Exploring Dependence – Waiting

(Previous Article)

As I look back over our exploration of dependence, I am a little startled by the realization that the discussion has already filled 16 articles.

Starting with the recognition that we are dependent beings, we have tracked our dependence from the beginning of The Story, following it up all the way up through the Gospels. We have traced it through the stories of Abraham, of the nation of Israel, and of the disciples.

In the unfolding of these stories, a question has emerged – “If that’s what dependence looked like in their stories, what does it look like in ours?” By the time we get through Jesus’ instructions, the question has become very pointed. “Does He require us to get rid of all our possessions and quit our jobs to somehow follow Him?”

“If so, how? If not, then what does He expect of us?”

How do the lessons apply to life in the 21^st Century? Read more

Exploring Dependence – Learning Dependence

(Previous article)

As we explore the issue of what it means for us to live dependently before God, sooner or later, we arrive at the question, “How does this dependence manifest itself today, in our 21^st Century lives?”

I mean, God hasn’t lead us into the wilderness where we gather manna each morning. And Jesus probably hasn’t shown up at your job, compelling you to sell everything and follow Him. So, what does this dependence look like for us? Read more

Exploring Dependence – Living Dependently

(Previous article)

So far, in our exploration of dependency, we have discovered that:

• We are, by our very design, dependent beings.
• Very early in the story, we chose to pursue independence from God. This choice was disastrous, bringing Death in all its dimensions.
• Our restoration to Life begins with the recognition of our total dependence. This has been a persistent theme down through The Story.
• Our dependence transcends spiritual/physical distinctions. We are dependent on God for both justification and daily provision. The two are linked and integral. In fact, the function of the “daily provision” aspect of our dependence is to reveal our total dependence in all areas, including the spiritual (Deuteronomy 8). (A point of emphasis – possession of abundance does not really make us less dependent, it only makes our dependence less obvious.)
• Recognition of our spiritual dependence leads us to seek God’s provision – the sending of Jesus as the Christ.
• Believing that Jesus is the Christ, we are justified – forgiven.
• Having recognized Him as the Christ, Jesus calls us to follow Him unconditionally. That is, He calls us to live in total dependence on Him, exclusively committed to His agenda, resting in His provision.
• However, even as believers, our desire to live independently of God persists. Justified, we tend to pursue our own agendas, praying that God will bless them. We seek comfort, not in the assurance of His provision, but in the accumulation of means.

This desire to live independently of God is irrational. How can we hope to find Life while persisting in the choice that brought Death? Sure, we are justified. But there is so much more to Life than just forgiveness.

Clearly, we need to acknowledge our dependence in all its dimensions.

But how? What does this look like in practical terms? Read more

Exploring Dependence – Reviewing the Evidence

(Previous Article)

We began this exploration of dependence with the observation that, as Christians, we tend to acknowledge our dependence on God in theory, but practically manifest an ongoing desire to live independently of Him.

Specifically, we set out to consider two issues:

• The depth of our dependence -  It is quite possible to acknowledge the idea of our dependence, while minimizing the degree or significance of that dependence.
• The areas and ways in which our independence continues to manifest itself – Even among believers who claim a firm commitment to Christ, we find attitudes and beliefs that are at odds with the true nature of our dependency.

Now, having spent the last few weeks tracking the theme of dependency through much of The Story, let’s revisit these two areas in light of our discoveries.

Perhaps we should start by fleshing out our vague notions of dependency. In what ways do we actually see ourselves as dependent? Read more

Exploring Dependence – Rich Young Ruler & Going to Heaven

As we have looked at Jesus’ interaction with the Rich Young Ruler over the last three weeks (week 1, week 2, week 3), some of us have been haunted by the question of how Jesus’ words speak to the issue of whether we will go to heaven when we die, or not.

A simple reading of the story raises the fear that Jesus is saying that, in order to go to heaven, we must do certain things… like sell everything we have and give it to the poor.

Now, the reasons this provokes fear in us are probably varied and complex, but likely include the fact that what we hear in this story seems at odds with other passages, and with what we have been taught about salvation.

So, how do we reconcile this fear and this conflict? Read more

Exploring Dependence – Rich Young Ruler – Part 2

As we resume the story of the Rich Young Ruler, we recall that the main character came to Jesus with a strong confidence in man’s ability to merit eternal life. And we saw Jesus repudiate that very notion. If the young man wanted to find Life, he would have to completely abandon everything on which that confidence was founded, renouncing it all to follow Jesus. That was the path to eternal life.

