Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

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Wealth and the Spiritual Life, Matthew 19 16-30

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H/t Asbo Jesus
Matthew 19 16-30
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
He has the longing for spiritual things that many good people have.

   17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
 18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
   Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’c]”>[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
For starters, the moral code of basic decency with the addition of Love Your Neighbour as yourself, an obscure directive from Lev 19:18.
 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

An idol is something which, in practice, means more to us that God does. Though we may not realize that we love it more, in effect it absorbs our thoughts and our attention more than God does. And how does one deal with this?

Sometimes, surgery, giving it up all together. God may take the idol from us in mercy, or we may give it up.

At other times, we need to constantly repent and surrender the idol to God, and make sure that we are doing it in God’s way. (That, for instance, is what I need to do with my blog.)

Jesus did not ask everyone to sell their possessions and give them to the poor. However, his diagnosis of this young man’s heart was correct, because that was the one thing he could not do.

He could not deal with the resultant transformation of identity if he lost his possessions. He could not part with something he had probably nurtured and brooded over over many hours and years.


 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
And this is what happens when we say No to God. We go away sad.

 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Wealth brings with it a sense of security, prestige, power, an easier life, the respect of men, “friends” some of whom might become real friends, social acceptance, the power to fulfill fantasies, to gratify desire, to affect the lives of your children, family, and friends in positive ways. “Men praise you when you prosper.” Psalm 49:18.
It is not therefore surprising that it could easily become an idol to us, something which takes the place of God in our thoughts.

The general attributes of the rich are the opposite to those of the child, (Matthew 19 13-15) when it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished
Because wealth was equated with God’s blessing and favour.
 and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Even rich men and rich women can be saved!! For “with God, all things are possible.”

 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
No wonder Jesus loved Peter. He who said what he thought as he thought it. Him with his foot in his mouth.
 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wifee]”>[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
What have you done for the sake of Jesus?
Think about it.
You will receive a hundred times as much, in this life, some of the Gospels, specify. And eternal life. 
Receiving a hundred times as much for the little I have done for the love of Christ in this life–that I can testify from personal experience is true!!

30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
A repeated theme in the Gospels. Those who are prominent here, may be the least prominent in paradise, and those who are the least prominent here may be the closest to God here, and in paradise.
The day of judgment will bring many surprises.

What is the one thing in your life which might take the place of God? Think about it. What would it take for you to either let it go, or to do it in God’s way? 

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Wealth and the Spiritual Life, Matthew 19 16-30

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Matthew 19 16-30
The Rich and the Kingdom of God

 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

He has the longing for spiritual things that many good people have.

   17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
 18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
   Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
For starters, the moral code of basic decency with the addition of Love Your Neighbour as yourself, an obscure directive from Lev 19:18.
 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

An idol is something which, in practice, means more to us that God does. Though we may not realize that we love it more, in effect it absorbs our thoughts and our attention more than God does. And how does one deal with this?

Sometimes, surgery, giving it up all together. God may take the idol from us in mercy, or we may give it up.

At other times, we need to constantly repent and surrender the idol to God, and make sure that we are doing it in God’s way. (That, for instance, is what I need to do with my blog.)

Jesus did not ask everyone to sell their possessions and give them to the poor. However, his diagnosis of this young man’s heart was correct, because that was the one thing he could not do.

He could not deal with the resultant transformation of identity if he lost his possessions. He could not part with something he had probably nurtured and brooded over over many hours and years.


 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
And this is what happens when we say No to God. We go away sad.

 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Wealth brings with it a sense of security, prestige, power, an easier life, the respect of men, “friends” some of whom might become real friends, social acceptance, the power to fulfill fantasies, to gratify desire, to affect the lives of your children, family, and friends in positive ways. “Men praise you when you prosper.” Psalm 49:18.
It is not therefore surprising that it could easily become an idol to us, something which takes the place of God in our thoughts.

The general attributes of the rich are the opposite to those of the child, (Matthew 19 13-15) when it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished
Because wealth was equated with God’s blessing and favour.
 and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Even rich men and rich women can be saved!! For “with God, all things are possible.”

