
Jesus’s bold teachings challenge us to keep God’s agenda in mind as we seek to understand our times and minister in them.
By Scott McConnell
As a student of culture, the last few weeks feel like a graduate course in sociology. Meanwhile I have been reading the Gospel of Luke. In the span of just a couple of chapters, several bold teachings of Jesus challenge us to keep God’s agenda in mind as we seek to understand the times in which we live.
Our present times
Jesus challenged the crowds who followed Him, pointing out they could interpret the coming weather, “but why don’t you know how to interpret this present time?” (Luke 12:56, CSB).
Jesus was the master of ministering with full understanding of His context. He knew people’s real needs. He knew the lies people believed. And He knew the worldviews and influences of those He spoke to. These are all things research can help us understand today. However, Jesus was also pointing out things people were missing in God’s plan.
This verse jumped out at me since Lifeway Research seeks to understand our times. We desire to understand society’s thoughts and actions within a biblical context that guides the actions and thinking of ministry leaders.
It’s critical for ministry leaders to understand their context and be immersed in God’s unchanging character, the teaching He’s given us in His Word, and His current activity. As we seek to understand our puzzling world, we can easily be distracted by it. Jesus’s challenge here is to not miss the spiritual moment of our time.
“It’s critical for ministry leaders to understand their context and be immersed in God’s unchanging character, the teaching He’s given us in His Word, and His current activity.” — @smcconn Share on XJesus came to set the world on fire. He desired for the fire of His message to spread through the power of the Holy Spirit. The people expected Him to deliver national and political peace. Instead, Jesus came to bring division, as His message would be opposed (Luke 12:49-51). The critical thing for the crowds was that His coming was the opportunity for them to confess Him as their Lord.
Too often we get distracted by similar goals of national security or political peace. Yet the most important message people need to hear is that now is the time to consider who Jesus is. Now’s the time to turn from following our own way and embrace Jesus as Lord and Redeemer.
A wildfire tragedy
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been close enough to a couple of tragedies that they’ve consumed my thoughts. I saw the smoke from the devastating California wildfires from an airplane as I left Los Angeles. And I grieved with a student who had left his high school lunchroom minutes before a murder-suicide took place there.
With all our technology, manpower, and equipment, we were no match for the California wildfires. It’s remarkable we could predict the speed of the winds a couple days before yet had no way to stop a fire pushed by such winds.
Disasters such as these wildfires should remind us of human weakness and our need for someone greater. Yet instead, we boldly declare how strong our broken community is.
We praise the efforts of the firefighters who worked tirelessly, but don’t admit their frailty. Some turn to government and others to capitalism to rebuild and to prevent future devastation. I don’t question the rallying of courage, the praise of the brave, nor the plans to rebuild. These are all worthy responses. But the source of our hope as Americans is clear: In ourselves we trust.
The worldview in Jesus’s day was different. When tragedy struck, Jerusalem’s society assumed divine condemnation had come upon especially sinful victims. Jesus responded to two such tragedies in Luke 13. When confronted with the question of whether the victims were more sinful people, in both cases Jesus said “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well” (Luke 13:3,5, CSB).
Jesus quickly squashed their erroneous theology but didn’t say they should stop thinking of God in the tragedy. Instead, He said we should take the opportunity to consider our own sin and the destruction we deserve.
A school shooting tragedy
I wasn’t surprised to hear of another school shooting, but this one was close to home. That night as I spoke to a student in our church, his fear of returning to school was heartbreaking. Our community mourns. A couple of churches held vigils to grieve the losses. But quickly, our culture says the only solution must be something humans can do. The media runs to technology solutions, and young people march for new laws. People trust in themselves, but there is also anger present. The anger that’s voiced says the sinful actions must be someone’s fault beyond the shooter.
The anger that isn’t voiced realizes such sinful actions cannot be stopped. To admit this would be to deny our self-sufficiency and to reveal we’re part of the sin problem. So, it isn’t uttered.
In these moments of tragedy and fear, Jesus draws attention to the real need of our time. “Don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has the authority to throw people into hell after death” (Luke 12:4-5, CSB).
“In these moments of tragedy and fear, Jesus draws attention to the real need of our time.” — @smcconn Share on XThis likely isn’t a response certified by a grief counselor. But Jesus is doing triage. He cares most about our mortal wound of sin separating us from God. But He goes on to say no sparrow is forgotten in God’s sight and God has counted the hairs of our heads (Luke 12:6-7). He doesn’t want us to be anxious. He wants people in our time to understand their worth in God’s eyes and to allow Him to redeem them. But first, we must acknowledge such a powerful God exists.
The call to Christ
As we navigate hard times in a culture in which many don’t think about God and their Christian friends rarely bring God up, it’s not that we should ignore the practical. But let us not lose sight of God’s priority of calling all people to consider that God is real, He will one day crush all evil and punish all wrong, and today is people’s opportunity to confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
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