Haughty, Humble, or Hungry?

When I read Old Testament narratives, I have to wrestle with what I read. When told of what someone did, if there is no comment by the  biblical author on the rightness of the actions pictured, there might be a question left as to whether the action described is being affirmed, simply being tolerated, or being presented as a negative example.

I was thinking about Elisha, the companion to Elijah the prophet, and what happened when Elijah was taken from Elisha by the Lord. They have been traveling together for some time when the Elijah departs.

Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.  The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be still.” Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” And he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.

Now fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood opposite them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan. Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?”And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. (2 Kings 2:4-14)

Was what Elisha did rooted in presumption and his wanting to have a great reputation like Elijah had? Was he being haughty and self-seeking? Was what he Elisha did merely his leaning into what he had been learning from his teacher, Elijah? Was he simply humbly following the example? Was what he did anchored in his longing for God to be glorified and Israel to receive ministry as had been seen in Elijah’s ministry? Was he hungry for what only God could do?

The text does not explicitly answer this for me. But as I read about the life and ministry of Elisha, I am led to think that Elisha did what he did, asked what asked, acted like he acted, because he was hungry for God’s glory and a ministry that required God’s presence.

All this causes me to wonder about my  life, our lives.

Jesus has been taken up to heaven; he has ascended. The “mantle” that was upon him was the Spirit; the Spirit empowered him in the days of his incarnation (Luke 4:1, 16-21: Matthew 12:28; Acts 10:38). Jesus explained that Spirit was going to remain on and in his followers; his followers were to take up that mantle (John 14:12-17; 16:7; Acts 1:1-8; 4:31-33; 6:8-10).

So I wrestle with the example of Elisha. What keeps me from crying out,”Where is the God of Jesus?” Why do I not more fully take up the mantle of the Spirit, hungry to see what was evident in Jesus’ life become evident in our lives?

Is It Ever Right To Boast?

I’ve been experiencing something of a convergence of a few lines of thinking about this life we live with Jesus.

One strand comes from recent posts about Jesus’ expectations for his followers (rooted, at least in part, in John 14:12). Those thoughts drive me to consider whether I am really living into the life that Jesus wants for us. Am I participating in the “works” he himself did?

Another line of thought has come through reflecting on the life of the church pictured in Acts and their apparent expectation that the would and should participate in a ministry that looked like Jesus’ own (rooted, at least in part, in the prayer of the church in Acts 4). Do I have any expectations for what Jesus intends to do through us?

One last strand has been uncovered in some discussions with a group of friends who have been working through Paul’s letter to the Romans. In chapter fifteen, Paul shares a little with them about himself.

But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:15-19)

It’s hard to miss Paul’s boasting. He gladly affirms that he has been the recipient of grace that empowers him to minister, that Gentiles are becoming an “offering” to God through him, that Christ works through him in word and deed, that in his ministry he serves with clear signs and wonders, that he ministers in the Spirit’s power, and that where he goes he fully preaches the Gospel.

As the discussion around this passage developed, we wrestled with Paul’s confident boasting. How is it that this is not prideful? How do you think of yourself this way and remain appropriately humble? As we talked, it became fairly clear.

Most of us wouldn’t talk this way because all we could boast in would be what we pull off “naturally.” That is, what happens in and through us is so thoroughgoingly “us” that, of course, the boasting would be arrogant. But not for Paul.

He lived in the reality of John 14:12. He had the kind of expectations seen in the prayer in Acts 4. He recognized that his life with Jesus was a work of grace and that Jesus intended to “show up” through his life–in markedly “non-natural” ways. To not be honest and forthright about how Jesus was showing up would be to denigrate that work of grace and to ignore the presence of the Spirit in his life.

I don’t find myself boasting in this way because . . . well, because so little of the reality of Jesus’ presence and so little of the power of the Spirit is evident in my life.

An Unsettling Discusssion

I was with my family in Washington, D.C., over the holidays. One morning I was out early, walking the streets, talking with the Lord. I was asking him if there was anything I could do to participate with him in what he was doing in the city that morning.

I ended up stopping in a bagel shop for a quick bite. Sitting there I noticed a woman in the back of the store. She was having a conversation . . . from the appearance of it, she was having conversations with two someones, one tall, one short . . . but there was no one else around here. She was sitting there, seemingly by herself, but engaged in vigorous discussions with someone standing over her (who she looked up at when she spoke) and someone either seated on the floor or very short next to her (who she looked down at when she spoke). She laughed, shouted, whispered, talked . . . nearly constantly.

And it was then I began to have a conversation with a not visible someone as well. I can’t fully discern what were simply my thoughts and which (if any) were the Spirit’s words. But my conversation went something like this.

She looks like she needs help.

Maybe you should go over and talk with her.

Maybe it’s a demonic problem. I don’t want to create a scene.

But it wouldn’t create a scene if she found freedom and release in Jesus.

Is that what you want to do, Jesus?

I don’t think I can do that. What would I say?

She certainly doesn’t look happy.

But Jesus never just walked up and interrupted someone needing help . . .

Really . . . what about the man in the tombs. A demoniac, not looking for help . . . Jesus just showed up and rescued him from his trouble.

But don’t people have to want to be helped, ask for help, to get help?

But what if they don’t know what the problem is . . . what if they don’t know that help is available?

So, right, I’m just going to walk over to her and say, “Hey, you want to do something about those voices?”

What would the risk be?

What a scene. What would people think? And what would people think if nothing happened? Maybe she’s just got an emotional problem.

And Jesus could help with that, too.

Well, yes, but . . . I just don’t know.

But maybe the kingdom of God could break into life in a small way right here.

Lord, if you want me to talk with her, have her look over at me.

She is still talking with her not-present-friends.