 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
No wonder Jesus loved Peter. He who said what he thought as he thought it. Him with his foot in his mouth.
 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
What have you done for the sake of Jesus?
Think about it.
You will receive a hundred times as much, in this life, some of the Gospels, specify. And eternal life. 
Receiving a hundred times as much for the little I have done for the love of Christ in this life–that I can testify from personal experience is true!!

30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
A repeated theme in the Gospels. Those who are prominent here, may be the least prominent in paradise, and those who are the least prominent here may be the closest to God here, and in paradise.
The day of judgment will bring many surprises.

What is the one thing in your life which might take the place of God? Think about it? What would it take for you to either let it go, or to do it in God’s way?

Divorce and little children. Matthew 19

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The great Galilean ministry has now ended, and Jesus and his followers begin the momentous journey towards Jerusalem. 

Matthew 19

Divorce

 1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
His fame quickly spread because of his healing ministry in Galilee.

 3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They attempted to get Jesus to incriminate himself through misinterpreting the law.
I am amazed he answered, but he did, and as in the Sermon on the Mount, his standards were more exacting than those of Moses

 They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

   4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Marriage is a physical and emotional knitting, a knitting of spirits, not to casually unraveled.
People change, marriages change. Many marriages go through unhappy patches, but over time, hearts change, love grows, and one may land up not wanting to trade that once-annoying (perhaps still annoying!) spouse for the world.
Because of Christ’s release of the Holy Spirit, we need despair of no man or woman. And because divorce is generally a traumatic unravelling of what has been knit together, it should be a last resort. 
Scripture does provides grounds for divorce. Violence is mentioned in Malachi.”I hate divorce,” says the Lord, “and I hate a man covering his wife with violence.”

 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Rather than have a life-long unhappy marriage. 

 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. 
Those who have voluntarily accepted celibacy to give themselves more fully to God’s work. 

The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

 13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. 

My daughter Irene, aged 3. Notice a secret to Irene’s happiness in her fat paw: chocolate!

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as 

these.

Instructions on becoming like little children.


Learn to let your face show what you really feel.
Do not contort it into a smile
When you see your enemy pass,
And inwardly you shrink.

Smile at those you like,
otherwise, nod.

Be honest. 
If you had a dreadful Christmas,
a dud holiday,
say so.

Be honest.
Say what you really think.

If you see injustice,
say “It is not fair.”
Do not let fear constrain you. 

Slow down.
See the full moon yellow in the sky,
the orange gerbera,
the variations of pebbles.

Whatever you do, 
do it with all your heart.

Never rush.
If adults say “Hurry up”
Say, “Wait.”

Delight again
in a bar of chocolate,
bubbles sparkling iridescent.

Grin when you are happy,
Cry when you are sad,
And forgive those who have made you sad. 

Keep short accounts.

Time is for having fun.

Enjoy motion,
Running, swimming, splashing.

Don’t worry too much about saving.
Your Daddy will give you more.

Remember to thank God who made everything,
and gave you, 
as much goodness
as your little hands 
can grasp.  

 

Divorce and little children. Matthew 19 Blog through the Bible Project

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The great Galilean ministry has now ended, and Jesus and his followers begin the momentous journey towards Jerusalem.

Matthew 19

Divorce

1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
His fame quickly spread because of his healing ministry in Galilee.

 3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They attempted to get Jesus to incriminate himself through misinterpreting the law.
I am amazed he answered, but he did, and as in the Sermon on the Mount, his standards were more exacting than those of Moses

They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

   4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’a]”>[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’b]”>[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Marriage is a physical and emotional knitting, a knitting of spirits, not to casually unraveled.
People change, marriages change. Many marriages go through unhappy patches, but over time, hearts change, love grows, and one may land up not wanting to trade that once-annoying (perhaps still annoying!) spouse for the world.
Because of Christ’s release of the Holy Spirit, we need despair of no man or woman. And because divorce is generally a traumatic unravelling of what has been knit together, it should be a last resort. 
Scripture does provides grounds for divorce. Violence is mentioned in Malachi.”I hate divorce,” says the Lord, “and I hate a man covering his wife with violence.”

 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Rather than have a life-long unhappy marriage. 

 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Those who have voluntarily accepted celibacy to give themselves more fully to God’s work. 

The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

My daughter Irene, aged 3. Notice a secret to Irene’s happiness in her fat paw: chocolate!

