorable lambs frolicking around him. It is difficult to see flannelgraph Jesus shaking at the adorable lambs while yelling "Blind fools!" This Jesus is not supposed to say things such as "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?"

Take a look around you at the representations of Jesus in the churches here in London. (You may have to wait until after class) There are many statues of Jesus suffering on the cross, or appearing as an infant or a corpse in the arms of Mary. There are very few statues of Jesus with a whip of cords knocking over tables in the temple court. There are very few posters on the walls of "Family/Life Centers" showing the face of Jesus rolling his eyes, inscribed with the words "Are you still so dull?" Maybe we don't like to think about it too much. I know I don't.

Jesus' anger and indignation are very real and very sobering qualities, and it is interesting to me to note who it is that bears the brunt of Jesus' woe-giving. It is not the oppressive Roman government, or the irreligious Saducees, but the church leaders at the time. These people had a massive responsibility, a responsibility to instruct and to be an example to God's people, a responsibility that most of us will one day have to assume - as elders, deacons, teachers, or even parents. Showing someone the way to heaven is never something to be taken lightly. The Pharisees did so, however, and earned themselves seven whopping woes and a house left to them desolate.

Authority is something that has to be taken seriously, by those over it as well as under it, and maybe those immediately adjacent to it as well. The very first thing Jesus says is "obey the Pharisees." If I were a Jew drinking milk at the time I would have surely spewed it out my nose upon hearing this. Jesus spends seven woes describing their horrific sins, but first says, respect their authority anyway? Yes, he says, because they occupy the seat of Moses. You respect authority not because of what they do but because of who they are. According to Romans 13, we are to respect government in the same way, even Nero's heinous slaughterhouse excuse for a government.

That people are to respect authority, however, does not let the authorities off the hook with God, who being God, gets to do pretty much whatever he wants to. In Matthew 23, he takes the Jewish leaders seriously to task for abusing their authority in several important ways. First off, they use their position to earn the praise of men. This evidently turns Jesus off so much that he doesn't want anyone to use titles of respect towards anyone at all, so that nobody thinks they are more than they are. Authority always goes to people's heads, but we must do our best to teach and influence others in a spirit of humility, never letting our desire to be praised get in the way of God's will.

Secondly, and in my mind worst of all, the Pharisees used their authority to make it difficult for others to get to heaven. Why would anybody do this? This strikes me as perhaps the most evil thing imaginable, so evil that Jesus' prescription of a millstone around the neck and a dunk in the ocean hardly seem harsh enough. What kind of perversity would motivate someone not just to be holy, but to be holier? The sad thing is, there are times when I feel a little of that in myself - the desire to be in the special crowd, not only loved by God but uniquely loved by God, and there's hardly anything so terrible.

Sometimes, we slam the door in other people's face unintentionally, out of ignorance, which is hardly better. The process is generally simple. Silly little mortal (figure A) sees glorious, incomprehensible, demanding God (figure B). Both desire to come to know each other, so God gives the silly little mortal an institution (figure C) to help him understand his will. Figure A is very pleased to have Figure C, because Figure A can understand Figure C very well. Unfortunately, Figure A is a silly little mortal, and eventually comes to love Figure C so much that he forgets all about God, and starts worshipping the institution. Perhaps Figure A has elevated the rules and laws to such a degree that they unknowingly keep people out of heaven. Perhaps Figure A has elevated methods of worship to such a degree that Figure A gets into fights with Figures Q, V, and P over how best to worship God and the other Figures get turned off. Figure A isn't particular how he misrepresents God, but it happens all the time, and it's why a humble attitude is so very important. Figure A must also never forget that the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath, that God desires mercy, not sacrifice, and that the important matters of the law are justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

With all this woe, it's easy to let yourself get depressed. But one verse towards the end gives a sense of hope for those of us who aren't Pharisees - verse 37. "How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." God does not desire to push us away. God does not like calling us blind fools and snakes and broods of vipers, no matter how often we deserve it. God wants us to come to him, and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't, with a humble heart, releasing our selfish desires to gain men's praises, or to be the only ones under his wing, or even to fully understand God.

Authority is a major responsibility and I pray that one day, if I ever find myself in a position of authority, I will never impede anybody from getting to heaven. I pray for humility and wisdom for everybody in authority, so that, when God takes people under his wing, he has as many under there as could possibly fit.