Over the past couple of months I have been delving into the Proverbs, and as usual, I find myself wondering if I play the fool more than I play the wise man. For many years I have prayed that God would grant to me an ever increasing wisdom, not one of this world, but one from him. As I look back, I definitely see God's wisdom seeping into my life and I am happy that much growth in this area has occurred. Yet, I also see that I have a very long way to go.
This brings me to ask the question, "What is it about wisdom that makes me desire it so unceasingly?" I am not really sure (well, this is not completely true as you will find out if you continue to read), but here are a few thoughts. I guess it all stems from this conviction I have that wisdom is of the utmost importance for the follower of Jesus. So where does this conviction come from? The obvious answer is that God desires us to have his wisdom (as seen throughout scripture and in the life of Christ) so it stands to reason that someone trying to dedicate his life to becoming more like Jesus would experience this desire. So, why does God think wisdom is so important that it would be a major theme woven throughout the whole of scripture? What is it about wisdom that makes it an essential for the believer?
I think the best way to answer this question is to start from where there is a lack of wisdom and the consequences of such. I shall pick on Christians (yes, very general - but please play along) first. As a pastor I come face-to-face with the foolish decisions of Christians continually; consequently, I am forced to wonder upon what basis people make their choices. What constitutes a wise choice compared to a foolish one?I think the root problem is a confidence in our own thought processes and what we determine is best for us rather than a trust in God’s thoughts and what he determines is best for us. In Ephesians 5 Paul exhorts us to “live wisely” following an appeal to God’s people to imitate God himself. Jesus concludes his incredible sermon in Matthew by encouraging those who follow him to be “wise builders” who build their lives on his words. The result of a misplaced trust in ourselves is that we become fools and we become the products of destruction.
Perhaps the thing that frightens me the most is that I don’t want to be deceived. It is very natural then to pursue wisdom and discernment when I understand that our enemy’s main weapon is deceit. I do not want to buy into a lie. I do not want to give my energy and life to something that is not true. I do not want to fall prey to the enemy’s plan for destruction for my life. Therefore, I desperately want wisdom and discernment to be staples of my spiritual life.
When you think about it, the consequences of lacking wisdom and discernment are monumental – especially for those whose calling is to lead God’s people. I most certainly do not want to lead them astray in any way. Also, as a father, I cannot think of anything worse than imparting foolishness to my children and leaving a legacy of foolishness to my descendants. Yikes!
So how do we become wise? According to James we ask God. How does wisdom get lived out in our lives? By knowing God’s word and trusting it; by putting into practice what he teaches us; by trusting that God is good and knows what is best for us; by not leaning on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledging him; and finally by seeking first the kingdom of God and dedicating our lives to becoming like Jesus.
Too many Christians do not trust that God knows the best way. We are constantly suspicious of what God teaches us in his word. We are too often we are unconcerned about what God wants and are completely absorbed with what we want. We are looking to fulfill our selfish desires rather than to instill God’s desires in our lives. The result… foolish people making foolish choices striving to get their own way and falling prey to father of lies who is bent of destroying them. It started in the garden with Eve as she was deceived into believing that God was holding back – that she should not trust that he knew what was best for her. It has continued to this day.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Friday, December 08, 2006
something is off
“The sad truth is that too little difference exists, in terms of emotional and relational maturity, between God’s people inside the church and those outside who claim no relationship with Jesus Christ.” – Peter Scazzero (The Emotionally Healthy Church)
One of the things that I have been thinking about a lot these days is the reasons behind why people who are Christians have such dysfunctional relationships with both other Christians and the world. Shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the guy who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, has been given new life, and who desires to become like Jesus and the guy who could care less about the way of Christ? Shouldn’t those who claim to be followers of Jesus have major concerns over their lack of healthy relationships – the very essence of our faith (Jesus summed up the law and prophets with 2 essential relationships: “love God and love others”)? Something is terribly wrong, but where have we gone astray?
It seems to me that the main reason that the church looks no different from the world is because the main goals and interests that many Christians pursue are identical to the worlds. How many Christians have as the main goal of their short lives here on earth to actively pursue a Christ-like life and to bring honour to God in all that they do, say, think, and believe? How many Christians can say that their life here on earth is consumed by being an apprentice/disciple of Jesus and by the mission of Christ to this world? How many Christians say they believe in the horrors of hell and eternal damnation and that they believe they should love their neighbours as Christ commanded, but act like they could less that most of the people (i.e. neighbours) they run into everyday are going to hell? Why do so many Christian people spew hateful and judgemental statements that inflict hurt upon others?
