Book Review: Jonathan L. Walton Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World - Part One

 

Book Review – Part One

Jonathan L. Walton, Lens of Love:

Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World

(Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018)

 

 

Do you find expressions of contemporary American Christianity intellectually inadequate, personally distasteful, socially irrelevant, contradictory of your values and principles relating to social justice? Is it a manipulative tool of hypocritical persons to further longstanding oppression of vulnerable and marginalized people? More frankly, do you despise the bastardization of the Christian faith? Do you refuse to attend weekly services at local churches because you fear The Reverend Doctor Charles Goodwill Cliché weekly erodes the Gospel of Jesus Christ with motivational speaking? Do you forego affiliating with a local congregation because you fear that it is not a resource to your local community? Do you find it reprehensible that clergypersons, political operatives, journalists and governmental leaders equate the Gospel and Christian faith with conservative ideology?

 

Do you respect clergypersons who defend a felon convicted of thirty-fours counts, an adulterer who exploits porn stars, declares bankruptcy six times, constantly ignores and violates the rule of law and never resists an opportunity to debase women and people of color as Christ’s contemporarily chosen instrument to establish the kingdom of God in the United States? Interestingly, this person’s foibles, incapacities and character defects contradict and nullify every principle that these clergypersons claim to hold dear. In exchange for a majority of ideologically aligned justices on the US Supreme Court, these clergypersons, their followers and allies were willing to compromise, if not discard, every single principle and value that they championed for decades. They ironically insist that their desecration of Christianity was done to preserve it. These questions combine to create a fundamental question, “What is the Gospel of Christ?” Practically speaking, how does one recognize an authentic, reasonable and pragmatically applicable articulation of it?

 

Do you lament the state of Christianity in contemporary America? Are you exhausted by daily revelations of sexual assault and abuse scandals by celebrity clergy people, megachurch pastors and denominational leaders? Does the systemic and collective refusal of organized religious leaders to demand accountability of these perpetrators disappoint if not disgust you? One of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States, under fierce compulsion from its female members, issued a multi-year report detailing sexual offenses by pastors and leaders against women but concluded its polity did not allow the organization any practical and effective means of accountability. In the same report, denominational leaders violently excoriate local congregations for allowing women pastors and they excommunicate churches that no longer characterize homosexual, lesbian and other sexual preferences as “sinful” and inherently contradictory to the Bible and a legitimate and acceptable lifestyle. Incredulously, these Christian leaders look away from sexual abuse and in some instances choose to blame the victims but forthrightly and unapologetically criticize and condemn the personal choices of consenting adults. Have you tired of homophobic and judgmental church teachings and tradition that assaults LGBTQIAPAS disciples with the assurance that God will only love them if they hate themselves and commit to a lifetime of self-condemnation  and inauthenticity? Walton answers these questions, employing the tools of higher biblical criticism inclusive of historical, source, rhetorical and textual criticisms, by stating that divine love when shared genuinely, justly and truthfully within the human family resolves the foregoing challenges.

 

Recently, I acquired answers to these questions in reading Professor Jonathan L. Walton’s engaging, scholarly but not pedantic, accessible and provocative but not polemical book, Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018). An unexpected gift from a longtime friend, this book arrived serendipitously via the US Postal Service. Being an avid reader, I left it on the shelf for a few weeks as I plowed through my ever-growing and changing list of books to read. One day, I read the cover and thoroughly skimmed the chapters. Next day, I put it in my work bag and began a journey into a new and refreshing perspective for reading the Bible and understanding the Christian religion in the twenty-first century. In this volume of only 216 pages, Walton addresses the above questions from several dimensions. He does not grind an axe; nor does he offer a polemic wherein he condemns a grocery list of people with whom he disagrees. He forsakes the quicksand of self-assured categorical statements that he proffers as “the Truth.”

 

Instead, he asks readers to examine their prisms of experience with their concomitant ideological and existential myopia as they read the Bible and resist the temptation to impose a twenty-first century outlook upon the people, history, literature and religion of the Ancient Near East. He more straightforwardly asks readers to allow the Bible to speak for itself. Adhering fiercely to the integrity of higher biblical criticism and exegesis, Walton suggests that readers step away from their formative assumptions, religious superstitions and political persuasions. He posits that they will gain immeasurably from reading the Bible if they first seek to understand the scriptures in their historical, sociological, literary and anthropological context. Emerging within the Eastern tradition and culture of oral transmission of stories, the Bible records the sacred sayings, poems, narratives and discourses that people of the first century heard from their religious leaders. What did they hear? What did they understand? How did they allow these words to determine or influence their daily living?

 

To receive biblical wisdom in an intellectually respectable way, twenty-first century readers must respect the culture, people and history of their first century counterparts. Reading with integrity and allowing biblical texts to speak historically, contextually and authentically erases distortions that emerge from formative views that contemporary disciples uncritically accepted from grandparents, parents, teachers, pastors and other people whom they respect. Whether a conservative evangelical, liberal progressive or centrist moderate, American disciples can benefit immensely from Walton’s cardinal answer to the dilemmas that plague Christian expression. Employing the profundity of simplicity, Walton straightforwardly recommends that they read the Bible through the lens of love. Interestingly, Walton’s book encapsulates one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, John 3:16. The Fourth Evangelist contends that God’s faithful and unquestionable love for humankind is the essence of the Christian message. As disciples read the Bible, develop personally and progress spiritually, they should make love a foremost priority in their interpretation and choices in interpersonal relationships. Should one be confused or err as it relates to taking biblical and theological position, one should err on the side of love. Undoubtedly, the approach of emphasizing and relying upon Christ’s example of love translates to a disciple’s positions upon public policy and social affairs.

 

If you love the Bible, “the Word of God,” your admiration for this sacred literature will expand exponentially after reading Lens of Love.  Whether you read the Bible for religious purposes, academic study or personal pleasure, this book will open your eyes to myriad dimensions which you may have missed previously. Walton’s writing and perspective will help you to adjust your personal lens in reading scripture. Pleasantly, the Bible contains countless other examples of spiritually significant and existentially empowering myths and symbolism. Walton reminds us that “Truth,” if even determinative and definitive, is not limited to material verification and proof. He warns against an uncritical acceptance of the scientific method as the most reliable means of defining truth. Doing so results in a rank reductionism thereby imprisoning “Truth” and revelation to petri dishes, microscopic slabs, DNA samples other items in a laboratory. Walton demonstrates the power of the Bible to delineate truth for daily human living beyond the methods of science and math. It is neither a scientific nor mathematical textbook. It deals with other questions of human existence and offers pragmatic answers within any human context or historical era. Walton’s prose, methods, historical analysis and emphasis upon reading the Bible through the lens of love reintroduces disciples to the Bible’s multidimensional majesty and magnificence.

