Evangelical Reformation

It is important to understand the meaning of meekness. It is a major concept in the New Testament. Jesus promised that the meek would be blessed—inherit the earth. Meekness is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

But what is it? A correct understanding will guide us toward the blessings Scripture promises. A wrong definition will lead to confusion and failure to realize those blessing, even when our intentions are sincere.

Common definitions of meekness include mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit.

The contemporary person who seems to flesh out these qualities most vividly is Mr. Rogers. He would seem to be the very embodiment of meekness.

The problem with this definition is that Jesus was no Mr. Rogers. Or at least the Jesus of the Bible was not. Contemporary evangelicals tend to frame Him as such, but this is a Jesus of our own making; not the one found in Scripture.

I am not suggesting that most of the time the Jesus of the Bible was mild of disposition and gentle of spirit, but on rare occasions he departed from that orientation, such as when he cleansed the Temple. The reality is that for most of his ministry, Jesus was just the opposite of this Mr. Rogers caricature. In fact, moments of mildness represent the exception—not the rule.

Read the Gospels again, and see for yourself. Note how Jesus was frequently in the face of the Pharisees. But beyond that, He often dealt with his disciples with an attitude that bordered on harshness.

Notice Jesus’ teaching style in Mark 8:17-18 when his disciples failed to grasp a lesson. “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?’” This conjures up the picture of the old schoolmaster wielding a cane, warning his students that they better pay attention.

And when Jesus, coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, encountered a demon possessed boy that His disciples were unable to help, He chided, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you?.” (Mt 17:17 NAS95). Imagine Mr. Rogers saying that!

Or think of Jesus’ Easter greeting to his fellow travelers on the road to Emmaus. “He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!’” (Lu 24:25 NIVUS). In the selection of Easter texts, this has been the road less traveled.

His Easter greeting to the eleven disciples conveyed the same gentleness and mildness. “Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen” (Mark 16:14 NIVUS).

It is little wonder that when the disciples did not understand Jesus’ comments about His coming crucifixion, that “they were afraid to ask Him about this saying” (Luke 9:45). Imagine, even the closest followers of this gentle and mild teacher were so intimidated by him that they feared to ask a question. This is a Jesus that makes few appearances on contemporary evangelical radio and television programs.

This list of instances displaying a Jesus that contrasts sharply from Mr. Rogers is far from comprehensive. If meekness really means gentleness and mildness, Jesus wasn’t meek.

However, Jesus made the claim that He was meek in Matthew 11:29: “For I am meek and lowly in heart.” Therefore, meekness must not mean gentleness and mildness. It must not be a Mr. Rogers-like quality.

What then? Next week.

The virtual Christianity embraced by most American evangelicals constitutes a bubble that is about to burst.

In my previous post, I compared contemporary evangelical Christianity to a nanny state. A majority segment of evangelical radio, television, and books describes a relationship between the believer and God in which God accepts us unconditionally. Therefore, as with a governmental nanny state, we get all the benefits and have no responsibilities.

I further described this arrangement as virtual Christianity, since it finds no reality in Scripture or in real life. Hundreds of passages expose its error. Many of my previous posts demonstrate the error of this perspective.

This virtual Christianity is problematic on any number of counts. One of its major faults is its inability to produce strong Christians, strong men, strong fathers, strong leaders.

Europe provides a graphic display of the inability of nanny states to produce strong leadership. They stand idly by as Muslims take over their countries, either feeling impotent to do anything about it or not caring. Both are signs of weakness.

Feeling impotent is an evident indication of weakness. Standing by, wringing one’s hands, while others invade and take over their supposedly sovereign states, is not a picture of strength.

Not caring represents an even greater weakness. It reflects the deterioration of the soul described by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, which leaves the inner person caring for nothing by self-gratification. Socialistic Europe is willing to have Islam take over in the future if it can have its state supported short workweek and long vacations in the present.

We find the evangelical church in America, with its nanny state, producing the same weakness of character. It is reflected in our President’s lack of resolve in protecting our borders. It is reflected in the fact that of the strongest leaders on the horizon, most are Catholics or Mormons, and few are evangelicals. It is reflected in many of the characteristics of the evangelical church uncovered by Barna.

