A basis for good practice

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15 April 2007

DEfence! DEfence! DEfence! You know the cry if you have been in a basketball stadium. Reaction! is another way to think about what to do when we come up against something that looks like a threat.

In the world of debates and arguments, reacting in defence against what appears to be a mistaken argument is a normal and natural way to cope – at first at least. Although some people prefer to go on the offensive. But in the to and fro of a debate it is possible for both sides to defend their position so strongly that they deny the true aspects of the other position.

Churches are no exception. John found that among the churches he knew. Some were so insistent on affirming the divinity of Jesus that they tended to deny his real humanity. Others felt the belief in his humanity was so important they downplayed his divinity.

And we can sympathise with them. Sometimes we focus on one aspect and sometimes on the other, often unwittingly. The problem is more difficult when people around us pressure us to neglect one aspect or the other. Sometimes it is easier to talk about a truly human Jesus, and in other contexts it is easier to describe him in divine terms. Although probably modern western secularism favours the human Jesus.

Some would say that it is all “academic” and what we think about these matters doesn’t make any difference to practical living. But surprisingly our thinking and theology does affect what we do.

A belief in a merely human Jesus tends to push us towards putting more effort into our own salvation. Makes us think we have to be more self-reliant. A belief in a merely divine Jesus may push us towards not taking responsibility for our own life – or the lives of others, thinking that God will do everything for us not matter what we do.

John battled against both these tendencies in the churches he knew. His first letter is a masterly description of the interconnection between theology and practice and the importance for our relationship with God of getting our understanding of the gospel straight.

John tried to get both camps to meet back at the beginning where they first heard the message about Jesus. That is also where our reference points need to be – back at the apostles’ teaching and doctrine.

Dale

Comments

Talking about the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ is so complex and out of our logic.
It's not easy to understand that Jesus is 100% human and also 100% God. Some of my friends (who are not Christian) asked me about this. Honestly, it's difficult for me to answer this question, cause they used logic and indeed if you're not Christian, you would find that it sounds like a fiction. Me, myself, I don't prefer to any of the both tendencies, I believe that Jesus Christ is human and God. We could see Him as a God by looking at His power, authority, love and miracles (the last one is a bonus I think, because without a miracle, Jesus is still a God).
But we also could see Him as a human if we look at His suffering and the fact that He also tempted by the evil (Matthew 4:1-11), and... don't think that He was not tempted to run from the cross (Matthew 26:39). He could run and save Himself from the Pharisees who wanted to kill Him, but He choosed to suffer and die because of His love to us. Now you can see: the temptation, tears and blood showed His humanity; but the great love that choosed to die showed His divinity.
It sounds complex, but it's really true. But something bothering me until now is how to explain about this reality to people outside; as long as they use their logic, they only can accept one side of Jesus, and like Dale said that "our thinking and theology does affect what we do".

Posted by Lidia on Friday, April 13, 2007 at 03:47:10