 

Walton’s framework additionally yields a new appreciation for the debt that English and Russian literature owe to the Bible. Arguably, the pious, humble and faithful character, Levin, overshadows the protagonist in Anna Karenina as he struggles with faith and religion. He does not understand the necessity to yield to orthodoxy, doctrines and religious institutions. Levin posits that a genuine and progressive search to encounter and relate to the divine suffices. In The Brothers Karamazov, two of the brothers, one a monk and the other a businessman, have a frank and provocative conversation about God’s existence, the human invention of religion and juxtaposing the prevalence of evil with popular religious observance. The latter brother asks the monk why the invention of a divine being and religion were necessary to human existence. What is its worth given the treatment of children and other vulnerable people. Essentially, is there any worth to any religion as it has been historically incapable of resolving human evil. More significantly,  people use religion to sanction their evil. In addition, the main plot of Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge mimics the strife that unfolds between King Saul and David in the book of 1 Samuel, chapters 15 to 19. Michael Henchard and Donald Farfrae as jealous rivals and potent antagonists in the novel appropriate the biblical story. Shakespeare, Twain, Douglass and countless other authors resort to biblical stories as foundations for stories. In redirecting our attention to the importance of love when reading the Bible, Walton empowers us to find divine truth and wisdom in unexpected places.

 

The book contains four intellectually sweet delights. First, Walton supports his main points with allusions to the vast evidence of ancient and recent religious history. Avoiding the professorial tendency of slipping into the quicksand of being needlessly pedantic, Walton succinctly references five very respected scholars of American Religious History. Raboteau classically crystallizes the religious world of American slaves. They saw that “peculiar institution” as irrefutably contradictory with the Bibe and God’s will for humankind, generally, and them, especially. Per Leon Litwack, author of Been In the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery, and other secular historians, the slaves prayed fervently and faithfully for abolition  of the institution and personal freedom. Both books possess funny stories like the myths of John Henry Bunyan, Br’er Rabbit and other components of African American folklore that reflect the oral tradition in combatting oppression. Walton additionally cites George Marsden whose books examine the idea of American evangelical intellectuality, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship and The Soul of the American University Revisited: From Protestant to Postsecular. Professor Nathan O. Hatch’s compelling book, The Democratization of American Christianity, details an inverse relationship between burgeoning democratic ideals and an American iteration of Christianity which tolerated the annihilation of Native Americans, chattel slavery and subjugation of women. Lastly, he includes Jon Butler, author of several considerable works on American religious life, within his bibliography embedded within his prose. For students of History and more specifically American Religious History, Walton offers a short list of good books for further consideration.

 

A second delight that Walton offers is a short list of reliable biblical scholars whose books are widely read and used by academics, clergy and laity alike in research, sermon preparation and weekly Bible studies. Professor Raymond E. Brown was one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Gospel of John. Walton recommends Brown prevailing commentaries as sources to understand the “Sitz im Leben” (setting in life) of the Fourth Evangelist’s definition and use of divine love.

 

Book Review: Jonathan L. Walton Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World - Part Two

 

Book Review - Part Two

Jonathan L. Walton, Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2018)

 

Walton masterfully and graciously writes a book about the Bible which billions of people still revere in an accessible, engaging and informative way. Clergy who have graduated from seminary will be reminded of their days and late nights of poring over religious monographs. He entices them to revisit some of their settled beliefs and opinions about scripture. Personally, I wish this book had been available when I was completing my Master of Divinity courses. I am happy for current students who have this piece of treasure as an introduction to formal historical, critical and analytical study of the Bible. Walton insists that students of the Bible grapple with irony, incongruity, ambiguity and longstanding contradictions. He does not allow an easy escape through emotions, facile verbal recitation and memorization. Respectfully, he asks readers to appreciate the Bible and the process of studying the Bible with intellectual integrity and genuine curiosity. This approach requires the suspension of predetermined knowledge and conclusions. Readers, like a forensic scientist, pathologist or crime scene investigator, should come to study the Bible with an open mind; thereby they allow the Bible to speak on its own and reveal the Divine as its authors, audience and historical context understood their experiences of God and religion.  Beyond the expanse of scholarly criticism, academics in all disciplines who are curious minimally about the study of religion within the Ancient Near Eastern world will find unimagined riches from Walton’s research, writing and insightful perspective. Reading the Bible within the lens of love is the most preferable and fulfilling methodology. LinkedIn professionals who crunch numbers, edit films, write screenplays, write legal briefs, prepare lesson plans, coordinate food pantries, prepare for surgery, draft blueprints, measure safety of bridges and tunnels or perform myriad other functions will find themselves similarly satisfied.

 

One of the delights of Walton’s book is its humor and recitation of funny African American Church idioms. He references the powerful testimony services of various denominations. In those worship experiences, average believers stand and offer personal statements of their individual experiences of God’s faithfulness. Their statements parallel the oral evidence of court witnesses. These disciples assure the congregation that the Bible and its promises about God’s unfailing love and unquestioned faithfulness are undeniably true because of their direct experience. We who have attended and participated in these services recall the warmth, affirmation and encouragement of those services. Walton’s summary places many readers on memory lane. Others travel mystically and anthropologically to a new venue and milieu of Christian worship and discipleship.

 

Regarding God’s power to heal and transform, testimony service traditionally contains vivid accounts of personal miracles. These stories closely parallel biblical accounts of theophanies like Moses’ discovery of a burning bush that is not being consumed by its flames, record a supernatural event. The suspension of natural law confirms God’s presence as He retains the right to do so to accomplish His purpose. Hints of the miraculous seems necessary to validate an account. Walton specifically notes that a believer who struggles with alcoholism attributes his delivery from addiction to God’s graciousness in “taking the taste out of his mouth.”

 

Walton allows that the rich and empowering traditions and experiences of local church membership can intersect with twenty-first century modalities of faith, religion and spirituality. Reading the Bible through the lens of love opens disciples to new vistas of reading Jung’s teachings on individuation while studying the Psalms. It permits disciples to embark upon the inward journey of inner healing and wholeness through the process of self-discovery and self-acceptance in counseling and psychoanalysis. It grasps the hard realities of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder borne of childhood anxiety and other causes. It expands the horizon of the ways in which Almighty God assists disciples and their families in resolving these significant conflicts. It seeks extra biblical and ecclesiastical guidance. It collaborates with neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry, psychobiology and other disciplines to harness all resources within our global village.

