When Methods Lead to Madness

One of the most redemptive things that I hope and pray for as we move deeper into the COVID-19 realities of life and ministry - and the short- and long-term implications thereof - is that the good men and women of the church (local and global) use this time as a chance to take stock of their own personal and communal walk with God. 

Like so many of you, being part of the gathered body of believers for worship, prayer, service, and community has been an integral part of how I live out my faith. From the very beginning of this season, I must admit I have found myself in a bit of a fog with respect to how I live out my calling as a disciple of Christ, given that so much of it revolves around the local and global church. In working through this process, I have been intentional about how it is that I can be sure to tend to these things even in a different manner and routine.

We are far from the first folks to face a new reality when it comes to living out our faith as Christ’s disciples, a new reality that has us wondering about this new and unfamiliar circumstance. After all, those who were following Jesus early on were given a completely new construct through which they were to exercise their faith after generations of living in a proscribed manner. Yet in today’s text from the sermon on the mount, Jesus brings forth a reality that might make some of us - especially those of us who have been active in our faith for a long time - a little challenged.

Here are Jesus’ words as recorded in Matthew 5:17-20 - 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Understanding there are many layers to this passage, I want to narrow our focus to one concept that it completely relevant for our current times. When Jesus is talking about coming to fulfill the old covenant, he is referring to what was the point of the Torah - a framework in which the faithful are drawn into communion with God. Why this particular narrow focus?

Simple. Humanity is geared towards the routine in all phases of life. There is something we learn from an early age about how routine is crucial our health and well-being. (Ever seen what happens when a baby gets taken out of their nap routine?) Our own tradition - the Methodist tradition - draws it’s name from a pejorative taunt thrown towards our founders (the Wesley brothers) who realized there was a method to help them live faithfully to Christ.

The problem Jesus is addressing here is that it can be easy for us to lean into routine of our faith so easily that we start drawing comfort in the various aspects of the routine, rather than in the God towards whom the routine is designed to draw us close. Jesus is reminding the folk that their righteousness comes not from adherence to a set of rules, but in the reality that all of our direction is designed to facilitate a life-long love affair with our creator.

Hey - I’ll be the first to admit that I’m mourning the loss of the routine. However, especially in light of today’s words from Jesus, maybe our challenge is to, instead, take advantage of this new season to re-examine why things related to our community of faith are so important to us. Are these things so vital to us because they facilitate our love of God and walk with Christ, or are they so vital to us because we are people of routine who hate change?

Grace & Peace,
Lamar