Who is the Kingdom of God for?

I recently re-read the Gospel of Luke. One striking thing is how much Jesus talks about money, power, humility and self-righteousness. Jesus saves his harshest words for those who claim to be religious. Jesus gives many pictures of what the Kingdom of God is like. Here I just want to look at the parable of the great banquet. Some earlier thoughts on the parable are here.

Luke 14

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.’

16 Jesus replied: ‘A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, “Come, for everything is now ready.”

18 ‘But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.”

19 ‘Another said, “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.”

20 ‘Still another said, “I have just got married, so I can’t come.”

21 ‘The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.”

22 ‘“Sir,” the servant said, “what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.”

23 ‘Then the master told his servant, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.”’

The first three people invited to the banquet are committed to and distracted by the ``good life'' of this world: wealth, possessions, business, career, comfort, romance, security, ... The kingdom of God is not important to them and it is clear they will be excluded.
In contrast, the weak and marginalised (the poor, crippled, blind, lame, ... ) are invited to and come to the banquet. 

All of this is consistent is with many other passages in Luke, such as the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, which suggest that it is very hard for the wealthy, the successful, the self-reliant, and the powerful to enter the Kingdom. In contrast, God seems to have a preference for those on the margins. Church history seems to bear this out. As countries (communities) become more prosperous they are less open to the Kingdom, particularly this bit about engaging with the marginalised. In contrast, communities that are oppressed and desperate, often welcome the good news of Jesus.

This raises questions about priorities for mission. Should upper middle class churches and organisations focus on communities just like them or instead focus much of their substantial resources (human, financial, professional expertise, ... ) to engage with marginalised communities, learn from them, and build mutually beneficial relationships.

War is Hell. 7.

I enjoyed watching the movie, Tolkien. It represents the early life of the famous fantasy writer. The main elements of the story are his difficult childhood as an orphan, the close bonds he formed with a group of high school friends with a common interest in creating literature, the trauma and tragedy of his experience in the trenches of World War I, his romance with his wife-to-be, and how these all shaped his creative imagination.

For me, the over-riding impression was ``war is hell.'' All Tolkien's friends die in the war, except one who is never the same again. Tolkien only survives because he is evacuated due to illness.



Arguably an important part of Tolkien's education and personal formation was that his school provided the opportunity for him to be part of a small group of friends with a common passion and vision. This highlights several overlooked aspects of most educational institutions, particularly in this neoliberal age, where the focus almost exclusively on measurable outcomes such as test scores, graduation rates, and starting salaries of graduates.

Sometimes the most significant part of education is the informal, not the formal aspects.

Real learning happens in the context of relationships, of students with one another, and with a teacher.

Western culture and thinking are individualistic. Consequently, most leading educational institutions claim to create significant individuals. However, perhaps a goal should also be to create significant informal communities or life-long bonds between students. I really like the book, Five Minds for the Future and am currently re-reading it. However, it is striking to me that the total emphasis is on individuals.

Token justice

Every now and then I read just a sentence or two that has a big impact on me. About a year ago I read the following.

The danger of any educational institution rooted in progressive values but dependent on big money is the default to political correctness as a substitute for a broader liberalism — the promotion of economic equity. You cannot rail against an unfair tax system when you rely on those who benefit from it, but you can patrol offensive speech and innuendo in the name of moral compassion; you can reward unease and grievance as rectitude.

This quote is taken from a New York Times article
Someone Went Too Far at Friends Seminary, but Who?
It describes a bizarre controversy at a wealthy prestigious high school in New York City. A quirky Jewish mathematics teacher was fired because as a joke he made a Nazi salute when trying to illustrate obtuse angles.

For context, the school was started by the Quakers (Friends). Annual tuition is US$41K.

Generally, the trajectory seems common with institutions that are founded by Christians with a distinctly Christian vision and ethos. This leads to ``success'' that then attracts the wealthy and powerful who use the institution to advance their own interests.  Even more broadly, this evolution is common in institutions.

Wealth, judgement, and unbelief

I just finished reading through the Gospel of Luke. The part that I found the most confronting was the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that Jesus told and is recorded in Luke 16. The richness of parable is indicated by the fact that I have already written five different posts that feature the parable.

19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 ‘The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.”

25 ‘But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”

27 ‘He answered, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.”

29 ‘Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.”

30 ‘“No, father Abraham,” he said, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.”

31 ‘He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”’

[The image is from here].

So what is the main point of this parable? Or are there many points? Generally, I don't buy the idea that every parable has one unique interpretation, meaning, and application. Some of the absolute brilliance of the parables of Jesus is that they are so multi-faceted and so confronting.

 Here are some possible options:

A. Divine ``Karma.'' The final judgement corrects for inequalities on earth. Those who live luxurious lives and are insensitive to the poor go to hell. The poor and suffering go to heaven. This shows ``God's preferential option for the poor.''

B. The Gospel is contained in the Old Testament. It provides adequate information for people to repent and be saved.

C. Some people will not repent even if they see or hear the testimony of the risen Christ.

D. People are only saved by faith in Christ alone. There is no salvation by works. Lazarus repented and had faith in Jesus. The rich man did not.

I think all of these have an element of truth, but are oversimplifications, and I feel rob the story of some of its power.