 

Yet another delight of Walton’s equally delightful book is his rhetorical seasonings of literature and allusions to the rich traditions and cultural mores of the Black Church. African American literature, generally, and Black Women’s literature, specifically, contain myriad motifs that wrestle with religion and theodicy. Bearing the triple burden of gender, race and class, Black women fight to discover God’s presence and favor within their daily existence. Seemingly, they are amongst the most devout disciples who fervently and faithfully pray for deliverance and a better life. They regrettably remain in the same existential quicksand. How can a Jesus whom they love so much, to whom they faithfully appeal and for whom they defend against any other expression of deity be so cruel indifferent? Celie has frank conversation with God in the opening letter of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. The protagonist in Anne Perry’s classic and early twentieth century novel, The Street, under the burden of her life walks away from it thereby abandoning her beloved son. Sula Mae Peace, whose unbridled courage and self-determination challenges fellow characters and readers alike to dare to live freely. Sula, the title character of Toni Morrison’s enduring and provocative novel, brazenly lives her life as she chooses notwithstanding any social compulsion to believe and obey God. So many other works of literature grapple with the worth of religion when embroiled in daily hardships. Walton suggests an interpretation of the Bible that accommodates these ironies and incongruities. He affirms God’s love for humankind on the individual level but demands that disciples develop the capacity and character to demonstrate Christian love on a societal basis. Black women and other vulnerable people do not non impactful charity but direct service consistent with Matthew 25 and social justice advocacy that actualizes Isaiah 61:1-10 and Luke 4:18.

 

For disciples who simply love the Bible and study of the world that fostered its composition and compilation, Walton explores the beauty and bounty of biblical scholarship. He cites the enduring scholars and commentators such Raymond Brown, one of the leading authorities on the Gospel of John, and Joseph Fitzmeyer’s work on the book of Romans. Delightfully, Walton references the compelling scholarship of Jennifer Glancy and other next generation biblical scholars whose intriguing and refreshing insights are very helpful to contemporary disciples. I highly recommend that you read the notes and consult these books. The Bible is a mysterious, fascinating and mystical book that minimally requires a lifetime of study to scratch the surface of its history, meaning and significance. It is pitiful that countless misguided disciples attempt to reduce its complexity, profundity and infinite lessons to rote memorization in their primary language. These well intentioned and similarly uninformed people do not realize that the Bible which they pound was delivered divinely in five different languages within the historical context of the Ancient Near East. Some of them esteem the King James translation above the meaning of the original languages of Greek, Hebrew, Ugaritic, Aramaic and historical pidgins in which the texts were transmitted orally and composed on papyri. Nevertheless, Walton overlooks those academic shortcomings. He posits that if readers and students of the Bible will read the book through the lens of love, that methodology triumphs over the failings of any technical academic approaches. The scholars whom Walton references provides a plethora of insights, examples and tools to assist lifetime Bible students in accomplishing their goals of learning the Word of God as fruitfully as possible.

 

Walton however depicts Christ’s love as equal to a collective consciousness and expression of justice and equality. Christian love is more than a warm and fuzzy feeling in one’s mind and heart. It extends beyond rote recitation of religiously and socially acceptable statements. Like the Good Samaritan, it asks individual disciples to share the resources of time, treasure, talent and temperament to expand Christ’s reign and kingdom by demonstrating His love in interpersonal relationships and within society. Love on a collective level means that disciples allow each person the freedom and latitude to experience God as he uniquely understands Him. We do not have to agree with other people or condone their lifestyle choices. Still, Christ’s love commands us to graciously embrace their rights to live freely and openly.

 

Reading through the lens of love opens disciples’ eyes to interpret familiar passages with a new perspective. This angle removes any condemnation and judgement of the woman caught in adultery. The lens of love demand that we ask the silent question, “Where is the man?” This type of reading leads to amazement when disciples consider that God sends the Israelite spies to Rehab who operates a brothel. Readers join Mary and Martha in the village of Bethany at the tomb of Lazarus where Jesus cries for His friend. Consider the immeasurable love that Esau extends to Jacob upon the occasion of their reunion after twenty years following the latter’s ill treatment of his elder brother. Countless other texts equally reveal God’s unfailing love in human relationships.

 

Walton’s compelling book challenges readers to reexamine their theology which is rational thought about the existence of a divine being and whether His existence bears any significance on anyone’s life. Regarding God’s attributes and holy character, love is the most simplistic and profound definition and description. In the sacrifice of Christ, Almighty God establishes the new covenant of love (John 3:16). He rewrites the Law and implements the new law of love which is a much higher standard than the rules,  regulations and requirements of black letter restrictions. (Matthew chapters 5, 6and 7). Through love, God obliterates the penetrating and persistent fear that believers have of His righteousness and judgment. His perfect love annihilates fears and liberates anyone who believes in Him to live abundantly and eternally (1 John 4:18). Irrespective of any Christian denomination’s catechism, love is the primary prerequisite of Christian discipleship. The Fourth Evangelist unequivocally rejects any notion that someone can profess undying and unwavering love for God without having and sharing love with his brothers and sisters in the human family and global village. A disciple cannot say that he loves God whom he has never seen while failing to love his brothers and sisters whom he sees daily. (1 John 5:12).

 

It is necessary to reiterate that love as the biblical writers and Walton utilizes demands truth, justice, mercy, human rights and fundamental fairness of process and result. Love is personal and collective. Admittedly, disciples have daily priestly duties and obligations to their spouses, families and friends. Seeking to improve their neighborhoods and adjacent communities, they engage important altruistic and civic work. However, they have a parallel responsibility to creating a more sustainable and equitable global village. All of humankind deserves a fundamentally fair world that imparts each individual and nation a chair to actualize their unique lives. Christian love in the context of environmental inequalities, nuclear threats, shrinking resources, geopolitical tensions and rising populations insists upon policies and solutions that preserve the human dignity of all nations.