Unfortunately, this young man owned a lot of property, and was unwilling to let go of it, and the confidence that it gave him. So, instead of finding Life, he went away sad and grieving.

But the episode doesn’t end there. As we pick up the story, we find Jesus using the encounter to drive the point home to the disciples.

He turns around, and speaking to the disciples now, says, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:23)

Now, place yourself in the disciples’ shoes. How would you respond to that statement?

If you are like me, and have been influenced by teaching from the rest of the New Testament, this statement may seem like a given – somethings so obvious, it almost seems needless to say it.

But note the disciples’ response. It wasn’t obvious to them. They were amazed (Mark 10:24). See they still had some of the same world-view as the rich, young ruler. The prevailing assumption of the religious community was that riches were a sign of God’s blessing, and evidence that your righteousness was pleasing to Him.  Read more

Exploring Dependence – The Rich Young Ruler, Part 1

So, as we began to look at the story of the Rich Young Ruler last week, we noted that, at first glance, he appears to be asking Jesus how to go to heaven when he dies. And it appears that Jesus tells him that there are certain things he must do, as if going to heaven is dependent on our works.

But we also recognized that we need to place this episode in the context of The Story to understand it. So, we went back to the beginning of The Story. There we found two realms of existence. God placed man and woman in the Garden, where there was Life. Yet, Death loomed as an imminent possibility.

They faced a choice. They could trust God for Life, or take matters into their own hands, decide for themselves what was good, and pursue Life independently of God.

Of course, they chose control and independence over trust, but instead of finding Life, they entered the realm of Death.

Every character in The Story since, has faced the prospects of Life and Death, and has had to choose the path they hope will bring them Life.

Will they opt for control and independence, or will they choose to trust in God?

Each decision is influenced by the assumptions they hold — by their the worldview.

Which brings us to the story of The Rich Young Ruler. We call it that because Matthew identifies him as a young man, and Luke identifies him as a ruler. However, we will be focusing on Mark’s account of the encounter. Mark identifies him simply as a man.

So, which worldview does this man bring to his encounter with Jesus?  Read more

Exploring Dependence – Life & Death

As we have followed Jesus’ teaching and the training of the Twelve through the Gospels, we have seen Him emphasize this issue of dependence. Having taught the concept in the Sermon on the Mount, He sent the disciples out in pairs to proclaim the Kingdom, and to experience God’s daily provision for their personal needs. In feeding the multitudes, He stretched them further, putting them in positions where they had to trust Him, not only for themselves, but also for the needs of those they were ministering to.

Now, let’s look at His interaction with the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30), where He will stretch the disciples further yet. Read more

Exploring Dependence – Feeding the Multitudes

Last week, we saw Jesus send out the 12 to announce the nearness of The Kingdom, and to learn to depend completely and absolutely on the Father’s provision for their needs.

This week, we want to return to the middle of Jesus’ ministry, to the time when the disciples returned from their mission.

Picking up the story there, we find them with Jesus, recounting their experiences (Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10). Jesus had sent them with the authority to cast out demons and heal, as a means to validate their message of the Kingdom. Undoubtedly, they would have been telling stories about those encounters, the messages they preached, and the responses of the various cities.

This had to have been quite an experience. Being sent out to announce that Messiah was near. And then, being able to validate that message with the same kind of miracles that Jesus had been doing … wow. Not to mention that through it all, they got to watch the Father provide for their needs as they moved from town to town. No doubt, the disciples returned feeling fulfilled, yet exhausted. Read more

Exploring Dependence – Sending of The Twelve

So, how seriously should we take Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount?

When He said not to worry about food, drink, or covering (Matthew 6:25, 31), was He speaking of worry as distinct from concern? Is it ok to be concerned about these things, as long as we are not worried?

When He said to seek His Kingdom instead of worrying about food, drink and clothing (Matthew 6:32-33), did He really expect us to reorient our attention away from our basic needs in order to focus completely on His Kingdom and the righteousness that we need to participate? Or is it ok to pursue basic provisions as long as they don’t keep us from serving Him?

And when He said not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), did He literally expect us to focus only on the current 24 hour period of our existence, or is “tomorrow” a reference to an unspecified, more distant future?

Well, let’s look at His expectations for the disciples the Story progresses. Read more

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