How can you find freedom in being a slave?
In Romans 6 Paul uses the illustration of a person being a slave to either sin or righteousness and the idea is that freedom is found in submission to being a slave to righteousness (or maybe I'm just paraphrasing too much at any rate you should read it for yourself). This is Seriously Ridiculous. I don't want to be a slave at all. I mean think about it, everything that you know about slavery, nothing about being a slave is good. And yet, this is an extremely important illustration for us to try and understand within our culture. (Maybe there was something about slavery in that culture that was good or honorable that I don't really understand)
So the whole time I was reading this Matthew 11:28-30 was swimming around in my head:
"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Somehow taking on the "Yoke" and "Burden" of Christ leads to freedom and rest that we can't find in being a slave to sin. (Gosh I honestly hate the word slave, probably because I hate losing the right to make the decisions in my life and giving up control. hmm...) In Christ there is a freedom that allows us to carry and yoke and a burden that is light and easy and find a rest for our souls. This rest is a type of rest that is a "blessed tranquility of the soul." So in midst of work, carrying a yoke, there is a peaceful, fulfilling, and rejuvenating rest.
I believe this is where the difference between being a slave to sin and being a slave to righteousness is. Not only that but I think this is where our idea of what a slave is has to be broadened into something different, something new, something redeemed. Being a "slave" to righteousness brings us something that being a "slave" to sin can not offer. There is no peace, rest, hope, eternal life, or true love in sin. There is no fulfillment or satisfaction. Being a slave to sin always leaves you wanting more. Being a slave to righteousness brings satisfaction. This is the Psalm 23 filling where we have all that we need and are led to that place of rest, peace, and joy. (You should really read it too. Just read all the verses. Romans 6, Matthew 11:28-30 and Psalm 23).
What is really interesting is that the world sees being a "slave to sin" as freedom over being a "slave to righteousness." I honestly believe that this is the fault of way too many Christians pretending that they are living righteous lives when in fact they are cursing, condemning, judging, and living lives under the "law" just as the religious pharisees. This is probably where our misconception of what it means to be a righteous person comes in. We forget things like what Paul says in Galatians 2:16 "...a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ...for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified."
Still, I don't think i want to be a called a slave to anything but rather a friend like Jesus calls His disciples. Friend works. Maybe in being friends of Christ we can live a righteous life that shows the world that we are not in "bondage" to our "religion" (wow so many quotation marks in this blog) but that we are able to live in holy freedom.
Seriously Ridiculous.
-B
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A Loaf of Bread, A Roll of Toilet Paper, What do You Need?
I understand that you are in need of something but I barely have enough money for myself. So what should I do should I still help you out and just trust in God for some money to supernaturally appear or should I be "wise" with my finances and believe that there is some other way you will get what you need even though I could help?
It is a bit ironic that my last blog was about how selfish and a horrible person that I think that I am and now I am blogging about sharing all of our resources with others. I am a strong believer in the idea that what resources I have I am to share with others (unless it is my PS2 or my clothes with my little brother, that's a totally different thing). The problem I have, besides having random days of selfishness, is that we live in a society that is all about protecting one's own resources rather than sharing them. Even in different church settings your are given the example of hording what you have and just giving very little to support those around you who are in genuine need.
I think the problem we have is when we start to believe that what we have really belongs to us as individuals rather than to support a community or one another. We are a people created by God for community and as a community we are called to share our resources however large or small they are.
Tonight someone I know asked me for a roll of toilet paper because they were out and couldn't afford to buy any at the moment. My instant response was sure I'll get you a roll but then I began to think to myself: "What good would one roll do for someone who is taking care of an apartment full of 6 others? I know I don't even have enough money to make my car payment right now but what matters is this person needs some toilet paper. OK I'll take this person and buy them some." So I took this person to the store bought them like 24 rolls of the soft kind of toilet paper which was a bit more expensive but when it comes to wiping I prefer not using construction paper.
Side note: Honestly what is the deal with toilet paper? We wipe our noses and faces with the softest tissues that have all sorts of things made out of them to help keep our faces feeling nice and yet we wipe our asses with construction paper. Seriously don't you think your butt is just as sensitive as your nose?
Anyway. So what if it cost me a little bit of money and I am even more short from being able to pay my car payment this person was in need of something essential. How could I not help and buy this person what they needed? This person was humble enough to admit they needed help what could I do just ignore them? That would have been crazy.
But, I wonder how often other people around me are in need of little things like toilet paper, bread, water, a ride to work, or maybe even a place to sleep. And I wonder how many people like me would be unwilling to admit they are in need of help and ask for something because of fear of what others might think.
God has created us to be a community and I think it is time we stopped worrying about how much we own to give ourselves a better life and start caring about others having what they need to live.
Okay, granted you don't need toilet paper to live: but honestly, you get the point.
B
It is a bit ironic that my last blog was about how selfish and a horrible person that I think that I am and now I am blogging about sharing all of our resources with others. I am a strong believer in the idea that what resources I have I am to share with others (unless it is my PS2 or my clothes with my little brother, that's a totally different thing). The problem I have, besides having random days of selfishness, is that we live in a society that is all about protecting one's own resources rather than sharing them. Even in different church settings your are given the example of hording what you have and just giving very little to support those around you who are in genuine need.
I think the problem we have is when we start to believe that what we have really belongs to us as individuals rather than to support a community or one another. We are a people created by God for community and as a community we are called to share our resources however large or small they are.
Tonight someone I know asked me for a roll of toilet paper because they were out and couldn't afford to buy any at the moment. My instant response was sure I'll get you a roll but then I began to think to myself: "What good would one roll do for someone who is taking care of an apartment full of 6 others? I know I don't even have enough money to make my car payment right now but what matters is this person needs some toilet paper. OK I'll take this person and buy them some." So I took this person to the store bought them like 24 rolls of the soft kind of toilet paper which was a bit more expensive but when it comes to wiping I prefer not using construction paper.
Side note: Honestly what is the deal with toilet paper? We wipe our noses and faces with the softest tissues that have all sorts of things made out of them to help keep our faces feeling nice and yet we wipe our asses with construction paper. Seriously don't you think your butt is just as sensitive as your nose?
Anyway. So what if it cost me a little bit of money and I am even more short from being able to pay my car payment this person was in need of something essential. How could I not help and buy this person what they needed? This person was humble enough to admit they needed help what could I do just ignore them? That would have been crazy.
But, I wonder how often other people around me are in need of little things like toilet paper, bread, water, a ride to work, or maybe even a place to sleep. And I wonder how many people like me would be unwilling to admit they are in need of help and ask for something because of fear of what others might think.
God has created us to be a community and I think it is time we stopped worrying about how much we own to give ourselves a better life and start caring about others having what they need to live.
Okay, granted you don't need toilet paper to live: but honestly, you get the point.
B
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