 

Are you disheartened by the current state of the Christian religion in the United States? Do you fear the blasphemy and cacophony in contemporary discourse about Christianity will further erode commitment of younger disciples who are rightly distrustful of prevalent inconsistencies and incongruities of the Church’s beliefs and actions? Does the anti-intellectualism of American preaching offend you? Does it appear that the pervasive darkness that surrounds the faith of our forebears will persist and not yield to a brighter day? Amid this bleak moment, as move into the second quarter of the twenty-first century which also holds immeasurable promise for human advancement, Professor Jonathan Walton offers a marvelous light to anyone who stumbles in darkness.  He graciously and fortuitously offers Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World with reason and reassurance for weary disciples, genuine seekers and suspicious participants in the discussion. Enthusiastically, I encourage you to eat this manna and drink this living water.

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Three

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Three

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

The context of this verse is significant. It lies between verses that illuminate the power of faith in God and two verses that connect faith and its blessings with forgiveness and honest relationships. This contextual view exposes the fallacy in the “Gospel of Wealth and Health” abuse of this verse. The objective of a right relationship with Almighty God is not a reductionistic, narcissistic and individualistic quest for financial gain that permits conspicuous consumption and unbridled material acquisition. Instead, faith in God unleashes His miraculous power that accomplishes His will and purpose. In addition, disciples pray, in accordance with “the Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13) and Jesus’ petition in the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42), for revelation of the will of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to seek and fulfill it. In response to His disciples’ plea for instruction in prayer, the Lord teaches them to seek the will of God on Earth as it is in heaven. On the night of His betrayal and eve of His crucifixion, the Lord follows His very human plea that the cup of death passes Him by with a confession of faith. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (KJV) The evangelist reminds disciples of the importance of prioritizing God’s will in all personal matters.

 

Jesus’ directive, “Have faith in God,” empowers disciples to speak to any mountain and tell it to cast itself into a sea of oblivion never to rise again. However, a disciple cannot harbor doubt in his heart. Storing suspicions resembles dust that forms in the crevices of a windowsill or corners of a room. Some doubts parallel large pieces of broken furniture in the garage or clothing that no longer fit in the closet. To doubt means to have a divided mind. One moment everything seems clear and straightforward. The next, questions begin to sow seeds of uncertainty. Weeds of disbelief begin to grow thereby forcing disciples to sift through their thoughts to glean faith. The process of growing in faith is one of settling any doubt. Recollections of God’s unwavering faithfulness and consistent practice of other spiritual disciplines are practical means of removing doubt. Like weekly house cleaning that removes dirt, dust, cobwebs, stains, odors and overlooked messes, disciples embrace recitation of scriptures, prayer, fasting, worship, fellowship, Bible study, reading, journaling and meditation as pragmatic means of eliminating doubt. Nonetheless, it is important to specify that the disciple needs to mature in faith to remove any doubt that Almighty God can favorably impart His grace and power to remove the mountains in the disciple’s life. With an unwavering faith in God’s ability to act miraculously in accordance with His will, any disciple can experience divine favor.

 

To doubt means to have a divided mind. It is hard to have faith when a disciple’s mind and heart oppose each other. Mental assent to the idea that God can perform miracles or supernaturally impart grace to accomplish His purposes is not sufficient. Faith is more than strong and fierce emotions. Prayer requires more than loud, vociferous and sincere verbal petitions. These spiritual superstitions do not equate with faith. Belief in God requires reason and faith. Disciples consider their intellect by scanning a protocol of logical, scientific and practical factors for reasonableness. Satisfying these rational tests, disciples appropriately turn to their faith. Realizing that the facts of any situation may not yield a favorable outcome, disciples employ their faith and ask God for His favorable intervention. Their prayer petition may include a direct request that Almighty God suspend natural law and perform a miracle. However, disciples should clarify their motives and objectives when making such a request. Does the disciple ask because he think it is a good idea that God fulfill a personal preference. Does the disciple ask for the miracle to honor and glorify God? Does the disciple ask for the miracle to accomplish God’s will? Does the plea for a miracle further the Gospel or expand Christ’s kingdom?  Yet, if disciples retain uncertainty in their minds and hearts, then they corrode any faith they allege.

 

Uncertainty indicts God’s ability, promises and Word. It means harboring mental and experiential reservations. Doubt is a very human and understandable emotion and stance. The Bible records myriad instances of doubt. Several of the people who are in the “Hall of Fame and Faith” (Hebrews 11) harbored legitimate doubts as they sought divine and miraculous intervention. Sarah laughs when the angel informs Abraham and her that she will bear a child in her old age. Gideon rebuffs an angelic proclamation of God’s presence, consideration and care. Thomas initially refuses to believe the resurrection occurred when his fellow disciples told him that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them. You recall Thomas’ immortal words. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) After Thomas encounters the Risen Lord, Thomas ceases doubting and believes wholeheartedly. Faith surmounts doubt when disciples rely unwaveringly upon God’s faithfulness, unfailing love and grace. Disciples believe in God and His sovereign and gracious will to intervene favorably on a believing disciple’s behalf.

 

Faith empowers disciples to speak to the mountains in their lives. They can order the mountains to cast themselves into the sea. If they do not doubt in their hearts, disciples can trust that God will consider their prayers and answer in accordance with His prerogatives and will. Interestingly, the evangelist adds a requirement. The disciple must believe what he says! If the disciple does not really believe what he says, why would he expect God to respond favorably? Unconditional belief is a nonnegotiable prerequisite for miraculous action. This verse, Mark 11:23, reads as if it were an “If-Then” algebra equation. The prerequisites must be solved to complete the equation. Necessitating that disciples believe what they say in turn requires them to clarify their desires and intentions. A person of a divided mind and heart cannot legitimately ask anything of God. (James 1:6-8) Faith includes an unequivocal belief in Almighty God respecting His sovereign prerogatives and unerring will. It also demands clarity of desire and intention. Accordingly, disciples must believe what they say. As disciples combine these two dimensions, they will witness the removal of mountains in their lives.