Several days ago on a Christian radio program, a man who had been converted from Islam was asked why Christian women marry Muslim men, a good question, especially in light of the many serious downsides of doing so. His answer was that these women view Christian men as wimps, while they find a strength in Muslim men.

Why does a nanny state, be it political or spiritual, produce wimps? The answer is simply this: the stronger ones cause, the stronger ones personality.

Muslims may be misguided, but they believe that they have a cause worth dying for. This gives them a strength lacking in the West, both in secular and evangelical circles. While they are blowing themselves up for their cause, we (both secular Americans and evangelicals) are preoccupied with the latest movie—another expedition into our world of virtual reality.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently pronounced that the United States is a sunset civilization whereas Iran is a sunrise civilization. Judging from the strengths of personality of each, I tend to agree with him.

Many of the experts predict that catastrophe will soon fall on the United States—another 9/11, or even worse. We are like the population in Brave New World, living in virtual reality, both spiritual and otherwise, unaware and unconcerned that the enemy is about to burst our virtual bubble.

The solution must begin with the church trading in the comforts of its nanny state, it’s virtual reality, for biblical reality, for the recognition that God demands righteousness from his people and will judge them if they do not produce it.

I believe that the church in America ultimately will break out of its bubble of virtual reality. The question is what that will take. Will the preaching and teaching of the Word of God bring us to reality, or will it take a horrible disaster?

9/11 woke us up—for about a week. Apparently it will take something far worse than that. That leads to the follow-up question. By the time something sufficiently terrible to get our attention comes along, will it be too late to salvage life in America as we know it?

People like big government. Europe loves socialism and many Russians long for the good old days of communism, despite its repressiveness and cruelty. Here in the United States, the tide is constantly carrying us toward big government, and we must row hard to keep from going over the falls.

What is the appeal? In short, the nanny state provides maximum care with minimum responsibility.

Food, clothing, shelter, and health care for me and my family are no longer my responsibility. In fact, I have no responsibility. All of that rests on the shoulders of the state. More kids? No problem. The government has them covered.

One challenge is that the government must find funds to support the system. However, the answer is simple enough. They can get all they need from those rich people.

All they ask from me in return is my vote. I keep them in power. They keep me in goodies. Since there are more of us than there are rich people, we can keep them in power and vote ourselves more benefits. It’s a great system.

Evangelicals have discovered an even better version of the nanny state—a form of spiritual socialism. God provides everything for me unconditionally. He does not expect me to perform. He promises me all His blessings with no responsibility on my part.

That is what grace is all about. He takes all of the responsibility. I get all of the blessings.

This is the ultimate big government. It possesses an endless source of riches to draw from through the sacrifice of Christ. He earned it all on the cross. When God looks on us, He does not see our performance, but only the righteousness of Christ, the fount of endless resources.

In return, God only asks for my vote. That is, He only asks that I pray the prayer, invite Jesus into my heart, and acknowledge Him as my savior, all of which I am glad to do. Just think of the benefits, and they are only the earthly ones. The best are yet to come in heaven.

No responsibilities. Total care. It’s a great system. It is the ultimate nanny state.

The problem with this nanny state, and it is a significant one, is that it only exists in the minds of American evangelicals. It does not exist in reality nor is it described in the Bible. It is a state of our own creation.

Unfortunately, we do not have the creative capacity to give it actual substance. Therefore, we are forced to live in a fantasy world—a state of virtual Christianity.

I concluded my previous post by asking why American evangelicals would embrace a system that violated virtually hundreds of passages of Scripture. We view ourselves as the ultimate people of the book. We pride ourselves on our commitment to Scripture. Why, then, would we adopt a perspective so obviously contrary to Scripture?

We have just seen the answer. This system makes an offer too good to refuse. The evangelical nanny state is too comfortable, and it attracts too many adherents. No one wants to burst the bubble.

And if some killjoy attempts to do so, his voice will be ignored by the evangelical community. He is as welcome as a teetotaler at a beer bust, as an abstinence advocate at an orgy. The nanny state has so many voters supporting it that no alternative has a chance.

However, as with any form of virtual reality, this one can only work for so long before genuine reality catches up with it, before the bubble is burst by real-life forces. Our next post will deal with forces that are about burst the evangelical bubble.