Jesus is better than a "rebel without a cause."

Lately, I've been studying Luke 14:25-35 where Jesus teaches on discipleship. Something struck me, reader, which you (being the smarty-pants that you certainly are!) will probably dismiss as a given. But as for me, though I am finishing my philosophy classes at UC Irvine, I'm still feeling a little bit post-modern about my faith: What's real? Where are the foundations? Who is my vision?

Luke 14:25-26 (underline added for emphasis)
And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

This verse has always been given to me in anticipation of suffering, of self-denial, of comparatively loving Jesus more than life itself and all the loveliest, goodest, and truest blessings he gives to me. Be ready, the preacher says. Carry your cross daily. Otherwise you're no true follower of the savior who died for you.

But what of the second part of the warning Jesus gives? We must bear the cross of shame AND follow Jesus in order to be a disciple. Bearing the reproach of a cause is has become a thing in our culture. Everybody loves a martyr, though he be a suicide bombing terrorist. But martyrdom is stupid if the resurrection isn't a certain hope: for why should my unborn children benefit from my years of covenantal and postmillenial toil (a la MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech and Solomon's Ecclesiastes) if it costs me everything? But it costs me nothing if it is Jesus's cross.

Yes-- you say-- but of course, Joseph. A disciple is a follower, so following a master is a given for disciples!

Yes. You're right. But how often do I myself forget to follow Jesus? How often do I delude myself into the snares of both older and younger brothers of the last part of Jesus's parable in the following chapter ("The Prodigal")-- that sin is worth the cost: damage to my soul (and others'!), besides the terrible anger of God?

No. For those made stupid by the present terror of sin, remembering to actively follow Jesus besides remembering how to debate for Pro-Life and postmillenial worldviews is a cattle prod in the right direction.

Because crucified men do not sleepwalk in their deathly march. 

Jesus is better than a guilty conscience. {Part One}

1. Romans 7:1,14,21-25; 8:3 states: "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?...for we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ... I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:..."

2. I've got a robust and violent conscience, o reader. Mine is the type that wails obscenities, tears its robes apart, and, dragging up the dregs of my sins, smears them all over the pages of Scripture like the margarita I spilled over 1 Peter this past Tuesday. My conscience condemns me and demonstrates how I fall short of all the commands of Christ in Scripture. And I am struck dumb, for the accusations are true and right; I can only confess my guilt and trust the goodness and grace of my covenant redeemer.

Yet so often do I find myself echoing the words of Pastor George Scipione: "I am the chief of sinners, for the sins that I've committed stand against me and no one else, and no one else's sins testify against me."

Indeed, Paul, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

3. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, for there is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (7:25-8:1).

Jesus is better than legalism and self-righteousness that comes with an overly-loud conscience. Paul continues in Romans 8 by explaining how Jesus is the one who delivered him from the body of death: Jesus was sent in the flesh to condemn sin (v3), the very weapon which my lawful conscience bears against fearful me. Furthermore, because "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death," (v2) not only are we "not in the flesh," but we are "in the Spirit" (v9).

Jesus is better than hyperbole, though, and we don't literally have to cut off our sinning "members" as He commanded in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:29-30, Rom. 7:18-23). For if we have the Spirit of Christ (8:9-10), then we're being renewed in the inner man (2 Corinthians 4:16), though "the body is dead because of sin" (Rom. 8:10). Not only is He sanctifying our spirits, but we are promised with a bodily resurrection and restoration modeled after that of Christ's, our guarantee and firstfruits (8:11).

The gospel is clearly one of liberty and exodus from the bondage of sin, and Paul reminds us that our Jesus is better than a mere saving Lord: not only have we not received the spirit of bondage again to fear and guilt and an angry conscience, but we have instead received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba, Father." This is the clincher for my agitated conscience: the judge is my father who pardons me and points to the cross that powerfully attracts my guilt.

Paul ends this half of his letter to the Romans with a few rhetorical questions which pierce my jealous and accusatory conscience through and through:

a. If God be for us, who can be against us?
b. How shall he not with [deliverance of the obedient Jesus] also freely give us all things?
c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?
d. Who is he that condemneth?
e. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

A guilty conscience cannot be against me, innocence and righteousness accompany the living Spirit Jesus promised, my past cannot add sins when God has acquitted, Jesus intercedes even for my stubborn conscience's sake, and not even my worst sins can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Jesus is better than "earthly fathers."

1. Isaiah 9:6-7 states "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

Psalm 23:5 states "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup overflows."

2. Today is the first Sunday of the month (and of 2014, too!), which makes it a Communion Sunday! Communion isn't just a symbolic thing to the Christian, but rather it conveys the benefits of union with Christ to the believer. Having just returned from staying at the Leatherwoods' home in Arizona, I drew the analogy of the benefits of adoption transferred to the adopted son being very physically represented in a welcoming meal. The Leatherwoods showered Calvin and me with the benefits of being merely a guest in their home to the point that I felt our houseguest gifts fell terrifically short; how much more hospitable would they treat an adopted son?

Having already discussed the gravity of the Middle Eastern man's hospitality in a previous post about Psalm 23, the Leatherwoods certainly embodied this reckless and extraordinary sort of hospitality. After giving only a brief recounting of how gracious they were, my mother joked-- "Hey, it's good somebody likes you guys out there!"

Our Jesus promises to never forsake us, and he does one better-- more than simply calling himself "Father," he is called our "everlasting Father." He doesn't forget us, he doesn't grow tired of loving us, and his love is like candied bacon sizzling in the morning. He loves to bring us food, and he sends us manna from heaven (the Bread of Life himself!) every time we take and eat the bread of the Lord's Supper. As an orphan may feel the warmth of a hot meal, so too do we feel the warmth of being able to boldly and fearfully call the LORD of hosts our "everlasting Father."

3. I'm going to start a blog project, posting the results of my written responses to these 31 days of prompts as suggested by Art of Manliness. They definitely won't be posted in 31 consecutive days, but I hope it'll be a useful tool to keep me writing stuff.