I believe the answer to our generation’s relational and emotional dysfunctions are the same answers that Jesus had 2 thousand years ago and that the apostles bought into completely. Followers of Christ must be actively seeking to become more like Jesus in all areas of their lives and be actively seeking to engage their whole selves in his mission. Any other goal that takes precedence over this one will result in ineffective, unproductive, and impotent Christians who are known not for their Spirit-filled walk and relational and emotional maturity, but rather for their inability to have healthy relationships and the heart-rending inability to distinguish them from the world.
One of the things that I have been thinking about a lot these days is the reasons behind why people who are Christians have such dysfunctional relationships with both other Christians and the world. Shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the guy who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, has been given new life, and who desires to become like Jesus and the guy who could care less about the way of Christ? Shouldn’t those who claim to be followers of Jesus have major concerns over their lack of healthy relationships – the very essence of our faith (Jesus summed up the law and prophets with 2 essential relationships: “love God and love others”)? Something is terribly wrong, but where have we gone astray?
It seems to me that the main reason that the church looks no different from the world is because the main goals and interests that many Christians pursue are identical to the worlds. How many Christians have as the main goal of their short lives here on earth to actively pursue a Christ-like life and to bring honour to God in all that they do, say, think, and believe? How many Christians can say that their life here on earth is consumed by being an apprentice/disciple of Jesus and by the mission of Christ to this world? How many Christians say they believe in the horrors of hell and eternal damnation and that they believe they should love their neighbours as Christ commanded, but act like they could less that most of the people (i.e. neighbours) they run into everyday are going to hell? Why do so many Christian people spew hateful and judgemental statements that inflict hurt upon others?
I believe the answer to our generation’s relational and emotional dysfunctions are the same answers that Jesus had 2 thousand years ago and that the apostles bought into completely. Followers of Christ must be actively seeking to become more like Jesus in all areas of their lives and be actively seeking to engage their whole selves in his mission. Any other goal that takes precedence over this one will result in ineffective, unproductive, and impotent Christians who are known not for their Spirit-filled walk and relational and emotional maturity, but rather for their inability to have healthy relationships and the heart-rending inability to distinguish them from the world.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Monday, September 04, 2006
a culture of safety
I was thinking about why there seems to be such a "stay safe at all costs" mentality in the North American church and I could not help but wonder if our culture's high priority on safety has influenced the way Christians view their faith and the church, and consequently, how they live out their faith. I know there's a few authors out there who have written about this topic and have suggested some very good reasons for why we have ended up in this unfortunate and impotent position. Erwin McManus comes to mind as his books "The Barbarian Way" and "An Unstoppable Force" tackle this issue head on. Dallas Willard also mentions it a bit. Both authors were great reads and they challenged me about my own "safe gospel". I think it was McManus (correct me if I'm wrong) who said that Christians build church buildings in order to hide behind the walls in an attempt to stay safe from the world. Interesting thought...
Anyway, as I was thinking about the whole safety thing, I came to the realization that safety is a major value of our culture. If you have worked in construction or oil or any unionized work places, sometimes there is a real overkill on safety. Not that "staying safe" is wrong, but try questioning someone who's in a union about all the rules and you'll get an earful about how incredibly important it is for the next 10 minutes or so. I got one of those talks when I worked for Co-op in Regina when I wasn't wearing ear plugs one day to cut a piece of pipe. The cut took me a total of 10 minutes and 3 seconds - 3 seconds to cut the pipe and 10 minutes of someone yelling in my ear about how I could have seriously damaged my hearing. Kind of ironic that his voice was far louder than the saw... People are so crazy about safety they'll do just about anything to make sure it's enforced. It's like we're all brain washed or something.