The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as 

these.

Instructions on becoming like little children.


Learn to let your face show what you really feel.
Do not contort it into a smile
When you see your enemy pass,
And inwardly you shrink.

Smile at those you like,
otherwise, nod.

Be honest. 
If you had a dreadful Christmas,
a dud holiday,
say so.

Be honest.
Say what you really think.

If you see injustice,
say “It is not fair.”
Do not let fear constrain you. 

Slow down.
See the full moon yellow in the sky,
the orange gerbera,
the variations of pebbles.

Whatever you do, 
do it with all your heart.

Never rush.
If adults say “Hurry up”
Say, “Wait.”

Delight again
in a bar of chocolate,
bubbles sparkling iridescent.

Grin when you are happy,
Cry when you are sad,
And forgive those who have made you sad. 

Keep short accounts.

Time is for having fun.

Enjoy motion,
Running, swimming, splashing.

Don’t worry too much about saving.
Your Daddy will give you more.

Remember to thank God who made everything,
and gave you, 
as much goodness
as your little hands 
can grasp.   

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Why is forgiveness so difficult?

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What’s so hard about forgiveness? Partly, that it is an offence against justice. Someone has wronged us, someone owes us, and we simply have to let it go.
Not a good business practice. And on the face of it, a risky relational practice.

Not let it go once, but seventy times seven. Seventy times seven.

Sheer madness.

Like, like,  um… um…

Giving money generously when you still have a mortgage to pay, children to educate, an old age without adequate stock and shares to see you through? That dream holiday which may never become a reality.

And more, you give it to faceless people you will never see, this side of eternity.

Why?

Compassion. And….


When I force myself to be generous to those in greater need,  with money I should rationally keep for myself, I remind myself that someone sees. An mighty, magnificent audience. Of One. 

Who sees what I have done in secret. 


And in my time of need will give me what I need, full measure, pressed down, flowing over.

How do I know this? 

Two ways. Because Jesus says so, and I believe what Jesus says by faith. Everything he says which I have tested empirically has been true, so I also believe what I haven’t had empirical evidence of. (Like, um… hell!)

The other way is I know it’s true is that in my own experience, I have received what I have given many times over. Not necessarily from those I have given to, in fact, generally not. Someone was watching; someone was keeping track, that someone gave me what I needed when I needed it, many times over, that Someone is good and I trust him.
                                                                              * * * 

One of the hardest things about forgiveness sometimes is our sense that if we are silent, no one will ever know how we were wronged.

And if the injury or abuse happens in a church context, that the perpetrators will continue to sport burnished haloes in front of the church, while we, well, we know that inside they are “full of dead men’s bones and wickedness.”

It hurts when people have got away with sinning against us. When everyone thinks they are very fine people indeed, while we, we know otherwise.

That’s where faith comes in, and the connection between giving and forgiving. Just as we are content to give knowing that no one will ever know but Christ alone, so too we forgive knowing that God saw everything, he observed it, and it is in his hands. And he will see justice done. 


So we are releasing the debt owed us, the sins against us into the hands of a powerful God. He will deal with them with the same combination of justice and mercy as he deals with us.


We can forgive, partly because we are transferring our case to a higher court. And the verdict is up to it.


The Father saw, the Father knows, the Father will deal with it as he thinks best. And that is enough.


This is Stage 1 of forgiveness. Stage 2 is to love your enemies. I haven’t reached there. And the parable which I am considering in my Blog Through the Bible Project merely considers Stage 1. 
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
 Matthew 18
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Yeah, he’s showing off. Showing off his magnanimity. Hasn’t got it. ESV note: Within Judaism, 3 times was enough to show a forgiving spirit. 

 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Don’t keep track. Keeping track reveals that you might not have really got the heart of forgiveness, which is letting go of wrongs in mercy, as God lets go of your offences
Love means losing track. Love means a lifestyle of forgiving. Letting offences go almost as soon as they occur. Which is the royal road to happiness. 



23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
A talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.

   26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.


I grow more aware of cancelled debts as I grow older. I am amazed at the things God hasn’t punished me for, which he overlooked, which I appear to have got away with it. At his loving kindness, mercy and forgiveness of me, despite the many wrong things I have done.



