Patching Cracks

  

 Several friends of mine have been employed by gyms. All of them have shared similar, very funny stories about gym members who show up regularly, dressed in the finest of exercise clothes, spouting workout advice to anyone who will listen, though never seeming to manage to work out themselves. These folks maintain an expensive gym membership, show up regularly, but it makes no discernible difference in their everyday lives. The reason for this lack of impact should be obvious: even though these folks look and talk the part of the fitness fanatic, their lack of exercise yields the predictable results. As ridiculous as this sounds, it’s nothing new. James acknowledges the phenomena amongst 1st century Christians when he wrote that anyone who hears the word, but doesn’t do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, but immediately forgets what he looks like. The idea is that the man hears what God expects of him and is shown his sin, but doesn’t bother to live differently as a result of the revelations. Churches are far too frequently heavily populated by folks with memberships, who wear their finest church clothes as they faithfully show up and offer spiritual advice to those around them, but never manage to grow spiritually by putting into action the teachings of Jesus. Dallas Willard attributes this phenomena to the decision amongst church leaders to teach that discipleship is an optional part of following Christ. Essentially, the modern church has chosen to teach its attenders that Jesus can be their Savior, without being their Lord. The emphasis has been that we need only believe in Jesus to be saved. This is absolutely true, but it is only part of the picture. Because if we truly believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died to take punishment for our sins, then we must also recognize the rest of His teachings, including the demand that we claim Him as our Lord and take on the yoke of His teachings. These two ideas change everything, but they can be tough to understand without proper context.  

Lord: In the ancient world, if someone was your “lord” it meant that they were your master. You obeyed their will as your ultimate, totally authoritative boss. Paul is not overstating the concept in the least when he calls himself a slave to Christ. In this modern western world, this word conjures images of an abusive overseer, but this is not accurate to who Christ is. He is a loving, self-sacrificing master who lays down His life for His followers. He bids us to love Him and each other as He has loved us. Now, it’s important to recognize that loving is not synonymous with permissive. A loving parent doesn’t let their kids run wild. Rather, they discipline and teach their children, helping them to grow/mature into good people and prepare them for the rest of their life. The same is true of Christ, who leads us to become what God created us to be and prepares us to enjoy life with God. Jesus being our lord is a total life commitment, not an image or part time commitment.The Yoke of His Teachings: A yoke is a large piece of wood that lays across the neck of an ox or other beast of burden. The yoke transforms the effort of the oxen into work, by moving a plow, hauling a cart, or turning a millstone. Ancient students were said to take on the “yoke” of their teacher when they learned the teachings of their masters. Essentially, Jesus is calling us to take on His teachings, that turn our efforts into something valuable. That something valuable is our maturing into people who have hearts like Jesus’. It is also our good works that make our world look like the kingdom of heaven. Taking on Jesus’ yoke means learning/living/loving His teachings. It is a lifestyle of training for heaven. The good news is that Jesus describes His yoke as “easy” and the burden of His teachings as “light.” It doesn’t crush us, though there are those who think it ought to and try to change the teachings of Jesus into something that is unbearable. 

For everyone who chooses to call themselves a Christian and align themselves with Jesus, discipleship and growth is essential. Jesus was serious when He said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” He was also serious when He warned that not everyone who says to Him “Lord, lord” will be accepted into heaven. There are those who He will turn away saying: “I never knew you.” Discipleship is following Christ, not earning heaven. It is the call to all who identify Him as Savior.