How about all the rules we have for driving, or biking, or pretty much everything. You mean I'm supposed to wear a bicycle helmet if I want to ride my bike (which, by the way, I have been doing quite safely for the past 30 years or so without a helmet)? Now I've even heard that schools are refusing to fail kids because it might not be safe for their self-esteem... give me a break! I can't think of a better way to set someone up for failure than pretending that they can't fail... silliness. It's like raising a bunch of mice to believe that cats can't hurt them if they cover their eyes and letting them out into the world. Who comes up with these safety ideas? Sometimes I think there is an ultimate over-protective mother on steroids somewhere in the government in a super secret position whose sole purpose is to come up with new ways to protect her little Jimmy.
I think this over-emphasized value on safety is responsible (in part) for the boredom of our young men. Men are built with an inherent need for risk. That is why, as our culture's value on safety takes away the risks in our lives, the need for risk drives us to find it in other areas of our lives. Extreme sports, paintball, kids doing crazy stuff on bikes and skate boards and snowboards, the increase in drug usage, etc are all products of a culture inundated with the message "be safe". Not to mention this new generation's fascination with card games such as Texas Hold'em where the stakes are high and the rush is exhilarating. I think the whole safety thing is a product of the feminization of our culture - but that's for another blog, not today's blog!
The point of this little blog is that I believe this cultural value has crept into the Church and has affected the way Christians live, and it became very evident on my return from Peru where safety is most definitely not a cultural value. Our lives are defined by the risks we have ducked or talked ourselves out of, rather than the risks we have boldly taken in the name of our Master. The problem is that "safety" is not a value expressed by Christ or his followers; in fact, the exact opposite is true. The follower of Christ follows a dangerous path that may cost him his life; in fact, Jesus promised that those who are serious about following him will face persecution (see John 15).
I end this blog with the words from a man whose gospel was as dangerous as it gets…
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." - Mark 8:34-38
Anyway, as I was thinking about the whole safety thing, I came to the realization that safety is a major value of our culture. If you have worked in construction or oil or any unionized work places, sometimes there is a real overkill on safety. Not that "staying safe" is wrong, but try questioning someone who's in a union about all the rules and you'll get an earful about how incredibly important it is for the next 10 minutes or so. I got one of those talks when I worked for Co-op in Regina when I wasn't wearing ear plugs one day to cut a piece of pipe. The cut took me a total of 10 minutes and 3 seconds - 3 seconds to cut the pipe and 10 minutes of someone yelling in my ear about how I could have seriously damaged my hearing. Kind of ironic that his voice was far louder than the saw... People are so crazy about safety they'll do just about anything to make sure it's enforced. It's like we're all brain washed or something.
How about all the rules we have for driving, or biking, or pretty much everything. You mean I'm supposed to wear a bicycle helmet if I want to ride my bike (which, by the way, I have been doing quite safely for the past 30 years or so without a helmet)? Now I've even heard that schools are refusing to fail kids because it might not be safe for their self-esteem... give me a break! I can't think of a better way to set someone up for failure than pretending that they can't fail... silliness. It's like raising a bunch of mice to believe that cats can't hurt them if they cover their eyes and letting them out into the world. Who comes up with these safety ideas? Sometimes I think there is an ultimate over-protective mother on steroids somewhere in the government in a super secret position whose sole purpose is to come up with new ways to protect her little Jimmy.
I think this over-emphasized value on safety is responsible (in part) for the boredom of our young men. Men are built with an inherent need for risk. That is why, as our culture's value on safety takes away the risks in our lives, the need for risk drives us to find it in other areas of our lives. Extreme sports, paintball, kids doing crazy stuff on bikes and skate boards and snowboards, the increase in drug usage, etc are all products of a culture inundated with the message "be safe". Not to mention this new generation's fascination with card games such as Texas Hold'em where the stakes are high and the rush is exhilarating. I think the whole safety thing is a product of the feminization of our culture - but that's for another blog, not today's blog!
The point of this little blog is that I believe this cultural value has crept into the Church and has affected the way Christians live, and it became very evident on my return from Peru where safety is most definitely not a cultural value. Our lives are defined by the risks we have ducked or talked ourselves out of, rather than the risks we have boldly taken in the name of our Master. The problem is that "safety" is not a value expressed by Christ or his followers; in fact, the exact opposite is true. The follower of Christ follows a dangerous path that may cost him his life; in fact, Jesus promised that those who are serious about following him will face persecution (see John 15).