   28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[
A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer
He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
   30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
   32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 
That is the motivation for forgiveness which Christ offers us. That God has had mercy on us. That we haven’t had to pay up for all our sins and offences. So we just have to let some things go, into oblivion, or into God’s hands. 

34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
   35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
v.34 is almost literally true. We do live in a kind of torture, until we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 
Wherever we go, if the offence comes to memory, it brings pain with it, and we re-injure ourselves.
As long as the memory of something makes you really angry, you have not totally forgiven–and are therefore liable to re-injury from the memory of the old offence. 


Forgiveness is ultimately a miracle. We can only do it if God gives us the grace to be able to. If God changes our hearts.


Change my heart, oh Lord. Give me some of your grace and graciousness.



  

    Biblical Principles for Confrontation and Social Media. Matthew 18

    By

    Matthew 18

        15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. 
    If they listen to you, you have won them over.
     16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
    17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

       
    Jesus here spells out the process of confrontation. The Greek for brother or sister is adelphos, fellow disciple. 
    First, confront the individual directly. This is not something I am good at, but it is necessary for the heart–both for your heart, because feelings repressed fester, and for your sister’s heart, because she may be quite unaware of the offence she has caused. 
    The individual may see what she has done and repent.
    If you are blown off, try again with witnesses.
    Then try in the presence of church authorities.
    If they refuse to change, ignore them.
    This outlines the process of confrontation when a brother or sister–someone you are in relationship with–sins against you. 
    It is often misused by authoritarian or insecure leaders who are criticized. I have been asked myself by a church leader about a critical blog post I wrote about a church matter which affected many people, “Why didn’t you tell me directly?” His supporters asked, “Did you follow the principles of Matthew 18?”
    I did not, because he was not my brother, nor was the issue a personal one. Because an individual would have been blown off. Because the  perceived “sin” wasn’t against me, but against many. Because social media is the best way for those with little power to confront those with much power. Because a blog post read by 1500 people, most of whom agreed with it, is not as easily blown off as one woman’s remonstrations. 
    In the Christian controversy du jour, John Piper tweeted a dismissive, offensive and angry-making comment, “Farewell, Rob Bell,” linking to a review Justin Taylor rashly wrote of a book he had not yet read!!
    Some people, somewhat preposterously, said Taylor and Piper should have spoken to Bell privately. If they knew Bell, this would have been the most respectful course, of course.
    Taylor today links to a commonsensical post by Kevin DeYoung on the brouhaha.

    It needs to be stated again that this is not a Matthew 18 issue.  Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone” (Matt. 18:15). Rob Bell has not sinned against Justin Taylor or John Piper. This is not a personal offense or an interpersonal squabble that should have been left in private. The general rule of thumb, supported by Matthew 18 and sanctified common sense, is we should not make a matter more public than it has to be. But by definition, YouTube videos and Vimeo clips and books and blogs are meant to be public. That’s the whole point. The Love Wins trailer was not a private email correspondence intercepted by the Reformed Gestapo. It was deliberately made public and can be commented on in public.



    Public figures– church leaders, politicians, even authors of successful blogs– I believe, can be confronted publicly. The principles of Matthew 18 do not apply in these instances. 


    What do you think?

    Biblical Principles for Confrontation and Social Media. Matthew 18

    By

    Rob Bell

    John Piper
    Matthew 18

        15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. 
    If they listen to you, you have won them over.
     16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
    17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

       
    Jesus here spells out the process of confrontation. The Greek for brother or sister is adelphos, fellow disciple. 
    First, confront the individual directly. This is not something I am good at, but it is necessary for the heart–both for your heart, because feelings repressed fester, and for your sister’s heart, because she may be quite unaware of the offence she has caused. 
    The individual may see what she has done and repent.
    If you are blown off, try again with witnesses.
    Then try in the presence of church authorities.
    If they refuse to change, ignore them.
    This outlines the process of confrontation when a brother or sister–someone you are in relationship with–sins against you. 
    It is often misused by authoritarian or insecure leaders who are criticized. I have been asked myself by a church leader about a critical blog post I wrote about a church matter which affected many people, “Why didn’t you tell me directly?” His supporters asked, “Did you follow the principles of Matthew 18?”
    I did not, because he was not my brother, nor was the issue a personal one. Because an individual would have been blown off. Because the  perceived “sin” wasn’t against me, but against many. Because social media is the best way for those with little power to confront those with much power. Because a blog post read by 1500 people, most of whom agreed with it, is not as easily blown off as one woman’s remonstrations. 
    In the Christian controversy du jour, John Piper tweeted a dismissive, offensive and angry-making comment, “Farewell, Rob Bell,” linking to a review Justin Taylor rashly wrote of a book he had not yet read!!
    Some people, somewhat preposterously, said Taylor and Piper should have spoken to Bell privately. If they knew Bell, this would have been the most respectful course, of course.
    Taylor today links to a commonsensical post by Kevin DeYoung on the brouhaha.

