MATTHEW 11:16-19, 25-30 | CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION

AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

MATTHEW 11:16-19, 25-30

JULY 9, 2017

JESUS’ WORDS HERE ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST AND HIMSELF…

“FOR JOHN CAME NEITHER EATING OR DRINKING, AND THEY SAY, ‘HE HAS A DEMON’;

THE SON OF MAN CAME EATING AND DRINKING, AND THEY SAY, ‘LOOK, A GLUTTON AND A DRUNKARD, A FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS!’”;

ARE PROOF OF TWO OLD ADAGES: “YOU CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING;” AND “DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON’T.”

EITHER WAY, JESUS SEEMS TO BE SAYING, YOU CAN’T WIN.  SOMEONE’S ALWAYS GOING TO FIND FAULT WITH SOMETHING YOU DO.

LIFE FEELS THAT WAY, AT TIMES, DOESN’T IT?

NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, OR HOW MUCH WE DO, SOMEBODY’S NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH US.

THOSE WHO ARE WISE, LEARN, EARLY ON, OR AT LEAST SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, TO HEED THE WORDS OF SINGER RICKY NELSON’S 1970 SONG, GARDEN PARTY.

“BUT IT’S ALL RIGHT NOW, I LEARNED MY LESSON WELL.

YOU SEE, YA CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE,

SO, YA GOT TO PLEASE YOURSELF.”

WHAT JESUS DOES IN OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING, BRINGS US TO THIS WEEK’S ARITHMETICAL TERM;

LAST WEEK: THE CHRISTHAGOREAN THEOREM

THIS WEEK: CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION

NEXT WEEK: GREATER THAN, LESSER THAN, EQUAL TO.

CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION IS WHEN TWO CIRCLES INTERSECT IN TWO IMAGINARY POINTS, A SINGLE DEGENERATE POINT, OR TWO DISTINCT POINTS.

CHILDREN BEGIN WITH THIS EARLY IN PICTURES OF GROUPS OF THINGS, SAY ANIMALS; AND ARE ASKED TO CIRCLE ALL THOSE THAT HAVE TAILS AND ALL THOSE THAT HAVE SPOTS – AND AT SOME POINT THE CIRCLES OVERLAP.

JESUS SETS IT UP THIS WAY IN OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING:

THE FIRST CIRCLE – THOSE IN THE WORLD, OR AS HE SAYS IT, “THOSE OF THIS GENERATION;”

AND THE SECOND CIRCLE – THE CIRCLE TO WHOM HE IS REVEALING HIMSELF, AND AS HE SAYS IT, NOT TO THOSE, SUPPOSEDLY, WHO ARE WISE AND INTELLIGENT;

BUT THE INFANTS; THOSE WILLING TO RECEIVE HIM, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD, LIKE A LITTLE CHILD; (SOMETHING JESUS SAYS ELSEWHERE AS WELL).

IN ADDITION TO THE “INFANTS” LOOK WHO ELSE JESUS SAYS IS IN THE SECOND CIRCLE, THE KINGDOM CIRCLE, LET’S CALL IT: “THOSE WHO ARE WEARY AND CARRYING HEAVY BURDENS.”

AND LISTEN TO JESUS’ PROMISE TO THOSE “WEARY AND HEAVY LADEN” – “I WILL GIVE YOU REST.”

AND THERE’S MORE: “TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE OF HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  FOR MY YOKE IS EASY, AND MY BURDEN LIGHT.”

DID YOU HEAR THAT?  DID YOU HEAR JESUS’ SECRET TO LIFE?  TO LIVING IN A WORLD THAT IS ALWAYS FINDING FAULT WITH US… TO LIVING A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO OURSELVES?

“LEARN FROM ME,” HE SAYS, “FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE OF HEART…”

HERE’S WHERE WE COME IN; TIME TO DO A LITTLE MATH; A LITTLE CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION.

PRETEND IN YOUR MIND, OR USE YOUR HANDS IF YOU WISH; PRETEND YOU HAVE TWO CIRCLES; ONE IS THE CIRCLE OF THE WORLD; THE OTHER IS THE CIRCLE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD;

WAIT, LET ME HELP US.  [USE HULA HOOPS – AT THIS POINT]

HOW WOULD YOU PLACE THE TWO CIRCLES?

WOULD THEY INTERSECT, AT SOME POINT?

WOULD THEY BE TWO SEPARATE AND DISTINCT CIRCLES, NOT TOUCHING AT ALL?

WOULD THE CIRCLES BE LAID ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER?

WOULD ONE CIRCLE BE INSIDE THE OTHER CIRCLE?  THE WORLD CIRCLE INSIDE OF THE KINGDOM CIRCLE?  OR THE KINGDOM OF GOD CIRCLE INSIDE THE WORLD CIRCLE?