I end this blog with the words from a man whose gospel was as dangerous as it gets…
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." - Mark 8:34-38
Thursday, August 31, 2006
the gospel of safety
It's been an incredibly busy summer, and unfortunately busyness usually means a lack of contemplation about life and spirituality; ergo, my lack of blogging this summer. It's really quite a waste, you know, to have such a busy summer that is so full of great things and God moments if one does not stop and let what God has done in one's heart and life sink in. Without contemplation God's work in our life often goes unnoticed or unheeded and even if we have stopped long enough to recognize God's work in our lives, it is simply forgotten shortly after. Growth in one's spirituality and relationship with God does not mature without contemplation; therefore, I hope to tell you all about my summer (or lack thereof due to my busy schedule) including my sacred journey (a.k.a. missions trip) to Peru and what God has been doing in my life lately.
However, that will be for future blogs and not in this particular blog! Once I receive the pictures from our journey I will fill y'all in on the details. For this particular post, I would like to talk about the Gospel of Safety.
I think that Christians in general (not all, but pretty much all) have adopted a "safe gospel". We create all these unwritten rules that keep us from being "unstained by the world" but all they really are is a way to keep us from getting our hands dirty doing the work that God intends his church to be doing. Now don't get me wrong, I agree whole-heartedly with James that we should make every effort to remain unstained; however, the problems lies not in our attempts to remain unstained by the world, but rather in our complete retreat from it. This seems to be what we do. When we see a potential risk we make rules to minimize the risk; consequently, the rules that minimize the risk end up becoming the standards we live by and what we try and force others to live by. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Hmmmmm... something about fence laws and Pharisees rings a bell...
For example, if a couple of guys were to excitedly tell you how they had spent the last week sharing the gospel to everyone they could at every bar they could find, what would your first reaction be? If a couple of guys came up to you bubbling with excitement because of how they had shared the gospel with almost every prostitute in town and how God had worked through them, what would your reaction be? Would your first thought be caution, or "praise God!"? Now for the kicker... this kinda reminds me of a guy who lived 2000 years ago named Jesus... ouch. Jesus' gospel was as far away from safe as you can get.
Shouldn't the gospel be dangerous? Shouldn't the Christian life be characterized by the awe-inspiring presence and the light of Christ in a dark and needy world instead of a seemly complete lack of his presence, confusion about who we are, and unfulfillment? Shouldn't our focus be on the lost instead of on the saved? Shouldn't we be more concerned about the fact that there are thousands of people within close proximity of every Christian who are on the road to destruction and eternal death than whether we stay "unstained" by the world or whether we have one more fun event simply for our entertainment? Or, better yet, maybe we who call ourselves Christians should stop putting ourselves first and start putting the needs of others first. Can you imagine what would happen then?
I think that if a Christian wants to live a full life - one that is truly satisfying and fulfilling - he must live on the edge of the gospel at all times. Living with a safe gospel will breed discontent, selfishness, and a dead or dying faith, but living with a dangerous gospel - one that invites us to step out in faith (oooh, but that's so risky!) - is what keeps our faith vibrant and alive.
Perhaps what most of us have missed in all of this is that in order to remain unstained by the world one must actually be in it first, otherwise there is no reason for James to make the statement at all. If you are not sure about all this, I have a couple of books about a guy who lived life with a dangerous gospel that might convince you further. You might have heard of them before. I think the titles and authors are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Look into it, they're a great read!
However, that will be for future blogs and not in this particular blog! Once I receive the pictures from our journey I will fill y'all in on the details. For this particular post, I would like to talk about the Gospel of Safety.
I think that Christians in general (not all, but pretty much all) have adopted a "safe gospel". We create all these unwritten rules that keep us from being "unstained by the world" but all they really are is a way to keep us from getting our hands dirty doing the work that God intends his church to be doing. Now don't get me wrong, I agree whole-heartedly with James that we should make every effort to remain unstained; however, the problems lies not in our attempts to remain unstained by the world, but rather in our complete retreat from it. This seems to be what we do. When we see a potential risk we make rules to minimize the risk; consequently, the rules that minimize the risk end up becoming the standards we live by and what we try and force others to live by. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Hmmmmm... something about fence laws and Pharisees rings a bell...