 

The evangelist links prayer, faith and forgiveness in Mark 11:25-26. It appears the failure to forgive someone against whom you hold resentment and other negativity cancels the possibility of miracles. The evangelist instructs disciples to pause when praying for a miracle and consider whether they harbor anything against anyone. The Psalter encourages believers to have “clean hands and a pure heart.” (Psalm 24:4) It stands to reason that holding toxic emotions in your heart interferes and undermines any desire for God’s grace. The evangelist insists that God demands forgiveness as disciples state personal petitions, intercede for other people, offer confessions, express adoration and enumerate their thanksgiving in prayer and other spiritual disciplines. Further, God demands that disciples forgive others as a condition to receive unconditional divine forgiveness. The degree to which a disciple desires God’s forgiveness is the exact same degree to which he must extend forgiveness to other people who have harmed him. In the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Mathhew 6:12 KJV) Two verses later, He adds, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Prayer with a clean heart and conscious, genuine faith in God and unreserved forgiveness of other people are necessary to honor God’s holy character. It is irrational to ask for divine grace, mercy and assistance while simultaneously harboring bitterness, resentment, vexation and other toxic emotions against other people. A disciple with such a burdened and soiled heart is not a vessel through whom God’s will can occur. Anyone retaining doubt in the crevices of his mind and closets of his heart is also an ineligible instrument through whom God can accomplish His will. As “God is love” and love is the basis of forgiveness, it is unreasonable to assume that a disciple can taint divine love and forgiveness with a refusal to share Christ’s love and forgiveness. Disciples demonstrate their gratitude as recipients of love, grace and mercy by freely and liberally sharing these divine gifts with others.

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Four

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Four

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

These final two verses of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark address a few important components of Christian discipleship: prayer, forgiveness and reciprocity in forgiveness. First, what is prayer and why is it important for discipleship development? In the Roman Empire, which is the context in which this book is written, pagans prayed to the courts and powerful authorities to grant their wishes and thereby strengthen their lives. Weak people articulate their heartfelt desires to powerful people. Vulnerable and marginalized people hoped that the judicial and political lords would be gracious in hearing their pleas and granting their wishes. In contrast, rebuffing emperor worship and unbridled allegiance to the Roman government, Christians believe that all power lies in the hands of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Primarily, they appealed to Him to hasten the emergence of His kingdom on Earth. They posited that the reign of Christ would result in a fundamentally just and equitable society. A certain level of human dignity would provide for all people, extend legal rights, and offer freedom to them to actualize their abilities in accordance with the Lord’s will. Christian disciples prayed to Christ for revelation and manifestation of His law, the Word of God. The Christian idea of power, law and authority transcended the fierce power of Rome. Disciples shunned emperor worship in exchange for appealing to Christ to utilize His divine power to accomplish His will. Contemporarily, disciples appeal to the Lord of the universe to glorify Himself through their daily mysteries, experiences, challenges and joys.

 

Please note the implication that prayer transforms disciples’ desires, wishes and petitions into means and mechanisms of honoring and glorifying God and seeking His will. “The Lord’s Prayer” centers upon this spiritual objective. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus offers a very human and understandable request that the Heavenly Father spare Jesus the bitter, agonizing and reprehensible cup of crucifixion. Yet, Jesus accepts that the Father’s will is best. “Nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done.” Prayer is a transformative process in which disciples receive discernment, revelation and empowerment from the Holy Spirit to mature to the point of saying “Nevertheless” and seeking only to fulfill God’s will.

 

Before formally defining forgiveness in biblical terms, I would like to cite three incredible examples of forgiveness. Twenty years ago in October 2006, a mentally deranged man entered an Amish one-room school in Lancaster Pennsylvania and killed ten girls. The international press corps descended like vultures upon this community to observe the breadth and depth of this immeasurable tragedy. People of faith internationally recoiled in shock and disgust. To their chagrin, the Amish community did not react with anger, disgust, bitterness and blood lust. Through the power of their faith, they communally forgave the man who inexplicably slaughtered their daughters. Incredulously, they visited the family of the murderer who committed suicide following his dastardly deed. They prayed with his family and shared condolences. One of the victims’ family invited the man’s family to her funeral. Most incredibly, the Amish community attended his funeral and grieved with his family. Modeling the Lord’s teachings on forgiveness, the Amish community extended an unconditional pardon to the perpetrator whose mental illness and unresolve intrapsychic challenges possibly explain his actions on that fateful fall day two decades ago. Truly, they believed and demonstrated to the global village that vengeance belongs to the Lord. (Amish Grace and Forgiveness - LancasterPA.com – link active as of 23 September 2026)

 

Second, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving Day in 2004, four teenagers utilizing a stolen credit card bought several items among them being a twenty-pound stolen turkey. Carousing in a car afterwards, their collective adolescent mentality agreed to take the frozen turkey and hurl it out of one of the backdoors. The object struck and shattered a woman’s windshield. It demolished the steering wheel causing her to lose control of the vehicle. Surprisingly, she survived this horrific incident which would necessitate multiple surgeries, some facial reconstruction and extensive rehabilitation. The major effects were brain damage and paralysis. Within miles of her home, this woman was returning from attending a concert. The unbridled immaturity and unconscionable indifference of four teenagers radically and suddenly changed her life. Their criminal behavior and incivility were obvious causes for righteous indignation and thirst for legal retribution which the local district attorney originally sought. Astoundingly, the victim asked for leniency for the perpetrators who faced potentially lengthy prison sentences. She attended the court proceedings and publicly forgave the oldest culprit for whom a twenty-five-year sentence lurked. Various news outlets reported this act of pardon, redemption and possible transformation. The victim told the young man that she hoped he would take advantage of the judicial mercy that he would receive and “make something of his life.” She did not wish to discard him to the human rock quarry of incarceration. Instead, she hopes that he would demonstrate his gratitude through his lifestyle choices. Some news reports detailed a very emotional moment of embrace between the two of them as he apologized through loud and penetrating sobs and she tearfully reiterated her genuine forgiveness. One account said that there was not a dry eye in the courtroom. Regrettably, the victim of that accident died fifteen years later. Notwithstanding her neurological and physical limitations, she became a motivational speaker who addressed prison, religious and general audiences about the necessity and transformative power of forgiveness. In death as in life, she leaves an immeasurable legacy and lesson about compassion and pardon. (A Woman Who Famously Forgave A Teen For A Violent Frozen Turkey Prank Has Died – link active as of 23 September 2026)

 

Esau’s forgiveness of Jacob is the third example. (Genesis 32 and 33) Recall Jacob twice deceives his brother. He cheats him  out of his birthright for the cost of a bowl of lentil soup and then Jacob tricks their father, Isaac, and steals Esau’s blessing. When the latter appears before the father, only verbal crumbs are left to impart to him. The riches of the land and the Lord’s blessings have been bequeathed to the younger son. Rebekah assists Jacob in executing his deception of Isaac and duplicity toward Esau. Taken for a fool a second time, Esau becomes murderously angry. He would have committed fratricide had not his parents intervened to save Jacob’s life by instructing a servant to send him away to their relatives. Twenty years  later, a confluence of circumstances causes a reunion between these brothers.

