Todd's Question

"At what point (if at all) should we expect, attempt, demand that our friends follow the way of Jesus?"

Now, I'm not stupid enough to think this is really a question that I can give a sufficient answer to, especially in the confines of this blog. Obviously there is no way we can answer this in an 'across the board' fashion. Still, the primary question here in return is: what exactly is 'the way of Jesus'???

Jesus' life was centered thoroughly on the Kingdom of God. To be his disciple is ultimately to be a citizen of that Kingdom. The two ideas are synonymous. Certainly one can't help but see that Jesus' call is to follow him. He does not give us a book of precepts, or a religious system to follow. He does not leave his disciples with an ideology. He simply offered himself. His life was the example. He spoke in parables; I don't believe purely because he wanted to be contextual, but more because he wanted to offer a teaching that transcended legalism and doctrine. Yet even in this bold self-estimation, he never manipulated accolades from his disciples. He would accept their praise, but did not expect it. Peter confessed him as Messiah freely of his own volition. The Roman centurion called him Son of God as a belief he arrived at. Yet to say that Jesus expected to receive such titles would be out of line. He side-stepped such glory. Remember, we should call God good, not Jesus.

So, yes, Christians follow the Christ. But what does that mean when he says things like this:
"What do you think? There was a man with two sons. He said to the first, 'Go and work today in my vineyard.' The first answered, 'No', yet later he changed his mind and went. Next the father went to the second son saying the same. That son said, 'Sure, I'll go', but never went. Which did what the father wanted? Truthfully, traitors and whores are choosing the Kingdom of God before you are." Jesus uses this to call the hearers to repentance, but do we really think responding to an alter call is repentance? No, working in his vineyard is repentance. Doing his will as he asked us to is repentance, regardless of what we may say.

Or consider when Jesus says, "Whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me, and therefore the One who sent me. For like the child, the least among you are the greatest." His disciple John unsure then said, "Um, we saw a guy the other day driving out demons, and told him to stop, because he wasn't one of us . . ." Jesus replied, "Don't do that, if he's not against you he is for you."

What does this mean? First, consider this, the Jewish understanding doing something 'in the name of', can be said in the same vein as doing it in the 'spirit of'. Good works are not ruled out by the lack of the Jesus stamp. If people do works in the name of Muhammad, they can still be in the spirit of Jesus. Futhermore, even if one rejects what I just said, it still applies that if he is doing good, at least to that extent, he is on our side. The fact is, in the Kingdom no one should be controlled by evil. So, the Christian, Muslim, and secular humanist, can all serve the same side by driving out demons. I sure hope we have moved beyond the idiocy of thinking God would rather someone remain oppressed and impoverished than let an agnostic peace worker help them out of their situation. This reminds me of Luke 17:20 which recalls Jesus being asked by "spiritual people" when the Kingdom would finally show up. Jesus replies, "Watch the news, listen to gossip: neither will work. The Kingdom is already here, among you, in your society." When we get exclusive, we waste our time waiting for God to come into our world, when truthfully he's never left. And, when Christians fail to do the work of his Kingdom, we find atheists doing it to our shame.

I talked to a friend the other night. She expressed a disdain for an agnostic social worker she had met in Russia when she was doing mission work there. Her basic gist was that the guy she met, was trying to add meaning to his life, by doing good works. His life had no meaning until he went abroad doing good. In my mind though, that is from God. He is serving God's Kingdom and doing God's will in ignorance, to my shame if no one else's. I find it sad that such people have to search hard for meaning, without the wisdom of religious truth to help. Yet I also find that meaning which would satisfy me with a spectator religion that benefits only its own adherents to be a lie. Personally I find secular humanism to be superior to consumer Christianity. It serves God better.

And this brings me back to where we stated (sort of). If I see someone living for the Kingdom of God, I think they are following the way of Jesus, even if ignorantly. I believe that Jesus as the Son who lived more completely by God's will than any other person who has walked the earth is unquestionably a better guide and savior than any other religion or philosophy. But, that is my faith, and it is not a prerequisite for my relationship. Jesus' will is to do God's will. As best as I can tell God desires that his all-encompassing Kingdom would be resored, and in it all things would be made new. If someone is working toward that, then we may not be brothers, but cousins at least.