Cwillz Spills

If you are worried that this is going to be a post about economic theories and the all that, I assure you that it is not and you are safe to read on without having to sharpen any axes for the elephants or the donkeys.  This post is a commentary on two happenings in Luke’s account of Jesus’ life. To get the most out of this post, please read along with me Luke 18:18-19:9.

Luke chapters 18 and 19 contain two stories that when considered together are quite confusing.  They are known as “The Rich Ruler” and “Zacchaeus the Tax Collector”.   I’ve never considered the stories in relationship to each other, but looking at these stories, I am convinced that people would have been pretty pissed at Jesus for acting the way he did.  What do I mean? Well, He treats good people harshly and bad people kindly. Understatement. Here is the story:

The Rich Ruler – Luke 18:18-23

A certain ruler asked [Jesus], “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Let’s get the story straight. This rich ruler knew and kept all the Law’s commandments, even since he was a kid. That means he had never cheated anyone out of money and his riches were properly “his”, made either by simply the Lord’s blessing and a life of work in a clean conscience. Yet Jesus looks at him and gives him little hope at the eternal life.

There were people they that overheard what Jesus said and asked the natural question, “Who then can be saved?”

How many rulers and rich people get that way or stay that way by doing the right thing? This man had done everything the Law required, kept his nose clean, and Jesus still dealt harshly with him.  Who else stood a chance?

Jesus has his own way.  He is the King.  He answers the question in both word and deed.  The word is “What is impossible with men is possible with God“.  He describes how it is possible with God privately to his disciples in the next few verses. It is by his death and resurrection according to the scriptures that it is possible with God.

In fact, this power is demonstrated in an event that takes place between the two stories of the Rich Ruler and the Zacchaeus.  Jesus heals a blind guy:

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

⁴²Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” ⁴³Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Hold commentary on this bit for a while. Press on to Zacchaeus (yes this is the “wee little man”).

Zacchaeus the tax Collector

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ “

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

I’m laughing just thinking about the contrast between the story of the Rich Ruler and Zacchaeus.  Jesus pretty much denies the Rich Ruler, who had done the right thing and kept the Law, even came to Jesus asking how to get eternal life. Yet with Zacchaeus, who had made his fortune swindling and coercing, Jesus almost gives him no option but to come into salvation.  I can just imagine the frustration of the people around these two powerful men.  In their eyes, the one who had never done anything to hurt them and was a good ruler was treated like dirt, and the one who had literally stolen money from them shared a meal and salvation with Jesus! Scandal!

Not fair! By their own merits, the man who deserved grace is seemingly denied, yet the one who deserved to be condemned had his whole house saved!

Observations:

1) Jesus decides on whom to show mercy.

2) Both men were sinners.  One believed it, the other did not.  The Rich Ruler thought there was something he could do to get eternal life.  He thought himself capable.  Jesus’ direction to him to sell everything and give it away would have reduced this man to nothing in his own eyes – and the ruler was unwilling to do it.  Zacchaeus knew that he was incapable of saving himself, and had even embraced embraced his sin (he knew exactly how much he had stolen!), yetwhen the Lord came to his house that the Lord could save him and it was a game changer.  His generosity did not earn his salvation – it was a fitting response to the grace the Lord showed him.

3) The Rich Ruler sought personal gain (eternal life, even with Jesus, can be desired selfishly).  The Blind Man sought to be able to see, but knew Jesus already to be the Messiah, and therefore capable. That is why he yelled out for the Son of David. Zacchaeus went out looking for Jesus, but it never says why.  Either way, He was looking, and Jesus came to him.

4) The conclusion of Jesus’ parable in 18:9-14 explains these stories better than I have:

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Did you make it all the way down here?

May the Lord’s will be done,

CWillZ

The words and actions of Jesus have once again intersected with my present reality and thoughts in such a way that I want to record publicly.  This all kinda gelled together last night during our 20-somethings gathering’s discussion on the 6th chapter of John.  In this chapter, Jesus walks on water out to the disciples in the middle of strong weather.  For someone who has never experienced God by faith, this account is fairly far-fetched.

But for those of us that have been given the grace of noticing God’s redemptive work in our lives and all creation even, the fact that Jesus walks on water should be nothing.  Perhaps the greatest miracle in life is the warming of human hearts, whose fires are prone to be stifled by the worries and troubles of this world.