WOULD ONE CIRCLE BE ABOVE THE OTHER CIRCLE?

HOW WOULD YOU DRAW THE CIRCLE – CIRCLE INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE WORLD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

THERE’S PROBABLY NO ONE RIGHT ANSWER; AND IF GIVEN THE CHOICE: E. ALL THE ABOVE, MIGHT BE OUR BEST BET.

THEOLOGIAN H. RICHARD NIEBUHR THOUGHT SO.  HE OFFERED FIVE WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE WORLD;

OR BETTER, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND CULTURE, IN HIS BOOK, BY THAT TITLE.

AND WHILE WE CAN’T GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL HERE THIS MORNING, LET ME AT LEAST LIST, AND BRIEFLY DESCRIBE HIS FIVE WAYS OF EXPLAINING IT:

1. CHRIST AGAINST CULTURE – THAT IS, THE WAYS OF CHRIST AND THE WAYS OF THE WORLD ARE MOST OFTEN, AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER.

2. CHRIST OF CULTURE – THE WAYS OF CHRIST AND THE WORLD ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, ASSIMILATED INTO EACH OTHER.

3. CHRIST ABOVE CULTURE – THE WAYS OF CHRIST ARE ABOVE, OR SUPERIOR TO, OR BETTER THAN, THE WAYS OF THE WORLD.

4. CHRIST AND CULTURE IN PARADOX – TRIES TO RECOGNIZE BOTH THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST (THE KINGDOM OF GOD) AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORLD (IN THIS MODEL, WE’D HAVE ONE FOOT IN EACH CIRCLE).

5. CHRIST TRANSFORMING CULTURE – HERE, THE IDEA IS, THAT THE WAYS OF CHRIST, AND US – AS CHRISTIANS – ARE SUPPOSED TO BE AT WORK TRANSFORMING CULTURE; CHANGING THE WORLD; ACCORDING TO, AND BY WAY OF, THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

ULTIMATELY, NIEBUHR WOULD ARGUE THAT CHRIST TRANSFORMING CULTURE IS WHAT CHRIST HAD IN MIND, AND WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE AT WORK DOING AS HIS FOLLOWERS;

BUT NIEBUHR UNDERSTOOD THAT ALL FIVE OF THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT ONCE, AND TOGETHER.

THAT IS, WE CAN DRAW OUR CIRCLES IN ALL OF THE WAYS WE MENTIONED ABOVE: INTERSECTING, SEPARATE, ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, ONE INSIDE THE OTHER, OVERLAPPING, CONCENTRIC, PERHAPS, EVEN, BUMPING UP AGAINST EACH OTHER.

BUT FOR NIEBUHR, THE MOST COMPELLING, THE MOST ACTIVE, THE BEST WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THIS, WAS FOR CHRIST, AND FOR CHRISTIANS, TO BE TRANSFORMING CULTURE, THE WORLD, IN KINGDOM WAYS.

“THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN…” AS JESUS SAID IT; AND AS WE PRAY IT.

AS BELIEVERS, WE LIVE IN BOTH CIRCLES AT ONCE, HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DRAW THEM;

AND IT IS HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIVE IN BOTH CIRCLES, BOTH WORLDS, AT ONCE, THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE;

THAT DEFINES WHO WE REALLY ARE; WHAT WE BELIEVE; HOW WE LIVE; HOW WE TREAT OTHERS; WHERE WE STAND.

RIGHT NOW, WE MAY FEEL LIKE “WE CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING;” THAT “WE’RE DAMNED IF WE DO, AND DAMNED IF WE DON’T;”

OR MAYBE WE’VE ALREADY BOUGHT IN TO RICKY NELSON’S “YOU CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE, SO YOU’VE GOT TO PLEASE YOURSELF;”

WHICH IS FINE, AS FAR AS IT GOES, BUT I THINK CHRIST WOULD WANT US TO GO FARTHER; TO TRANSFORMING CULTURE; TO CHANGING THE WORLD, BY CHANGING OURSELVES.

AND I THINK OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING; AND ANOTHER BIBLICAL QUOTE FOUND IN THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS; AND A COUPLE OF OUR OWN SAYINGS; ALL OF THEM SAYING VIRTUALLY THE SAME THING.

MAY GIVE US A CLUE AS TO HOW WE MIGHT CHANGE THE WORLD, BY CHANGING OURSELVES; AT LEAST IN ONE ASPECT.

FROM OUR PASSAGE FOR THIS MORNING, THE KEY WORDS ARE JESUS’ WORDS: “LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE AND HUMBLE IN HEART…”

FROM THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS:

“DO NOT AVENGE YOURSELVES, BELOVED, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD’S WRATH.  FOR IT IS WRITTEN: ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, SAYS THE LORD.’