 

Jacob, frightened of Esau’ volcanic anger which he assumes is as potent as it was two decades ago, plans a strategic approach to this unavoidable reunion. Jacob fears his  brother’s wholesale retaliation. More specifically, Jacob fears that Esau will annihilate Jacob and his entire household. He remains alert and anxious throughout their meeting. As deceit lies intrinsically in Jacob’s character, he is unable to fully trust Esau’s genuine forgiveness of Jacob. Still, in Genesis 33:10, utterly moved by his brother’s compassion, consideration and graciousness, Jacob describes the reunion with his brother as equating with seeing the face of God given Esau’s genuine kindness and favor. Jacob’s humility reflects the power of genuine forgiveness. As its recipient, he marvels that God could transform his brother’s heart. In  two decades, Esau’s murderous rage dissipates. Upon  seeing his brother, Esau dramatically and exuberantly embraces Jacob and weeps joyously. For Jacob, their reunion was probably a surreal experience as he could not imagine its converse. I suspect that Esau during the interim period of two decades reflected extensively about his brother’s transgressions. Chances are he considered his immaturity, aimlessness and divided mind which prevented him from fulfilling his rightful place as the elder brother and primary heir. How could he have willingly consented to exchanging his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup? If not Jacob, then someone else would have exploited Esau’s incapacity to appreciate God’s gifts more so than his family’s culture and traditions. Nonetheless, having established his own meaningful relationship with Almighty God, Esau experiences an incredible transformation of mind, heart and character. That internal change enables Esau to forgive his brother.

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Five

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Five

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

The three preceding examples define forgiveness. In legal terms, society forgives any criminal when he receives pardon, which is a binding and irreversible act whereby the legal system relinquishes its right to retribution. It is as if the offense never occurred. Biblically, forgiveness releases offenders from the debt of sinful and hurtful actions. Forgiveness follows the Heavenly Father’s example in extending pardon and mercy to humankind through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. God’s covenantal love for us is the basis of His forgiveness. Accordingly, the Lord requires disciples to extend forgiveness to receive it. This nonnegotiable command is poignantly evident in “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.” (Matthew 18:21-35) This man mercifully evades a considerable debt of ten thousand talents; currently equating with thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of dollars depending upon calculation for inflation and exchange rates. Incredulously, this same servant refuses to forgive a miniscule debt of hundreds of dollars owed to him from another servant who faced hardships. Furious at this act of ingratitude, the master of  the unforgiving servant reestablishes the debt and orders the imprisonment of this ungrateful man until he can remit the debt. This story teaches the divine imperative of reciprocity in giving and receiving forgiveness. Summarily, to forgive means to renounce righteous indignation, surrender rights to punishment and retribution and release of revenge and similar ideas and emotions to God for His perfect judgment and adjudication. More significantly, forgiveness requires disciples to permanently and irrevocably forgive anyone who harms them.

 

A few pragmatic matters relating to forgiveness are noticeable. First, it may take a long time to fully forgive someone. Jesus tells Peter that he is to forgive someone as many times as necessary to complete the process of grace, mercy, resolution and possibly reconciliation. A process of twenty years unfolds within Esau’s mind and heart to yield his forgiveness to Jacob. In that time, Esau obtained discernment, grace, wisdom and renewal of love through a vibrant relationship with Almighty God. His immeasurable wealth and blessings indicate that he processed his anger and resentment. Eventually Esau acknowledges his role in Jacob’s deceitful schemes, and he realizes that his is not lacking anything given God’s bountiful blessings and provision. Even without the birthright and Isaac’s blessings, Esau enjoys an abundance of riches and quality of life. God mysteriously and majestically redeems Esau’s loss.

 

Second, disciples forgive people for their incapacities of character inclusive of lacking morals, ethics and ability to make just choices. “Bad” and dysfunctional parents probably were incapable of being “good” and responsible parents. An infinite amount of pain and injury lingers in the hearts and minds of countless people who live with unresolved childhood trauma and unhealed disappointments. Hurtful words said by busy, indifferent and misguided parents were determinative as some people believed them and allowed those words to impede their progress in life. Irresponsible and immature parents failed to provide adequately, tolerated poverty and allowed hunger, cold, extreme need and public humiliation. They did not exemplify the love, faithfulness and provision that we expect of loving and dutiful parents. Incapacities of character derail ambitions to attend college, disrupt entrepreneurial plans or otherwise negatively affect a person’s quest to seek a higher quality of life. To liberate themselves from the just and understandable anger and bitterness that a person would feel, disciples genuinely rely upon God’s presence and empowerment to learn how to forgive their parents and their parents’ incapacities.

 

Forgiveness may or may not achieve reconciliation. Your forgiveness of a perpetrator does not necessitate that you maintain a relationship with that person. Practically, you do not have to adhere to religious traditions and superstitions that suggest resolving painful relational experiences always end with each side saying “Sorry” as if they were children on a grade school playground. We live in an adult world. There are experiences that are so hurtful, disillusioning, disappointing and disrespectful that victims always fear that they will suffer repeated injuries and abuse if they maintain communication. I am aware of a woman who divorced her husband whom she deeply and unquestionably loved. She did so after years of contending with domestic violence inclusive of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. She ceased to count and recall the myriad hurtful, insulting and damaging words he said. In time, he matured having healed from his childhood pain and trauma that fueled his internal volcanic anger that spewed lava all over their relationship. He admirably and humbly asked for her forgiveness. She graciously and sincerely forgave him. However, she was unable to accede to his deeply emotional and solicitous requests for reconciliation and remarriage. He had simply hurt her heart so thoroughly that she could not entrust her heart to him again. She feared, notwithstanding his claims to the contrary, that he would hurt again. She would not enjoy any peace or security in their relationship. Silently and assuredly, she would wait for the inevitable next barrage of hurtful words.

 

In the twenty-sixth verse, the evangelist emphasizes the conjunction, neither. He reiterates God’s firm demand that disciples give forgiveness if they wish to receive it from Him. The conjunction negates what precedes and succeeds it. Interestingly, it facilitates both sides of the sentence. It reveals the larger requirements of “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) Love of God in turn necessitates love of others. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Applying the principles of this two-fold commandment practically means forgiving in others the shortcomings that a disciple can so easily forgive within himself. God’s love demands that disciples share with each other the compassion that they harbor for themselves. Growing understanding of God’s love for each disciple equips them to forgive each other.