As always, any biblical passage needs to be interpreted in context. For example, what do passages before and after this one say? How does this passage fit into the whole Bible? What is the literary genre?

It is striking to me, just how much this passage is embedded in discussions about how wealth is an obstacle to the entering the Kingdom of God.

The Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) teaches that the Kingdom of God is for the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. It is not for those who are distracted by business and their possessions.

The Parable of the Lost (Prodigal) Son (Luke 15:11-32) describes how the younger son demanded his inheritance and then ``squandered his wealth on wild living.'' But, he did come to his senses and repent.

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-15). Jesus provocatively commends the dishonesty of the manager. He then says

11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ... 13 ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’ 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 

The parable also highlights how ``trivial'' wealth is in God's eyes. This is also shown by

After the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus comes Jesus interaction with the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30)

‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, 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.’

Luke 19 describes how Zaccheus, a corrupt tax collector, repents and gives half of his money away to the poor.

So what do Moses and the Prophets warn about wealth and helping the needy?
They have countless warnings to Israel that they need to care for the poor, the widows, orphans, and the oppressed. If they do not they will experience God's judgement.

Psalm 49 is just one example of a clear statement concerning the dangers of wealth.

16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendour of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
    their splendour will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed –
    and people praise you when you prosper –
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
    who will never again see the light of life.

The letter of James has hard-hitting passages about how real faith leads to caring for the poor and needy and not supporting unjust economic structures (Chapter 5). Chapter 2 says:

4 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Those of us who are financially in the top 1-10 percent globally should be deeply troubled by this Jesus teaching and not dilute its power by trying to force it into some simple theology of salvation.

Blessed are the peacemakers

For this month's theology reading group we are discussing How Long O Lord? The Challenge of Reconciliation and Peace edited by Athena Gorospe and Charles Ringma [our group leader] and published by Langham Literature.
The book is based on papers that were delivered at a symposium at Asian Theological Seminary in Manila.

The book is a nice mix of perspectives, ranging from the theological to the very practical. Most of the authors are from the Majority World and/or are discussing Majority World contexts, particularly the Philippines. Given the tragic prevalence of war, poverty, ethnic conflict, and sexual violence, discussions of the challenges of practical initiatives to promote peace and reconciliation are to be valued. Some of the chapters that I found most helpful and/or inspiring were the following.

1. “Righteousness and Peace Kiss One Another” (Ps 85:10): Biblical Perspectives on Peace and Reconciliation
Christopher J. H. Wright

2. “What’s Your Name?” Biblical Perspectives on Memory and Reconciliation
Takamitsu Muraoka
The Japanese author describes initiatives he has taken in countries that experienced atrocities by the Japanese in World War II.

7. Telling a Different Story: Rwandans Learn to Forgive After Genocide
John Steward
This discusses why it is important not to ``forgive'' too quickly.

8. Healing the Trauma of War and Internal Displacement: Exploring the Nexus of Trauma Healing and Reconciliation
Annabel M. Manalo

9. Family Reconciliation among Survivors of Incest and Abandonment: A Case Study in Accompaniment
Tricia Mazo
This chapter has a ``yuck'' factor, because of the awful experiences of the young women that are described. On the other hand, it is powerful to see how on their own initiative the women saw the need to confront, forgive, set boundaries, seek repentance and reconciliation, while still seeking justice. The constructive role of counselors in helping each of the women on their difficult journey of healing is highlighted.

13. Missional Engagement for Reconciliation: Local Church Builds Relationships with a Muslim Community
Glicerio M. Manzano, Jr.

Theology books to read in 2020

I am blessed by being in a theology reading group that meets each month. We are about to discuss what books we might read and discuss next year. Here is my rough list of suggestions, roughly in order of preference. An almost common theme is the interaction of theology with the social sciences.

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
Lesslie Newbigin

The Presence of the Kingdom 
Jacques Ellul

Sociology through the eyes of faith
David A. Fraser and Tony Campolo

Seeking Church: Emerging Witnesses to the Kingdom 
Darren T. Duerksen and William A. Dyrness

Transformative religious experience: a phenomenological understanding of religious conversion
Joshua Iyadurai

The Gospel in Dostoyevsky: Selections from His Works 
Alternatively read one of his novels.
J.I. Packer claimed, ``Dostoyevsky is to me both the greatest novelist, as such, and the greatest Christian storyteller, in particular, of all time.''

Surviving the State, Remaking the Church: A Sociological Portrait of Christians in Mainland China
Li Ma and Jin Li

Absence of Mind:The Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self 
Marilynne Robinson
[The famous novelist discusses the relationship between science, religion, and consciousness].
[Based on her Terry lectures at Yale, available online].

Reason, Faith, and Revolution 
Terry Eagleton
The Marxist literary critic responds to the New Atheists.
[Based on his Terry lectures at Yale, available online].

Wouldn't You Love to Know? Trinitarian Epistemology and Pedagogy
Ian W. Payne

Emergence of Sin

Christian Mission in the Modern World
John Stott and Chris Wright

And for something different, listen to a piece of classical church music and discuss.
e.g. Elijah by Mendelson, The Creation by Hadyn, St. John's Passion by J.S. Bach.

Science and ancient religious texts

A friend asked me about a couple of talks I have given in the past. Here are the slides.

The Bible and the origins of modern science

Do ancient religious texts contain modern scientific knowledge?