For example, if a couple of guys were to excitedly tell you how they had spent the last week sharing the gospel to everyone they could at every bar they could find, what would your first reaction be? If a couple of guys came up to you bubbling with excitement because of how they had shared the gospel with almost every prostitute in town and how God had worked through them, what would your reaction be? Would your first thought be caution, or "praise God!"? Now for the kicker... this kinda reminds me of a guy who lived 2000 years ago named Jesus... ouch. Jesus' gospel was as far away from safe as you can get.
Shouldn't the gospel be dangerous? Shouldn't the Christian life be characterized by the awe-inspiring presence and the light of Christ in a dark and needy world instead of a seemly complete lack of his presence, confusion about who we are, and unfulfillment? Shouldn't our focus be on the lost instead of on the saved? Shouldn't we be more concerned about the fact that there are thousands of people within close proximity of every Christian who are on the road to destruction and eternal death than whether we stay "unstained" by the world or whether we have one more fun event simply for our entertainment? Or, better yet, maybe we who call ourselves Christians should stop putting ourselves first and start putting the needs of others first. Can you imagine what would happen then?
I think that if a Christian wants to live a full life - one that is truly satisfying and fulfilling - he must live on the edge of the gospel at all times. Living with a safe gospel will breed discontent, selfishness, and a dead or dying faith, but living with a dangerous gospel - one that invites us to step out in faith (oooh, but that's so risky!) - is what keeps our faith vibrant and alive.
Perhaps what most of us have missed in all of this is that in order to remain unstained by the world one must actually be in it first, otherwise there is no reason for James to make the statement at all. If you are not sure about all this, I have a couple of books about a guy who lived life with a dangerous gospel that might convince you further. You might have heard of them before. I think the titles and authors are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Look into it, they're a great read!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
a simple omission or an extremely serious offence?
So, again my blogging is about as consistent as the weather in Alberta, but I have to say that a lot of the things I have been going through lately have not been the "public web log" types of things. Unfortunately, all the things I was going to write about my study of the gospels have now slipped into the oblivion known as the recesses of my mind - quite inaccessible unless inadvertently triggered.
So, it's on to new stuff. I have been reading/studying the book of Isaiah with a couple of friends and it has been very enlightening. Isaiah is one of my favourite books and I have enjoyed a few journeys into this incredible prophet's writings. This time through I have once again been impressed with how much I am able to learn even though I am already very familiar with this book.
I have already commented on a blog about some of the things that have stood out beginning with chapter 2 where Isaiah introduces the main theme of the book "stop trusting in man who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" There have been many others and I hope to catch up with some of them on my blog before they too slip into oblivion.
I would like to comment about an overall observation of the first 39 chapters. I have always considered Isaiah to be a book that highlighted a myriad of sins that God was judging the nations for - including Israel. However, I have realized that although this partially true, the sins that God is most concerned about keep resurfacing. For the foreign nations, it seems that their idol worship and poor treatment of other nations seems to be at the forefront of their many sins and the reason for their judgement. However, for Israel one sin in particular seems to really push God's "wrath button". This sin is something that I had previously not considered a sin (or at least had not thought about it being sinful), and it is the sin of simply not trusting God. Over and over God's judgement upon Israel is the result of Israel misplacing their trust.
This got me a little concerned, and really got me wondering what was so terrible about misplaced trust. At first glance it hardly seems like the kind of transgression that would warrant the destruction of an entire nation and exile for the remaining people. What is it that makes God go nuts about not trusting him?
Then it dawned on me. Misplaced trust, including self-reliance and trusting in man-made structures and rules, is a breach of the first commandment - "you shall have no other gods before me". Putting your trust in anything except God is putting something or someone before him, and in essence placing your trust or faith in that person or thing is putting another god before the only true and Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A grievous sin indeed!
This is very scary. How often do we trust in ourselves and in other things or people rather than God? How often do we break the first commandment without even a second thought? This has definitely put into perspective how not trusting God is more than a simple omission in God’s books and deserves more than a few moments of superficial lip service on our part. Perhaps we should take this sin more seriously – especially since it seems to be the main reason for God’s wrath against Israel and the reason for his judgement upon them.
So, it's on to new stuff. I have been reading/studying the book of Isaiah with a couple of friends and it has been very enlightening. Isaiah is one of my favourite books and I have enjoyed a few journeys into this incredible prophet's writings. This time through I have once again been impressed with how much I am able to learn even though I am already very familiar with this book.