 

This often-quoted passage teaches us that faith in God encompasses more than a sincere request for God’s favor to increase financial gain, acquire material possession or receive miraculous healing.  Having faith in God entails removing doubt, believing wholeheartedly in whatever you ask of Him, willingness to speak your desires aloud and unconditional belief in God’s ability to do whatever you ask in accordance with His sovereign will. It is important to remember that you offer your requests to a holy God who is the perfect manifestation of love. As He loves humankind and gave His “One and Only Begotten Son” as a sacrifice to demonstrate His covenantal, faithful and unfailing love, He requires anyone who knows His love to share it with everyone else. Practically, disciples as recipients of God’s loving forgiveness in turn logically and liberally extend the same compassion and consideration to all members of the human family. This verse and its context instructs us about the comprehensive nature of faith in God which includes relational dimensions of a disciple’s fellowship with God and connection with his brothers and sisters in the global village.

 

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part Three

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 – Part Three

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

“But perfect love drives out fear.” The use of the English word, perfect, connotes a love that is errorless, exactingly correct and without a scintilla of deficiency. Intriguingly, John’s community understood “perfect love” as a love that is “fully complete” and thus trustworthy, reliable and faithful in all seasons and situations. An agricultural people who lived fiercely dependent upon the land, they thought in terms of word pictures. They equate John’s teachings with their perennial and life-sustaining process of tilling and fertilizing land, planting, nurturing crops, weeding and irrigating, praying for rain if necessary, dealing with a drought, protecting the crop from wildlife, harvesting, reaping a crop and turning a profit. The value of any harvest exceeded its monetary yield. Investment of time, labor, energy, discipline and commitment could not be adequately factored into market negotiations and price determination. A realistic price would consider all seasons not just harvest. The evangelist speaks of love in this holistic and cyclic nature. A “fully complete” love turns with each annual cycle of life. It is a life-giving and life-sustaining force in each season. This type of love, intrinsically formidable and inherently faithful like the Heavenly Father, does not shift like sand or shadows. It does not equivocate, compromise, faint or yield to challenge or adversity. Please note that a “fully complete” love grows stronger and more formidable with each complete turn of the seasons. The intertwining roots of sequoia trees offer a splendid contemporary natural example. Running possibly twelve feet deep, these roots extend two to three hundred feet wide. Their interlocking nature allows each tree stability and access to shared resources. Moreover, they support each other when confronted by any natural threat. Year after year, these roots strengthen each other. A “fully complete” love serves a similar purpose as it eliminates fear.

 

Love parallels a bouncer in a night club. He throws out anyone who is unruly, disruptive or a potential threat to the safety and tranquility of other people. To drive out fear is to cast it out into utter oblivion and darkness where it will not be seen again. Perfect love also diffuses, deters and dissolves fear. It possesses a farmer’s versatility to prevent any seasonal crisis from threatening or diminishing crops and the harvest that they will produce. Love throws out fear in whatever form it emerges. The evangelist accordingly reassures disciples in the beloved community that the Lord’s perfect love eradicates fear of eternal damnation or any earthly punishment.

 

“Because fear has to do with punishment.” It is impossible to enjoy God’s loving ad comforting presence if disciples constantly fear His wrath and judgment. The risk of spending eternity in “the lake of fire” impedes any enjoyment of grace, peace and joy. Corporal punishment was a primary means of discipline during my childhood. The risk of “getting a beating” was a permanent fixture in daily life. An internal compass directed personal behavior to avoid any discipline or punishment. This looming threat made it difficult to enjoy family times inclusive of movies, games, cards or outdoor activities. Unquestionably, this dilemma limited relationships. It is not easy to transcend this lingering fear. I suspect there are disciples who recoil in response to “hellfire and brimstone” sermons. They further pharisaical attitudes toward God and religion. Well-intentioned but misguided disciples engage religion to avoid God’s wrath and punishment. Their adherence to religious ordinances and congregational dictates is an effort to quantifiably earn entry to heaven. This distorted outlook upon Christianity robs them of “unspeakable joy” and “glorious riches” of personally knowing the Lord’s unfailing love for them.

 

Many disciples fail to forgive themselves for sins of omission and commission because fear imprisons them with a lifelong guilt complex. They believe that they should suffer. They punish themselves with harsh words and perpetual condemnation. They deprive themselves of seeing beauty in the daily miracle of life. Their foreboding outlook deprives them of knowing Christ’s unquestioned and immediate forgiveness.  Recall the Lord’s graciousness, mercy and forgiveness toward the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus repels her accusers who stand holding stones. Moreover, they held unconfessed sins in their minds and hearts. As no one is left to condemn her, the Lord refuses to do so. Equally, Christ extends a pardon to disciples for their sins to enable transformation of their character. His redemptive love motivates His forgiveness. Additionally, in a seminal verse, Romans 8:1, Paul encourages the church that Christ’s unfailing love annihilates any condemnation that they may feel or anyone seeks to levy. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Most regrettably, countless disciples are unable to receive and live within that covenantal promise because they fear punishment.

 

Imagine being in the presence of unconditional love. Would you be able to trust it? I have a sneaky suspicion and a very funny feeling that many relationships suffer because one of the partners fails to trust the love and consideration of his or her significant other. Fear creates this inability to rely upon daily declarations and actions of love, grace and consideration. Some people retain a constant comparison chart to measure the extent of each other’s love. Presumably, your mate will prove his or her love with enough mathematically verifiable deeds of love. The need to quantify love naturally emerges from a pervasive fear that a relational disaster (financial struggles, conflicts in parenting, sexual incompatibility and challenges or infidelity) will unfold and irreparably damage or sever the relationship. As long as that palatable fear persists, it remains impossible to dwell peacefully and steadfastly in love with another person. Lingering fear corrodes words and deeds of love. In contrast, the evangelist hopes members of his community grow in their understanding and experience of Christ’s unfailing love for them.

 

He primarily writes this letter to share with them his enduring recollection of his experience of divine love as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) The beloved disciple directly experienced the Heavenly Father’s unfailing, loyal and covenantal love as embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ. He testifies to what he heard, saw, touched and witnessed. He posits that anyone who encounters the Risen Lord can have a similar experience. An encounter with the Lord exceeds the traditionally religious, obligatory and dramatic conversion experience that defies natural law. Recall Moses’ discovery of a burning bush whose flames does not consume it. Encountering Christ is the beginning of an earthly and eternal pilgrimage that culminates in the New Jerusalem. Discipleship is a daily and lifetime commitment to learning the Lord’s teachings; and internalizing and practicing these principles in all personal and professional affairs. Disciples emulate the Lord’s love for humankind in marriage, family, community and society. Living in an interdependent relationship with the Lord and being a recipient of His love compels disciples to share His love.

