Matthew 7 - There's a lot Underneath the Surface that We Don't Know About

Last Saturday, a friend shared a story with me about her daughter's first dentist appointment. When the dentist office said they were going to take x-rays, she was a little worried about how that was going to work, but it worked out fine and she was explaining the awe of seeing adult teeth sitting underneath her daughter's baby teeth and all I could think was, there is a lot under the surface that we can't see.

I have been running that idea through my head this week as I think about people and things I see. I was drawn to a couple of ideas in Matthew 7. The first is the idea of not judging others which Jesus talks about in verses 1-5 of the chapter:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

As I thought about this, I was reminded of those teeth, sitting under the surface, that we can't see, and I think about people I know, with many things sitting under the surface too that I don't know about. Are they good? Are they bad? Is it mine to determine? 

I think the truth is that it is complicated. These verses remind me that I, too, can be judged and I know that I am not perfect. There are plenty of labels that I wear, that people could hear or learn and paint their own picture of who I am. They could also witness one soundbite  and determine my character. Would they be accurate? They could be, but probably not. There is a lot going on under my surface, in my mind and my heart. 

Let's look at two labels I wear, Christian and gay. Part of me doesn't know where to start with what ideas and images people might have of me given these two labels alone. These labels evoke many ideas and emotion in our current society, but here a few negative ideas or thoughts I have heard and run across:

• You can't be Christian and gay
• Gay...flouncing fairy
• Christian...judgmental holy roller

The interesting thing about these is that they just don't fit. First of all being gay is your sexual identity and being Christian is your set of beliefs. They can easily exist in the same person. Christian beliefs guide my actions as a man everyday. And I am pretty sure that people who know me would not say I am a flouncing fairy or a judgmental holy roller. 

Instead, most people would say that I am pretty normal, although possibly quirky, with geeky tendencies. Also, people have remarked on how open to hearing and understanding others I am. I don't believe we have to agree to love and care for each other, but I do believe in respect and understanding. And there is a lot under the surface that you don't know about. God has me on a journey and even I don't know where it ends up or all the ways I will be shaped along the journey.

Matthew 7:1,2 is often associated with the idea of walking a mile in another person's shoes. I agree with that. I don't think you can truly understand the place a person is coming from without dialogue with them and you can't appreciate where their ideas come from without taking time. If a person is a part of your life, it is important to understand who that person is. Labels, which we use as a quick way to understand people are not really effective because there is a lot going on under the surface that we don't know about. 

But where does that leave us? I think the answer to that is to see what fruit the person bears.

¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Take the time to walk a mile in a person's shoes and observe the fruit of their life; following both of these ideas will help you evaluate a person and your response to them. 

It makes sense to us to do this for the people who are family, friends, co-workers...people who are engaged in our lives, but that is not where it ends. In this season, where we in the US are preparing to elect a president and soundbites and labels abound. Will you determine a person's worth based on soundbites and labels or will you walk a mile in their shoes and examine the fruit of their life?

There is a lot under the surface that we don't know about.
 

Bridge Building

One of the things that has been on my mind this week is the Matthew 28:19 commission of making disciples. I hear and read about  this command, and then I read about things like walking up to people on the street and asking them, "If you were to die tonight, do you know where you would go?" and all I can do is cringe. Have you ever been a part of this kind of evangelism? I have. Not that it was ever something I wanted to do, but I was part of a group that was going out and doing this. 

Recently, I have been thinking about that commission a lot. The more I think about it, the more I feel like some people have understood it wrong. They see it as a command to go to other people and tell them about Jesus. Now you may be saying, that sounds right to me, but please wait, while I talk a little more about this, because I believe that this commission was given for us to do, "Jesus style". I think it is important for us to understand this commission, using Jesus as the ultimate example.

So let's look at what Jesus did. Jesus traveled to different places to teach. While he taught in the synagogue or homes when invited, most often Jesus taught places that were informal, often in the countryside (Matthew 5:1, Matthew 14:13,14). When Jesus taught, he went to a place and taught. He went to a place, but the people came to him. I think that is a key point. Jesus made himself available to people. he didn't accost them on the street and force anything on them. He went to a place and then let people come to him if they wanted to hear him teach. Now some of those people heard his message and didn't understand at all, some heard and thought they understood and some heard and stayed to ask more questions. Now, you may point out some exceptions, but I think it is important for us to examine the whole of Jesus' ministry.

Ultimately, I think it is profound to note how Jesus operated. He went to a place and healed and taught. Those who wanted to see or hear him, came to Jesus (even in times when he would have rather have a time of rest). Many came, many heard, some understood.

Partway through his time of ministry, Jesus sent out his followers to minister (Matthew 10:1-15). In verse 14, He gives them this instruction, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." Jesus tells them, not to force themselves on anyway. If they aren't interested, leave and move on.

I think Jesus' model is important to remember when sharing teachings and understandings, not just in sharing the religious teachings, but in sharing all views. Imagine how you respond when some one comes at you with an opinion or idea and forcefully explains it to you until you either walk away or agree with them. Maybe it was a situation where you asked for their thoughts and it just went beyond sharing for understanding, or maybe their thoughts were unsolicited. How did you respond internally to this? If you are like me, it left a sour taste in your mouth, and either the desire to avoid this person, or to start hearing their ideas with a chip on your shoulder. (Well, maybe not the first time, but likely the more it happened the more distasteful it became.) 

I beleive that we are called to be bridge builders. We are called to share what we understand, but share it in the way that Jesus did. Let the people come to us. I don't think this is always easy to judge...but I think it is important to consider how you are sharing your message. Are you doing it in a way that offends people who have not chosen to to come hear you (the offensive sign you are carrying in public that a person did not come to see)? Or have you found a place to share your message where people can come to you if they want to hear it and not have to hear it if they have not chosen to come? 

If we consider how we are choosing to share our message and we work to share our message in love, we can be bridge builders. I choose to strive to be a bridge builder. Do you?

Ephesians 2 - Gift of Belief

Can you believe? Why does the Bible say that belief is God is a gift?

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

I had to stop and ponder that for a moment as I read through this chapter and take a little bit of an analytical thought path. If we think about belief, what is it really?  The dictionary defines it as "a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing ."

So where does that trust or confidence come from. It comes from understanding. Either we understand the consistency of an event/person, we understand the thinking/process so we can figure out what is coming next, or we know the insides and out fully of the person/event.

So let's examine this in relation to God. Well, can we see consistency on God? Well, yes, and no. God is consistent, but we can't always see it. Sometimes we don't understand the reasons behind something and we struggle to know that it is for good. Also, God's consistency relates over a time span much greater than our own so sometimes the events can only be truly evaluated in the course of a history and then, since we are not witnesses, we struggle to find confidence in it. Do we understand the thinking of God so we can determine what happens next? Absolutely not, God is looking at a bigger picture and working with greater understanding than we are, God also had abilities beyond ours that we have no experience with, and hence lack understanding. Last, do we fully understand God inside and out. Again, absolutely not. We are limited and can't even begin to comprehend and understand all that God is.

So where does our belief come from? Well for many, it just isn't there. They lack belief and that lack becomes a hindrance in a relationship with God. Is that where you are? If you are, pray that God will help you and bless you with the gift of belief. Let me know you are asking for this from God and I will pray for you too.

For others, they have received belief as a gift. That is truly the only way to find belief in something where understanding is not there. So, yes...belief is a gift and God gives us belief that we might be in full relationship with God.