Jesus Hears John Was Beheaded

 We read Matthew 14 as a family tonight, and it was very compelling.

Jesus hears His cousin John was beheaded, and He goes off to be alone for a while.  He had a foretaste of His own sacrifice that was coming.  He wasn't running away from it, but needed or wanted some time to think it through.  It was a prequel to Gethsemane.

But the people follow Him, and He has compassion on them.  He feeds them.

When we face trials and trauma, we need some time alone to reflect.  But we can't hole up and isolate.  We also need to serve and be with others.  When the sheep are hurting, they tend to wander off.  The shepherd notices, draws closer, and brings them back with tender feeding.  Even when we walk through the shadow of death, He is with us.  Jesus feeding us at His table, our cup running over, is more needed at those times than ever.

When horrible things happen to you, give yourself time to work through it.  But do so with others.  And find ways to give to others.  It feels like you don't have anything to give, and you don't want to.  Like breaking your leg, then doing physical therapy to walk again.  It hurts, and you don't want to.  You just want to crawl into a hole in the fetal position.  But giving is an essential part of working through the trauma.

I was awestruck to realize in Matthew 14 that Jesus went through this, just like we do.  He didn't respond sinfully.  He didn't isolate completely.  He saw the needs of others in His own pain, and reached out in service and compassion.  What a faithful high priest we have, who can sympathize with us in our own weakness!

Against Pro-life Abolitionism - part 1

In politics, the main goal is to propose policy that will pass, that is as close to your worldview as possible.

In theology, the goal is to articulate as biblical a worldview as possible.

Both of these are good stewardship of differing vocations.

But they sometimes don’t play well together.

 

Theonomists want there to be a single goal, same in politics and theology, but that’s absurd.  Do lawyers and doctors have the exact same calling, besides the generic, “to help people”?

 

I’m not advocating for a radical division between the two kingdoms (R2K).  It’s not theonomy or R2K.  There are different spheres of activity with differing specific aims (Kuyper).

 

Say no to pro-life abolitionism.  They are currently fighting against and defeating pro-life bills that would outlaw SOME abortions, just because they don’t outlaw ALL abortions.

Their zeal to call for repentance directly in political life is admirable, but then you have to do the work of making a law with many in the room who do not repent.  Do we just take our ball and go home and leave them to write their ungodly rules for us, or work to get our nation as close to godliness as we can?  Are we anabaptists, now, who drop out of society when they don’t meet God’s standards rigorously enough for us?

 

Should I not go to work tomorrow because I know I’m not going to do my job perfectly?

 

Perfectionism in theological sanctification wreaks all kinds of carnage on people.

Abolitionist perfectionism will do the same.

 

Working for the possible politically is not compromise, but courage.  It’s actual engagement with the culture, instead of demanding all or nothing like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

 

Abolitionists overly confuse the theological and political.  Of course we want to apply God’s truth to the public square.  But we don’t quit and work against people and legislators accepting SOME of it, if they refuse to accept ALL of it.