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part Four

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 – Part Four

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

However, “the one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Fugitives live in constant and formidable fear. They strive diligently to mesh with their surroundings and live proverbially below the radar. Still, the persistent threat of arrest, arraignment, extradition, indictment, trial, conviction and sentencing prevent them from experiencing any peace. The dawn of each day brings freshly grown fears that developed overnight. Any encounter with law enforcement reignites those fears. Fugitives must avoid government buildings or any places that require identification. The presence of a police patrol vehicle at a stop light could potentially cause a full-blown panic attack. Retrieval of postal mail and voicemail messages inevitably include some fear and trepidation. They use the internet sparingly and guardedly. Any flashing or bright lights during nighttime immediately disrupts sleep. Chances are every creak, sound or bit of noise exacerbates a fugitive’s uneasiness. In an episode of the crime reality show, “ I Almost Got Away with It, a former fugitive and newly incarcerated inmate shares his story of being on the lam for eighteen years. Fearing the possible prison sentence he would receive at a hearing, this man skipped a court appearance. For nearly two decades, the US Marshals hunted this man. After fleeing the jurisdiction, the fugitive settled into a normal life in Southern Florida. He faithfully went to work, paid his taxes and silently and anonymously contributed to his local community. However, he did not enjoy a moment’s peace as he feared every minute that the marshals would discover and arrest him. Each night, sleep and peaceful rest eluded him.

 

On an average Friday morning, he arrived at work and opened the office to enable the public to enter at 9:00AM. Within fifteen minutes of the workday, he sat at his desk to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bagel. The door opened and a marshal approached and addressed the man by his full legal name. Absolutely exhausted after nearly two decades of fearing arrest and punishment, the fugitive did not possess any further ability to resist or run. He responded to the marshal’s question in the affirmative. Further, he said to him, “I have been waiting for this day for eighteen years. In that time, I have not had one good night’s rest. Actually, I am relieved to have this nightmare end.” That night in the county jail where he stayed awaiting extradition, he slept like a baby. He recalled that it was the first night of sleep he had enjoyed since his decision to flee. Just  as this fugitive did not have one moment of peace and calm for eighteen years, disciples who fear God’s wrath and punishment, instead of maturing in their understanding and experience of the Lord’s love, cannot be made perfect in it.

 

Any disciples who live perpetually in fear of eternal punishment cannot be made perfect in the Lord’s love. Like the foregoing fugitive who did not enjoy a scintilla of peace, rest, relaxation, or joy in eighteen years, disciples who fear God’s wrath are not able to embrace His unconditional and unfailing love for them. It is sad to think that people spend a lifetime in church but never embrace a loving relationship with the Lord. Decades of attending Sunday School and weekly worship services did not yield any greater revelation of the Lord’s teachings and kingdom. Possibly, these limited disciples settled for a minimalist theology and experience of the Gospel’s potential to transform lives. Rote adherence robs them of greater comprehension and experience of Christ. As they read Christian education materials, listen to music and sermons over the years, the silent fears that flood their minds and hearts corrode the wealth of this knowledge. As they sit in pews week after week, they dwell in an existential fog that obscures the brilliance of Christ’s love for His disciples.

 

The evangelist whom biblical scholars refer to as “the beloved disciple” writes to share love is the essence of the Gospel. He hopes disciples will forsake formal, institutional, traditional, corporate and socially respectable religion and religiosity as a substitute for embracing a vibrant and loving relationship with the Lord. Simply stated, Christianity furthers a relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ rather than rugged adherence to religious rites and regulations. Flowing organically and dynamically from an intimate fellowship with Christ is an internal compulsion of gratitude, to share the Lord’s love with fellow disciples and humankind. Having experienced divine love in its purest form as embodied in the Risen Lord Christ, disciples deeply desire to share this love with everyone else. However, fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission become virtually impossible if disciples remain imprisoned to fear and dread. The desire and willingness to freely share the Lord’s love is the clearest indication that a disciple is being perfected by His love. This lifelong mission includes sharing the Gospel and supporting fellow believers and congregants in discipleship development. It also involves social justice advocacy on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable people as well as delivering direct services to people in need as Matthew 25 details. Humankind suffers tremendously when disciples are incapable of being ambassadors for Christ because fear impedes them.

 

The evangelist appeals to all disciples with a fervent hope that they relinquish their fears and liberate themselves to internalize the Lord’s superabundant and perfect love. He regrets that they possibly confuse religion and a quest for self-righteousness with being in relationship with Christ. He reiterates the inverse relationship between fear and faith. Any disciples who surrender to fears the Lord’s condemnation will inevitably engage in lifelong  “works righteousness.” They hope to prove themselves worthy of admission to eternal bliss in the presence of perfect, infinite and timeless love. Their fears incarcerate them to persistent evaluation of whether they have done enough to surmount those trepidations. In a twisted manner of thinking, they genuinely hope an angel meticulously records every favorable thought and deed. Ultimately, a celestial printout will prove their worthiness. This lifetime of terror robs them of knowing, understanding and experiencing Christ’s love in this life and the one to come. Any disciples who languish in fear cannot be made “fully complete” in divine love. Regrettably, fear and religiosity override God’s appeal in Christ.

 

More specifically, the evangelist utilizes the Greek word, agape, to define and clarify his understanding of Christ’s affection for His disciples; past, present and future. The highest form of love in the universe, agape is selfless, sacrificial, redemptive and transformative. The components of the Lord’s love equate with His divine attributes. These characteristics become dimensions of a disciple’s life. Emulating the Lord’s selflessness, a disciple devotes himself to the Lord’s service thereby honoring Christ in ministry to other people. Giving is sacrificial. Disciples dedicate the use talent, treasure, time and temperament to expanding the Gospel and building Christ’s kingdom on Earth. Regardless of a disciple’s most painful, difficult and challenging experiences, the Lord can redeem those circumstances to empower a disciple to endure suffering, cultivate perseverance, strengthen character and acquire hope. Moreover, the Lord’s unfailing and loyal love transforms disciples from self-seeking choices and self-aggrandizing motives to a daily desire to acquire and emulate His heart, mind and character. As disciples incorporate the Lord’s love and attributes into their lives, they can experience a holistically fulfilling pilgrimage toward self-realization and personal destiny in accordance with the Lord’s will. Nevertheless, any disciples who live in fear cannot be made fully complete in His love.