Homily 48: A Work of Art (as preached by an orthodox rebel)

"Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." Is. 45:22

One of the most common complaints leveled against God is the apparent absurdity of His actions. His ways may be mysterious, but they certainly seem ludicrous. Isaiah 45 gives us a good example of this. God is far removed from heathen peoples, so much so that they can only exclaim, "Truly, Thou are a God who hides Thyself" (vs. 15). To unbelieving Israel, however, He has given direct revelation, so that in His eyes they are without excuse: "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain'" (vs. 19).

The reason He revealed Himself to Israel, to this one people group and not to others, is so they would be a "light" to those others (Is. 42:5-9; 49:1-6), an office later fulfilled by Christ (who was of Israel). In short, God hides from some, reveals Himself to others, so that those others may reveal Him to the some. A similar theme can be found in the New Testament (Rom. 11:25-32), and just like in the Old Testament the whole thing feels convoluted and counter-intuitive. Why all of this hopping about? Why all the looping and double-looping? Why can't God just work in a straight line?

The short (and sufficient) answer is that God is not a straight line. He is not a machine, nor a mere principle or equation. He is a person, a person who loves, and thus is necessarily full of surprises. The longer (and even more sufficient) answer is that this thing was done in this manner so that you and I and all would know (beyond any shadow or inkling or hint of doubt) that this thing was of God alone. To put it the other way around, it was done this way so that we would know it was not of us. We are far too simple-minded, and our well-made plans far too comprehensible and predictable. But if an incomprehensible God is at work, then why wouldn't His plans and actions be over our finite heads?

It is hubris that makes us question the Divine activity, and that is the point. That is the point of the whole of Isaiah. God uses what we would call foolishness (and uses it well) so that He might subvert and deconstruct our so-called wisdom (I Cor. 1:18-31), all so that we will find no room or cause to glory in our perceived cleverness but rather glory in His hidden brilliance alone. For not only does our cleverness fail, it is also dull and boring, as dull and boring as a straight line. It is false and ugly, as we are false and ugly without God, for He is Beautiful and True, and His brilliance never fails (though we can't see why), and it is as wild and wonderful as a work of art.

-Jon Vowell (c) 2013

The Goodness of God (The Ministers of God, Part 3)

"...in all things we commend ourselves as the ministers of God...by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left...." II Cor. 6: 4a, 6-7

Paul established that we, as new creations, are now the ministers of God, i.e., those who proclaim the gospel of reconciliation with God. Next, he established the hard truth that we are to be such ministers in the midst of every situation, especially times of personal, social, or ministerial distress. Such a truth can seem highly depressing in its negativity, but Paul immediately follows it up with another truth, a great and comforting truth: we are to prove ourselves to be the ministers of God in every situation by the might of good things, of which he lists three kinds: the good for ourselves, the good for others, and the good for battle.

"...by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering...." This is what is good for us: neither naivete nor mere factualness and fortitude, but rather an innocence that is both wise and patient. Evil, in all its horrible depths, is understood fully, but as a concept and not a practice. Its presence has no place in us, but its presence also does not surprise us. We know that it exists, and we are not ignorant of its devices. Such a state of innocent, enduring wisdom is not in our power to create; it is all the gift of God who alone purifies (Titus 2:11-14) and gives both wisdom and patience (James 1:5, 17). And it is in such a state that we prove ourselves to be the ministers of God: by His goodness we have been freed from evil's snares, and yet He teaches us its ways so that we may walk carefully and effectively and wisely without weariness or fear amidst a perverse and crooked generation. In short, we prove ourselves to be ministers of the gospel by living out its direct effects: innocence, wisdom, and patience.

"...by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned...." This is what is good for others: a genuine affection that is produced by God and produces acts of genuine goodwill. This world is full of lost and broken people, and they need neither our moralism nor our activism. What they need is a sincere love that finds its source in the God who is love (I John 4:7-8) and leads to acts of love (Matt. 22:37-40; I John 5:3). In short, we prove ourselves to be ministers of the gospel when the indwelt Holy Spirit of God lives and acts out through us the very heartbeat of the gospel: love (Rom. 5:5-8; I John 4:7-10). He who does not love does not know God and can never be a minister of His gospel.

"...by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left...." This Christian life is a battle. Walking in a dark world amongst fallen people who cannot see their true affliction (II Cor. 4:3-4) and thus do not desire their true salvation (Rom. 3:10-11) is perilous, for we are surrounded by and continually engaged with great spiritual evil (Eph. 6:12). We are "in the thick," and this is what is good for it: God's truth, God's power, and God's righteousness. These things are all at our disposal, for God has given us His truth (John 16:13) and His power (II Tim. 1:7) and His righteousness (I Cor. 1:30; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8-9), and it is by the might of these things that we fight the good fight. We battle against ugly lies and the blinding dark, not by our wits and cleverness, but by the all-piercing truth of the Lord of Light (Heb. 4:12-13). We battle against all the guile and malice of Hell's temptations, not by our own strengths and talents, but by the all-consuming power of the God who loves us (Rom. 8:31-39). We battle against all the vain and wicked ways of the world, not by our own pious moralizing, but by the working out of the inward righteousness of God, which is Christ in us and we in Christ (Rom. 13:12-14; Col. 3:3; John 14:20, 17:23).

In sum, we prove ourselves to be the ministers of God's gospel because we are living proof that that gospel is true. It has made us innocent of evil and yet wise to its ways and patient in its presence. It has indwelt us with the Spirit of love who works in us a genuine affection producing genuine kindness to all. And it has given us all that God is, so that we may fight the damned dark, not as mere men and women, but as new creations, born of God by faith in Christ through the hearing of the gospel of reconciliation (Rom. 10:17). By the might of God's goodness, we are saved; and by the might of that same goodness, we prove ourselves to be the ministers of so great a salvation. We best show our allegiance when we live like the gospel is real.

-Jon Vowell (c) 2012