I follow Christian pastor and writer Benjamin Cremer, and he asked a question today which goes right to the heart of my Christian faith, and which I think about constantly when I think about putting my faith in action.
Who does this serve?
It is a simple question on its face, but the answer is nuanced and multi-faceted, and is not always as easy as it should be. The hard truth is, we are human, and frankly, we like to lie to ourselves about our motives in what we do and why we do it. In Matthew 6:24 we read:
“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
It would be easy to take that verse out of context and think that it is about something it is not. But when you go back to the beginning of Matthew 6, it becomes clear that this is not about money, or material stuff at all. And the slavery he is talking about is not what we think. That is just the stand in for what Jesus was really getting at.
God is not interested in the show. God is not about the perfect picture that everyone else sees. God is interested in the inner motive, the driver of our actions, what genuinely makes us do what we do.
Are we performing for others? Or are we following Jesus? Are we giving because Jesus commanded us to help others? Or are we doing it for the tax break, or to get the name on a building or on a contribution list? When we are praying, are we doing it for the accolades of others? Or are we praising God, regardless of who hears us? Do we give grace to those who hurt us because it looks good, while secretly harboring anger against them, and maybe talking about them behind their backs? Or do we forgive quietly, moving forward with the peace that comes from letting go of what has harmed us, regardless of what others think or do?
So what was Jesus really getting at? If he isn't talking about stuff, or public prayers, or performances or contributions or spectacles or any of the other stuff we think is so important, what IS he talking about? Hypocrisy. At the end of the day, God is asking us to choose what is right, not because we are enslaved to the show or the accolades or to look good for others, but because it is right and good and what God would want us to do, regardless of whether it is in public or in hidden spaces where no one will ever know but God and ourselves.
He has not left us in confusion on what those things are, by the way. We are to love our neighbor (which is everyone, just to be clear,) as he has loved us. We are to grant everyone else the grace he has granted us. He has created each human being in his image, and he expects us to treat each other as the image bearers we are. We are brothers and sisters in the family of Christ, and we are to treat each other as family. Feed the hungry. Give the thirsty drink. Clothe the naked. Heal the sick. Welcome the stranger into our home. (You can find all this in Matthew 25:35-45. Make sure you read to the end, because he made clear what would happen to those who didn't extend that grace, as well. I think some people stop reading too soon. I dunno.)
I think the question of who we are serving is one we need to ask each and every day. Today is not too soon to start.
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