When Jesus calls his 12 closest disciples (students, followers, life-coachees), he asks these two brothers who were fishing to leave what they were doing and follow Him.  He says something peculiar: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

So I am trying to learn the art of fly fishing.  The interesting thing about fly fishing is that you try and “match the hatch” or use flies that look like the ones that are hatching from the river or that are landing on it.  Sometimes when you pick our which fly you want, it may not look exactly like the fly you want.  However, from the fish’s perspective it may look exactly what you need.

So the glorious moment comes when fish strike the fly.  The rise to the surface to grab it, sometimes breaking the plane of the top of the water.  In the most dramatic and exciting cases they will leap completely out of the water.  Glorious.

Sometimes when God’s grace is presented to people, we think that it will happen like when we are fishing on top of the water, expecting people to be completely hungry for God’s grace and jump out of their lives into a new life in faith.  When that happens, it is glorious.  However, when the world is a muddy river, the best and prettiest fly on top of the water will not always be seen.

However, Simon Peter and Andrew were fishing with nets on the sea of Galilee.  It seems that Jesus’ and the disciples way of fishing meant going deep into the unknown with nets.  Like the days after Pentecost when the “Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”, it seems that results come from when people imitate Jesus, who risked everything to dive into our world to save us from our sins, and then risked everything again by putting a handful of broken people in charge of taking God’s message, love, grace to the world and forming His people, the Church.  Wow.

Now with the power that raised Christ from the dead working in us, may we seek to do his will.  Let us who have been walking on top of the water by faith consider holding onto life on top of the water something to keep for ourselves.  Let us dive deep into the unknown and dare to love people where they are and show them the top of the water, being pulled up with them in the inescapable clutches of God grace.

May the Lord’s will be done,

CWillZ

Last night we watched Amazing Grace, a movie that portrays the life of leading British politician William Wilberforce and his fight to pass bills leading to the abolition of the slave trade.  While I have not checked into the historicity of the film, I trust that it is at least conceptually accurate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism

As a young man, Wilberforce was faced with the dillema of choice between life of ministry or of politics.  He had a good life as a young statesman, but was inspired by his pastor John Newton, who was reformed former slave trader and writer of the hymn “Amazing Grace”.  For him, it was very apparent that the solution to the dillema was ironically obvious.  God’s will for ‘Wilby’ was to proclaim God’s justice and greatness through his work as a statesman (MP, Prime Minister). 

There are many great lessons to write about from this film and this truly inspired event of history.  I will name a few today and tomorrow I will post about what is actually on my heart heavily after seeing this film.

1) You often must change the culture before you can change laws, and even then it will be costly.

2) The kindness of a spouse and good friends can inspire the weariest of souls.

C) We are terrible sinners.

$) Christ is an amazing savior.

5) Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

May the Lord’s will be done,

CWillz

Last summer I worked in Juarez, Mexico with YouthWorks!.  We had US and Canadian high school students come for a week at a time while we gave them places to serve by building homes and spending time with children.

As I got into bed tonight, I thanked God for my comforter. It seems like a small thing, but I love being wrapped up like burrito in it. Then I remembered to pray for those don’t have bedding and need it.

Over the summer I read something that said something to the effect of, “As long as there are empty mouths in the Body of Christ, the eucharist is incomplete.” While I think that Christ’s death was enough to buy me into being able to be in God’s family, I see the point.

As I write, I can see the faces of Christians that I have taken communion with that did without basic necessities today. I am compelled to write that I am ashamed that my truest brothers and sisters do not have enough.

I have two comforters on my bed. Most of the time the smaller of the two is pushed to the side against the wall.

The Lord is clear that nothing I have I have because I have earned it, or by some way am entitled to it. Job’s cry for mercy was met with a threatening truth. “I made you from dust, you will be dust again” and “Where were you when I hung the stars?”

How about this for haunting: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?.”

I have pity, but I know how quickly it will be gone by the time I finish my breakfast tomorrow and am worried with not being late to class (again).

I understand why it seems no one does anything. We have never thought seriously about our own survival. Gross, Sick, Untrue.

May God grant us the mercy of being moved to care for our fellow believers. OUR FLESH AND BLOOD IN CHRIST.
Come quickly Lord.