I have already commented on a blog about some of the things that have stood out beginning with chapter 2 where Isaiah introduces the main theme of the book "stop trusting in man who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" There have been many others and I hope to catch up with some of them on my blog before they too slip into oblivion.
I would like to comment about an overall observation of the first 39 chapters. I have always considered Isaiah to be a book that highlighted a myriad of sins that God was judging the nations for - including Israel. However, I have realized that although this partially true, the sins that God is most concerned about keep resurfacing. For the foreign nations, it seems that their idol worship and poor treatment of other nations seems to be at the forefront of their many sins and the reason for their judgement. However, for Israel one sin in particular seems to really push God's "wrath button". This sin is something that I had previously not considered a sin (or at least had not thought about it being sinful), and it is the sin of simply not trusting God. Over and over God's judgement upon Israel is the result of Israel misplacing their trust.
This got me a little concerned, and really got me wondering what was so terrible about misplaced trust. At first glance it hardly seems like the kind of transgression that would warrant the destruction of an entire nation and exile for the remaining people. What is it that makes God go nuts about not trusting him?
Then it dawned on me. Misplaced trust, including self-reliance and trusting in man-made structures and rules, is a breach of the first commandment - "you shall have no other gods before me". Putting your trust in anything except God is putting something or someone before him, and in essence placing your trust or faith in that person or thing is putting another god before the only true and Living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A grievous sin indeed!
This is very scary. How often do we trust in ourselves and in other things or people rather than God? How often do we break the first commandment without even a second thought? This has definitely put into perspective how not trusting God is more than a simple omission in God’s books and deserves more than a few moments of superficial lip service on our part. Perhaps we should take this sin more seriously – especially since it seems to be the main reason for God’s wrath against Israel and the reason for his judgement upon them.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
one smart dude
Before reading this post, decide who you think was the most brilliant man to ever live.
Adventures in the Gospels...
Another one of those things that stood out in my most recent foray into the gospels was the absolute brilliance of Jesus. It was actually first brought to my attention in Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. Willard pointed out that we rarely see Jesus in the light of intellectual brilliance; in fact, it is very rare for anyone to answer the question posed at the beginning of this post with "Jesus" (unless you are in Sunday School - ha ha). When you look at how Jesus continually responded to the Pharisees and Scribes who were constantly trying to trip him up with devious questions, it is pretty amazing that in every situation Jesus was able to not only answer their questions with wisdom, but also to turn their questions into embarrassing moments. Every time Jesus would recognize the trap and reverse it leaving the Pharisees speechless as they were stumped again and again by Jesus' smartitude.
But then I got to thinking... maybe Jesus wasn't brilliant. Maybe his intelligence was nothing special, just like his appearance was not. Maybe this incredible ability to out-think his opponents and see their motives clearly was simply the result of a man who fully relied on God rather than on his natural abilities. I think that we see in Jesus a brilliance that far surpassed that of even the most intelligent human in our history because it was simply God's wisdom being displayed in a man whose trust was completely in God. So was Jesus really brilliant... in intelligence? Maybe, but more likely it was his reliance on God that made him shine.
Adventures in the Gospels...
Another one of those things that stood out in my most recent foray into the gospels was the absolute brilliance of Jesus. It was actually first brought to my attention in Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. Willard pointed out that we rarely see Jesus in the light of intellectual brilliance; in fact, it is very rare for anyone to answer the question posed at the beginning of this post with "Jesus" (unless you are in Sunday School - ha ha). When you look at how Jesus continually responded to the Pharisees and Scribes who were constantly trying to trip him up with devious questions, it is pretty amazing that in every situation Jesus was able to not only answer their questions with wisdom, but also to turn their questions into embarrassing moments. Every time Jesus would recognize the trap and reverse it leaving the Pharisees speechless as they were stumped again and again by Jesus' smartitude.
But then I got to thinking... maybe Jesus wasn't brilliant. Maybe his intelligence was nothing special, just like his appearance was not. Maybe this incredible ability to out-think his opponents and see their motives clearly was simply the result of a man who fully relied on God rather than on his natural abilities. I think that we see in Jesus a brilliance that far surpassed that of even the most intelligent human in our history because it was simply God's wisdom being displayed in a man whose trust was completely in God. So was Jesus really brilliant... in intelligence? Maybe, but more likely it was his reliance on God that made him shine.
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