I have been slowly reading the book We Have Never Been Woke by Musa alGharbi, who is an African American Islamic Sociologist. He sees himself as a left-leaning thinker. I find that helpful because it is from that perspective that he criticizes many left-leaning ideologies. In other words, he is allowed to say things that a white male Christian is not allowed to say. Or perhaps I should say a white male Christian would be categorically condemned by many in society for saying.
AlGharbi points out that many who would label themselves as woke may indeed consciously have their hearts -in a sense- in the right place. They are for equality and inclusivity and all sorts of things. However, in their subconscious is an opposing drive to be the elites in society. And their subconscious is the driving force. He says that in the check out line at a grocery store these elites will happily see themselves as advocates on behalf of the person working the cash register. But they would not want to be the person working at the cash register. What ultimately happens is the reverse. Despite all sorts of words and supposed policies on behalf of the have-nots, they are using the have-nots for their own personal gain. Things get worse. Not better.
Perhaps you like me taking a jab at the social progressives of our society. Perhaps you are upset that I’d make a jab at the social progressives of our society. The thing is, pretty much everyone does it no matter where they fall in the political and social spectrums.
I’ve heard it said a number of times that if you put a group of people who have never met each other before in a room together and you give them a task to do, the very first thing they do is not the task but establishing a pecking order. People jostle for higher rank. No one wants to be on the bottom.
We should not be surprised then when our gospel reading records the disciples asking Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Perhaps we should even recognize that such motives exist within ourselves even if we aren’t conscious of it. The disciples are coming to realize that the rules of the kingdom of heaven may be different from the rules of society. So they, being Jesus’ insiders, are asking for the rules of the kingdom of heaven. That way they can be great in it.
So then, how does eternal life work? Do you really want to be forever posturing for social status? It would be exhausting. It would be more like hell than heaven. I can’t answer how it works. I suppose it’s something we can’t understand this side of dying. But Jesus’ response to the disciples shows us that the whole way of thinking that we use in this life is irrelevant.
Jesus calls a child and puts the child in the midst of them. He says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:3-5)
Does that mean a reversal of strategy? Does that mean that humility now leads to greatness in heaven? No. That’s still thinking using the same categories of status; and even the need for status.
In those days and in that culture a child had no status. There were no kids’ sports leagues and extracurricular activities. Although wealthy parents would invest in all sorts of schooling and development to make their child grow up to one of society’s elite. Most kids were just mouths to feed until they grew up enough to take up manual labor. Thus, a child was a burden. Helping a child was a waste of effort if you were planning to get ahead in life. It served no purpose. Children were needy. They had to rely on others for everything.
And so, becoming like a child is to accept that you cannot make it on your own. You need your family. And perhaps most importantly, you also have no status apart from the status your family gives you.
Ultimately then, if you’re going to live in this lifetime with the anticipation of the kingdom of heaven you’re not going to be motivated by social status. It isn’t ultimately important. You don’t really care. What you do know is that you are God’s child. You have been invited by God to be a part of the family. And so the status of being in God’s family is all the status you need. There is no social posturing in heaven. So if that isn’t our heavenly reality then it shouldn’t be a driving motive for our lives now.
Consider that as we look at the scenes in Matthew 18 that follow. Jesus uses graphic language to talk about cutting off hands or feet if they cause you to stumble. Or tearing out your eye if it causes you to stumble. The Greek work is actually scandal and not stumble. We’ve run into that word scandal again, just like last week and a few weeks ago when the cross was considered a stumbling block or scandal.
Jesus says that it is unavoidable that we will stumble at times. Jesus will talk about forgiveness a little later on. At this point though, all of this means that we should not trivialize the impacts of our shortcomings and sins. Whether the little ones in society are: children, or the weak, or recent converts to Christianity, or whoever they may be, mature believers need to ensure these little ones are entering the family of God with safety and certainty.
Jesus goes on with the parable of the lost sheep. Here we see that God doesn’t just consider one lost sheep, or one lost person, an unavoidable consequence of business. God will not rest until all are together. God doesn’t want any of us to ever go astray. And God does not somehow think more of the one that is found. But God just wants all of the family together.
Jesus continues on and talks about disciplining members of the family of God. Such things will be unavoidable. Notice that Jesus’ advice maintains healthy boundaries and relationships but does not shame a person who stumbles or goes astray. The goal is reconciliation and not excommunication.
Peter asks how often we should forgive. Given all that Jesus has been saying we understand why. Peter wants to know at what point we can give up on someone in God’s family who keeps sinning. At what point have they passed reconciliation? Jesus replies, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” That’s a high number! The point is that we shouldn’t keep track. For if we are keeping track it isn’t really forgiveness in the first place. Again, keeping track is the stuff of social posturing.
Finally Jesus gives the parable of the unforgiving servant. The debt the king forgives is enormous – more than several lifetimes worth of earnings. But then the servant who has been forgiven demands immediate repayment of a relatively small debt. The king finds out and hands the initial debtor over to be tortured until he repays the impossibly high debt.
Again, see all of this in light of social posturing and who is better than another. That whole way of thinking is faulty in God’s kingdom. We need to remember that we all sin. We all stumble. We all fall short. Therefore we must be graciously forgiving as well.
Indeed, all of this can sound like bad people can get away with a lot. These texts have been used in a way that bad people have gotten away with a lot, and their victims keep on suffering and suffering and suffering and never stand up for themselves. But that is not Jesus’ intent at all. Jesus’ intent is to have us center our lives on being in God’s family.
Matthew 18 does create an accountability system for those who do wrong. But again, restoration to the family is the main goal. And when people are belligerent in their activities then they have basically removed themselves from God’s family.
We live now freed from what can easily be a life-consuming quest for status and greatness. But it is not so in God’s heavenly kingdom. So let those who do their social signaling and moral posturing do it. It’s not our problem and it’s not worth our energy trying to keep up with them. We are God’s children. We are God’s family. In that we live safely forever.
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