ON THE CONTRARY, ‘IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK.  FOR IN SO DOING, YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.  DO NOT OVERCOME EVIL WITH EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.’”

OUR OWN VERSIONS OF THESE GO LIKE THIS: “LOVE YOUR ENEMY, IT’LL DRIVE THEM CRAZY.”  OR TO SAY IT ANOTHER WAY: “KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS.”

NOW, “HEAPING BURNING COALS,” AND “DRIVING THEM CRAZY,” AND “KILLING THEM WITH KINDNESS,” MAY NOT SOUND VERY CHRISTLIKE, AT FIRST;

BUT IT’S NOT JUST SOME SORT OF REVERSE PSYCHOLOGICAL REVENGE TO WHICH THESE WORDS POINT, BUT TO SOMETHING CHRIST HIMSELF UNDERSTOOD, MODELED, AND COMMANDED OF US:

THAT THE WAY TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD, TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS, OURS INCLUDED;

IS THROUGH LOVE, KINDNESS, COMPASSION, GENTLENESS, ETC.

WE CAN FUSS AND FIGHT, AND ARGUE WITH PEOPLE AD INFINITUM; AD NAUSEAM;

WE CAN YELL AND SCREAM UNTIL WE’RE BLUE IN THE FACE, OR UNTIL OUR FACES GET RED; AND IT WON’T CHANGE A THING;

NOT THEM, NOT US, NOT THE SITUATION; NOT THE WORLD; THAT’S WHAT’S WRONG WITH MUCH OF LIFE TODAY; WITH SO MUCH OF THE WORLD.

PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY HAVE STOPPED TALKING TO EACH OTHER;

THEY ONLY TALK TO, AND MAYBE, WORSE, THEY ONLY LISTEN TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE LIKE THEY DO;

AND IF, AND WHEN, WE DO TALK TO THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US, OR WITH DIFFERING IDEAS THAN US, IT’S USUALLY TALKING AT, NOT WITH; AND USUALLY AT A SHOUTING LEVEL;

AND IT’S NOT DOING ANY GOOD; IN FACT, IT MAKES MATTERS WORSE;

AND IT IS, SIMPLY PUT, UNCHRISTIAN; NOT – CHRISTLIKE!

SO, IT’S TIME WE STARTED “HEAPING BURNING COALS,” “DRIVING ‘EM CRAZY,” “KILLING ‘EM WITH KINDNESS;”

YEA, AT FIRST, PROBABLY JUST TO DRIVE THEM CRAZY;

BUT JESUS’ END GAME HERE WAS TO TRANSFORM CULTURE, TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE PERSON AT A TIME; TO WIN PEOPLE OVER, AND INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS TO STOP ACTING LIKE THE WORLD ACTS, AND START ACTING LIKE CHRIST ACTS.

IT IS TO FOCUS MORE OF OUR TIME, ENERGY, AND INTEREST IN KINGDOM THINGS THAN IN WORLDLY THINGS.

TO STOP “DAMNING OTHERS IF THEY DO OR THEY DON’T;”

START WINNING OTHERS FOR CHRIST; START ACTING MORE CHRISTLIKE OURSELVES; START ACTING LIKE CHRISTIANS;

AND BY SO DOING, CHANGE LIVES, AND TRANSFORM THE WORLD.

WE’VE TRIED IT THE WORLD’S WAY, FOR AN AWFUL LONG TIME, AND WE’VE SEEN WHERE THAT’S GOTTEN US;

WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE, BY TRYING IT CHRIST’S WAY?!

AND BY DOING SO, PERHAPS, FINDING THAT WE DO, INDEED, ENTER IN TO THE REST, AND PEACE, OF WHICH CHRIST SPEAKS.

HERE’S ONE LAST “MATH PROBLEM” FOR US, THIS MORNING.  FROM FREDERICK BUECHNER:

“AVARICE, GREED, CONCUPISCENCE, GETTING OUR OWN WAY, ARE ALL BASED UPON THE MATHEMATICAL TRUISM THAT THE MORE YOU GET, THE MORE YOU HAVE.

THE REMARK OF JESUS THAT IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE (ACTS 20:35) IS BASED ON THE HUMAN TRUTH THAT THE MORE YOU GIVE AWAY IN LOVE, THE MORE YOU ARE.

IT IS NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT JESUS TELLS US TO GIVE RATHER THAN GET, BUT FOR OUR OWN SAKES TOO.”

YOU SEE, WE MAY EVEN FIND, THAT BY PLEASING OTHERS, WE CAN PLEASE OURSELVES.