What Christ thinks of the Church
We don't believe in the Church in the same way we
believe in Jesus. The truth is, sometimes it's hard to believe in the
Church in the way we should be able to believe in the Church. She's such
a mess but after a while you get weary of hearing her jeered at and
crowed over, especially when her Lord, who can't be fooled, looks at her
and tells her he isn't ashamed of her. So maybe it's time that some of
us shut our mouths.
The Hebrew writer insisted (2:11) that, "Both the one who makes men
holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers." The NRSV brings out his meaning when it
says that Jesus who makes people holy and the people he makes holy "all
have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them
brothers and sisters."
He’s not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters! Claims like that need to be tasted and savoured
a while before they’re subjected to deeper examination. It’s not that
the claim will prove false when closely examined; no, that’s not it.
It’s just that sometimes we’re too smart for our own good, or worse,
sometimes we’re (God help us!) a bit on the cynical side and tend to
analyse rather than being moved to embrace things with a joy-filled
heart. It’s a bit like wanting to analyse the words of a clean,
strong ten or twelve year old boy when he says from a full heart, "I
love you dad." We’re supposed to be moved by words like
that. Analysis is no bad thing—unless it’s a bad thing, unless it
diminishes our joy and leads us to feel embarrassed that we feel so
moved and inspired by what we’ve heard.
But some claims are so wonderful that we can hardly help it that we
wonder if they can be true; they seem too good to be true! Is the Hebrew
writer’s claim not a bit like that? "Jesus who makes people holy and
the people he makes holy all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is
not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters."
Who is this that is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters?
He is the holy one, sinless in his holy righteousness! And is this the
one who gladly steps forward and identifies us as his brothers and
sisters? The very one! He is the majestic one, Lord over all
principalities and powers, might and dominion, Lord of death and life,
sovereign over everything from your house to the ends of limitless
space. And this is the one who with earnest and eager voice pushes his
way through the crowd, puts his arms around our shoulders and says we’re
his brothers and sisters? That’s him!
There have been times—even when I was alone—when I’ve been so ashamed
of myself that I could hardly bear to identify myself with myself. I’ve
known times when petty little bureaucratic tyrants made me go away and
wouldn’t even let me tell my sad, pain-filled story. (Oh, God, in all my
awful and frequent sinning, have I done that as well? I would like to
think I haven’t but I suppose I must have. How horrid.) But he who knows
us—truly and fully knows our darkness and shame—tries the door handle
and finding it locked, and knowing why we feel we must be alone, begins to knock. "Jim...Jim...come on, open the door. I don’t want you to keep me out, especially
at this time." Filled with shame and the sense of our weakness we
murmur through the door that all our efforts—such as they are—come to
nothing and that we find the world too strong for us. And he who knows
that—and knows it full well—leaning his forehead against the door while
he knocks, wants to know, "If you could save yourself do you think I
ever would have come? I alone have and can overcome the world and it’s
only in and through me that you can. Never without me, never apart from
me, never the both of us independent of one another; only me and therefore you in
me." And he reminds us that his majesty and power is for each of us and
that he is bringing us to a life of inexpressible moral glory. This is the one who has become one of us and never repents of having done so. This is the one who is not ashamed of us. Is there better news than that?
"But you don’t understand because you don’t know how far and how
often I’ve strayed!" Perhaps, but does he not know? The Christ would
want you, me and this whole big round teeming world to know: "There is
nothing about you that I don’t know! I take your sins more seriously
than you can imagine but I'm not ashamed to call you brothers and
sisters."
If you knew where I’ve been you would be ashamed of me.
"I am not ashamed to call you brothers and sisters!"
If you knew what I’ve done, again and again...
"I am not ashamed to call you brothers and sisters!"
If you knew how cold and uncaring my heart is and has been...
"I am not ashamed to call you brothers and sisters!"
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.