Genesis 45:1-15
1 Corinthians 7:32-40
Mark 6:1-13
Evening: Psalm 91:1-16
I am reading a book, called Jesus, Mean and Wild, The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God, by Mark Galli. One Presbyterian Pastor said this about the Jesus in the book: "I want to know this Jesus, though he scares me a little" (Rev. John Ortberg, Menlo Park PC). The author challenges assumptions that Jesus was always nice. Always kind, soft-spoken, merciful, friendly, tolerant and inclusive. At the end of the book, I came to see that following Jesus is demanding and very difficult, as he leads us deeper into the way of love that would confront, and disturb, even as we show mercy and grace. Jesus' love is a "persistent, fearsome, untamed love." This Jesus scares me a bit too.
I reread Chapter 14 this past week, "Harsh Tutors of Love." It is about the relationship between fear and love. Galli exposes Jesus as a teacher that would get fired today in the classroom, put under scrutiny by his overseers. He used shame (Mk 8:38), threats (Matt 13:40-43) and even physical force (John 2:14-15) to make his points. He was misunderstood, and discounted by those who did not like or want to hear what he said. In today's gospel, his authority and teachings were questioned, and his reflection on the issue was to recall Old Testament prophets' plight: they had no power in their own house and he was amazed at the unbelief among his own. Then he sends out his 12 to do as he did - teach and prophesy, heal and call for repentance, teaching his disciples to stir up some dust before those who would not listen, and move on. Not exactly polite and tolerant. No "teacher of the year awards" for these fellas.
Jesus could scare the beejeebers out of people, and he teaches us to do the same? I don't know about you, but the few times I have tried that, or been on the receiving end of the same, it has not been very comfortable for me or anyone else. People think we're stirring up trouble. But I see three things: if we are to follow Jesus with conviction, we'll stir up some dust. Second, I need to accept I have blind spots and a lot to learn about God's love; I admit I have eaten a lot of dust myself. And third, perfect love must include both truth and grace. In this way, perfect love casts out fear. Herein is the dilemma. How is fear useful to love among Christians who disagree?
Gallie quotes Augustine in his explanation of the relationship between love and fear. Augustine argued when it comes to eternal matters, it was useful for Jesus to instill in listeners the fear of judgment and eternal punishment (Luke 12:4-5), because he loved the people he came to save from damnation. He put the fear of God in them out of love. The good news is: the more we fall in love with Jesus, the less we fear condemnation, for he has cast out fear and damnation with his grace and his truth. Truth and grace, hand in hand. It is difficult to love like Jesus, mean and wild, without fear. But the alternative is tolerance and lackadaisical religion, which tell us there's nothing worth fearing.
Perfect love casts out fear. I have a long way to go to love perfectly. Joseph was pretty close as he welcomed his brothers without fear, filled with tears of joy after painful separation and evil plotting. Joseph's love of God moved him from fear to love, back to his brothers to talk and share life together again. After all he had been through, he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.(Gen. 45:16).
My fervent prayer for our churches, denomination and our Presbytery - for sisters and brothers with whom we disagree or, I daresay, fear, is that we grow deeper in love with God and seek God's ways through the word and prayer. And like Joseph, after all we have been through, may we come together and talk, moving from fear to love and sharing the wild and untamed love of Jesus with each other and the world. If it disturbs us all, then we know the Spirit is up to something. But fear not, God goes with us.
