THE GUEST ROOM

We were saddened this past week to learn of yet another prominent personality in the realm of faith related interests to have been charged with extensive financial irregularities.

Jesus had much to say to his disciples concerning values systems, materialistic quests, pursuit of greatness and other self-oriented aspirations: "He that will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matt. 20:27); "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth...for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21-24), etc. The reason for his so doing is simple:

Within the arena of spiritual endeavor, as with any other sphere of engagement involving prominence, leadership, recognition and prestige, it becomes easy to confuse the altruistic with the self-indulgent and self-serving. At such point, not only do the lines of demarcation become blurred, but in many instances the role of service itself tends to metamorphose into an agency for personal ambition and aggrandizement.

At the same time, recent studies regarding moral failure among the clergy offer disturbing insights into a matter of increasing concern. The problem, of course, is anything but new. Within this frame of reference, we recall our personal withdrawal some years ago from an evangelistic team scheduled for an interfaith crusade in a western Canadian city when it was discovered that the featured speaker was involved in an extramarital affair. These things hurt, both personally and in relation to the cause of Christ itself.

While obviously inclusive of such concerns, Christ's enjoined restraints were not limited to issues of moral and financial integrity. Other areas of address included not only our Lord's indictment of the religious leaders of his day for their relentless pursuit of human recognition, praise and acknowledgement (Matt. 6:2,5,26; 23:5; Mark 12:38-40, etc.) but the Twelve's increasingly related mindset of "Who's the greatest." Might it be that we have sometimes failed to grasp the full import of Christ's pronouncements in this regard? The answer is "yes."

Given such, we would briefly touch upon one further area of past experience. The fellowship in which I was born and reared traditionally sponsored monthly all day "fellowship meetings" - the congregations of each "section" meeting at its constituent churches on a rotating basis. Among the features of the highlighted evening service was a shared "word of greeting" from each of the attending pastors.

As a "revivalist" denomination, the anticipated "word" (typically a misnomer for reasons soon evident) would normally begin with a glowing report of "the great things God is doing in our midst" (i.e., the church of which the speaker was pastor). Not to be outdone, the second pastor's "word" would typically share the even greater things that God was doing in his congregation, etc. - until by the time the last pastor had shared his "word," one might well wonder as to how the region at large had avoided becoming caught up in an intense state of revival.

To my perception, then as now, the overriding problem at this point lay in the fact of ostensibly serving Christ and his cause while in reality seeking to advance one's own cause and recognition.

By way of contrast, one of the biblical accounts with which I have frequently been intrigued involves the man who surrendered his "large, furnished guest room" to Christ and his Diciples for their observance of Passover. To what degree the man grasped Christ's ministry and its meaning we do not know - nor, for that matter, are we apprised of his name. As seen in the fact that the Disciples apparently had no knowledge of the individual (thus Jesus' instructions of Mark 14 13-17 and Luke 22:11-13), previous contact, if at all, would appear to have been minimal. Yet in yielding the room which he would likely have used for his own family's observance of the celebration, he was, at least in terms of providing the physical facility, privileged to host the Son of God in one of history's most memorable events.

It is doubtful that this unnamed worthy attended the next "fellowship meeting" for the purpose of sharing the greatness of his recent role and involvement. Yet, while subsequently hearing nothing more of either himself or his involvement in our Lord's "Last Supper," the part that he played merited divine recognition in the form of a scriptural acknowledgement that has continued to relate his quality of spirit and positive response throughout the history of the Church.

Simply put: Whether in leadership or otherwise, is not God's approval, as opposed to self-focused recognition and desire for attention, that for which one is to seek? We would so suggest.

Burl Ratzsch

"YOU WHO ARE SPIRITUAL"

We were once contacted by a lady in relation to an episode within the Bible class of a church she had recently begun attending. The teacher of the class had vociferously and dogmatically asserted that the biblical "days" of creation represented twenty-four hour periods of time. It was soon apparent that on this as well as other points of possibly alternate opinion, one's options were limited to either agreeing with him or being wrong.

To her regret, this lady had suggested that perhaps the essential point here was not so much one's defining of the term "day" as in recognizing that by right of creation the earth belongs to God and that following Adam's self-assertive failure both earth and mankind had come under judgment - thus setting the stage for God's redemptive plan. As the underlying theme of Scripture, might not this constitute the more important emphasis? Her remarks served only to incite further dogmatism. In our assuring the lady that she had not been wrong, we also pointed out that Scripture itself had subsequently defined the seven days of creation as "the day [singular] in which the LORD God made the earth and the heavens" (Gen. 2:4).

The lady was considerably troubled by what had taken place. Our further answer to her went something like this: While wisdom is little served by arguing with such dogmatists, the individual to whom she referred is apparently possessed of a need to demonstrate his spirituality by means of superior knowledge (cf. I Cor. 8:1-3). Persons of this nature seldom change - as witness the spiritually self-absorbed of Jesus' day. So why afford the gentleman the opportunity he seeks by responding to his efforts to gain attention and recognition? (The concerned lady, we might as well mention, is a rather close relative.)

It all brought to mind the uncertaining I used to experience relative to Paul's appeal to "you who are spiritual" in the Galatian church (Ga. 6:1). Would not such require a certain self-estimation somewhat analogous to Ben Franklin's observation that "The moment I think I have it [i.e., humility], I have lost it"? Does not one's sense of superior spirituality, in and of itself, become self-negating? Indeed, the apostle continues, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself" (vs. 3).

Within this frame of reference, we recall an instance in which, with regard to an essentially peripheral matter at a church business meeting, one individual advised the membership that, "those of us who are spiritual see it this way." Simply stated, the defining mark of such pseudo-spirituality is basically two fold: 1.) focus on self, and 2.) need for dominance and control. To the degree that such is achieved, Jesus observes, "they have their reward."

What then of Paul's appeal to "you who are spiritual?" We must first recognize that the word "spiritual" carries the sense of "pertaining to spirit." Hence the fact that the apostle's exhortation immediately follows his listing of the "fruit of the Spirit" as involving inner quality and relational attributes in terms of others (Gal. 5:22-25).

Secondly, the exhortation itself becomes self-defining. In the awareness of one's own vulnerability ("lest you also be tempted," Gal. 6:1), the truly spiritual desire the weak brother's progress and growth in the faith. Not only so, but the fact that "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; I Pet. 5:5) lends further incentive in maintaining an objective sense of what it means to be "spiritual."

We need, do we not, to frequently remind ourselves?

Burl Ratzsch