    It needs to be stated again that this is not a Matthew 18 issue.  Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone” (Matt. 18:15). Rob Bell has not sinned against Justin Taylor or John Piper. This is not a personal offense or an interpersonal squabble that should have been left in private. The general rule of thumb, supported by Matthew 18 and sanctified common sense, is we should not make a matter more public than it has to be. But by definition, YouTube videos and Vimeo clips and books and blogs are meant to be public. That’s the whole point. The Love Wins trailer was not a private email correspondence intercepted by the Reformed Gestapo. It was deliberately made public and can be commented on in public.



    Public figures– church leaders, politicians, even authors of successful blogs– I believe, can be confronted publicly. The principles of Matthew 18 do not apply in these instances. 


    What do you think?


    18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[f] loosed in heaven.

       19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
    Christ’s beautiful promise of his presence to those who gather in his name. 

    Biblical Principles for Confrontation and Social Media. Matthew 18

    By

    Rob Bell

    John Piper
    Matthew 18

        15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. 
    If they listen to you, you have won them over.
     16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
    17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

       
    Jesus here spells out the process of confrontation. The Greek for brother or sister is adelphos, fellow disciple. 
    First, confront the individual directly. This is not something I am good at, but it is necessary for the heart–both for your heart, because feelings repressed fester, and for your sister’s heart, because she may be quite unaware of the offence she has caused. 
    The individual may see what she has done and repent.
    If you are blown off, try again with witnesses.
    Then try in the presence of church authorities.
    If they refuse to change, ignore them.
    This outlines the process of confrontation when a brother or sister–someone you are in relationship with–sins against you. 
    It is often misused by authoritarian or insecure leaders who are criticized. I have been asked myself by a church leader about a critical blog post I wrote about a church matter which affected many people, “Why didn’t you tell me directly?” His supporters asked, “Did you follow the principles of Matthew 18?”
    I did not, because he was not my brother, nor was the issue a personal one. Because an individual would have been blown off. Because the  perceived “sin” wasn’t against me, but against many. Because social media is the best way for those with little power to confront those with much power. Because a blog post read by 1500 people, most of whom agreed with it, is not as easily blown off as one woman’s remonstrations. 
    In the Christian controversy du jour, John Piper tweeted a dismissive, offensive and angry-making comment, “Farewell, Rob Bell,” linking to a review Justin Taylor rashly wrote of a book he had not yet read!!
    Some people, somewhat preposterously, said Taylor and Piper should have spoken to Bell privately. If they knew Bell, this would have been the most respectful course, of course.
    Taylor today links to a commonsensical post by Kevin DeYoung on the brouhaha.

    It needs to be stated again that this is not a Matthew 18 issue.  Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone” (Matt. 18:15). Rob Bell has not sinned against Justin Taylor or John Piper. This is not a personal offense or an interpersonal squabble that should have been left in private. The general rule of thumb, supported by Matthew 18 and sanctified common sense, is we should not make a matter more public than it has to be. But by definition, YouTube videos and Vimeo clips and books and blogs are meant to be public. That’s the whole point. The Love Wins trailer was not a private email correspondence intercepted by the Reformed Gestapo. It was deliberately made public and can be commented on in public.



    Public figures– church leaders, politicians, even authors of successful blogs– I believe, can be confronted publicly. The principles of Matthew 18 do not apply in these instances. 


    What do you think?


    18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will bef]’>[f] loosed in heaven.

       19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
    Christ’s beautiful promise of his presence to those who gather in his name.