Lord, if you want me to talk with her, I’ll just stand here for a moment. Have her look over here.

She never turned to look at me. I stood there for what seemed like eternity (but probably more like three or four minutes). Then I took a deep breath, took a step . . . and promptly left the bagel shop.

So what I am wrestling with is . . .

How can I live in such an abiding relationship with Jesus that I will have a better sense of what he is up to, what he wants to do, how he wants me to participate?

Knowing the kinds of things that Jesus did (and still does), how am I to know when and how I could or should step into a situation and stop simply being a spectator?

If I know the things that Jesus does and how he still wants to do those kinds of things through his friends and followers, what will it take for me to get off the sidelines and become a more active participant?

And Peter said, “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)

Preserving the Appearance of Life

Like many families, we have a Christmas tree. It’s not the center of our attention during this time of celebration, but it is one part of how we decorate, how we mark out this season as different. It sits in our living room . . . dropping needles. It’s still green . . . somewhat. I water it regularly. We do what we can to preserve it so that it will last through New Year’s day, but all we are doing is preserving the appearance of life. It is not a growing tree . . . it won’t grow in height, it won’t produce new needles, it won’t spread new branches.

That caused me to wonder about my own life. Am I a growing follower of Jesus . . . or am I merely preserving the appearance of life? I am not talking about whether someone who has come to find life in Jesus can lose that life; I am quite sure that such a thing just can’t happen. Those Jesus saves, he really does save. And having been saved by Jesus, we are forever secure in his keeping.

But do I experience–am I living in–the fullness of the kind of life that he intends for his followers? Am I tasting, feeling, sensing, knowing, growing in the rich life he has so willingly provided. Or, having come to life, am a living a “preserved” life merely waiting for that moment in time when he will take me home to be with him–either through his coming again or through my leaving this life in death?

Jesus says that we can come to him and “drink” and out of our lives will flow “rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). Sometimes I am sure that all I am experiencing is, at best, a trickle of living water. Where there could be a bursting-the-banks stream, there is a small damp spot in life. To change the metaphor, where there could be a downpour there is a drizzle.

Paul explains that the follower of Jesus is gifted to live in such a way that the Spirit “manifests” himself through the follower for the good of others (1 Corinthians 12:7). There should come, in the life of a follower of Jesus, an evidential flow of Spirit-empowered ministry that touches others.

Paul writes that the follower of Jesus is inhabited to live in such a way that the Spirit “bears his fruit” through the follower for the blessing of others (Galatians 5:22). There should come, in the life of a follower of Jesus, an experienced flow of Spirit-empowered living that touches others.

Followers of Jesus are invited to be divinely designed conduits of the presence and power of the Spirit–consistent with the life and character of Jesus and for the glory of the Father. Others around us should get splashed by the rivers of living water flowing through our lives. Both in Spirit “engifted” ways and in Spirit “enfruited” ways, there should flow through our lives into the lives of others something so markedly non-human that they taste and experience the breaking in of God’s kingdom into this world through our lives.

But all too often I settle for just getting through the day. Managing “stuff” and trying to keep my nose clean. Settling for a morally upright but inconsequential kind of life. And I try to tell myself that this is the “Christian life” in all its wonder and delight and joy and power. But that leads me to wonder . . . have I settled for preserving the appearance of life?

I’m going to keep watering the Christmas tree . . . at least until after the new year. But the fragrance has waned. The needles are falling.

Peculiar but Helpful Analogy

So let’s talk about the life of a follower of Jesus by thinking about demoniacs. I know, that seems like a really peculiar place to start. But I think that there is something in this that helps me grasp what life with Jesus is supposed to look like.

What do you know about “demoniacs”–those who are inhabited by, controlled by, dwelt in by demons or evil spirits? The Biblical picture provides insights.

When Jesus encounters demonized people, although their particular individual personality traits might well differ, it does seem there are a few common characteristics. Demonized people recognize who Jesus is and where he has “come from” without having had any prior contact with Jesus, without having a natural or human way to know what they know. Demonized people can manifest non-human strength–like the man in the tombs who could not be held by chains (as told in Mark 5) or the demonized man who fell on the seven sons of Sceva (as recorded in Acts 19). Apparently, when a supernatural spiritual being inhabits or indwells an individual that supernatural spiritual being can make itself manifest through the human host. It might be supernatural understanding and insight; it could be supernatural strength or power. We get to see something not-entirely-human in the person under the influence of the demon.

Now once we recognize this possibility–that a supernatural spiritual being can and does make itself known through a human life–we have a startling insight into the life of a follower of Jesus.

In talking with his followers about what was going to happen after he was ascended, Jesus spoke of the Spirit. He explained that the Holy Spirit–”the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him”–was going to come and indwell them. Of the Spirit, Jesus told his followers “you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).

Paul echoes this very idea in a number of places in his writings. For example, he reminds the Corinthians that they are temples of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them (1 Corinthians 16:9).

So here’s the peculiar but helpful analogous idea.

It is possible for an evil supernatural spiritual being to indwell a person and make itself known in markedly beyond-merely-human ways through the human host. Should it not then be possible for a holy supernatural spiritual being (the very Spirit of God) to indwell a person and make himself known in markedly beyond-merely-human ways through the human host?

In other words, if we who follow Jesus do really receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” and he comes and takes us permanent residency in our souls, would it not be only reasonable to expect to see him manifest himself through our lives in ways that look like something beyond-merely-human?

Its seems to me that this is the very thing that we find in the account left for us in the book of Acts. Human followers of Jesus living and acting and serving and ministering in markedly beyond-merely-human ways. I just wonder what has happened that we who follow Jesus (and are equally indwelt by the Spirit of God) in this day and time live so very merely-human lives.