Bonhoeffer- Chapter
1 - Costly Grace. (Continued)
'By and large, the
fatal error of monasticism lay not so much in its rigorism (though even here
there was a good deal of misunderstanding of the precise content of the will of
Jesus) as in the extent to which it departed from genuine Christianity by setting up itself as the individual
achievement of a select few, and so claiming a special merit of its own.'
My thoughts-
These are very
honest words from Bonhoeffer. Setting up
monasteries and entering the monastic lifestyle truly is setting up an
organization where only a select few of the millions and billions of people
alive can achieve. If we believe that God has called ONLY those who enter those
monasteries to follow Christ by living a life of costly grace then we are in
BIG trouble! And as the author of this book said- even living the life of a
monk has been perverted the will of Jesus.
The idea that a few are called to a special kind of following Christ
isn't truly Biblical. Yes, like I mentioned yesterday some are called to be
preachers, some to evangelistic life, some to prophecy, some to teach and so
on. But all are called to follow Christ
and the person who is called to be a wife and mother can follow Christ as fully
as one who is called to preach the gospel.
To say that one has to live a certain superior way in following Christ
is wrong! Jesus was talking to all when He preached His gospel! Jesus didn't
separate people into different classes- all the mothers over in this group, all
the tentmakers over here, all the fishermen in the next group, all the
fieldworkers go line up there- Jesus didn't do that! He didn't say that only
the tentmakers are to take of their crosses. He didn't say only the bakers are
to deny themselves. He didn't say only
the preachers are to give to the poor.
It is man who has perverted God's word twisting it around to suit their
own selfishness in so many ways.
More from
Bonhoeffer- talking about Martin Luther of the Reformation-
'But God, shattered
all his hopes. He showed him through the Scriptures that the following of
Christ is not the achievement or merit of a select few, but the divine command
to all Christians without distinction. Monasticism had transformed the humble
work of discipleship into the
meritorious activity of the saints, and the self-renunciation of discipleship
into the flagrant spiritual self-assertion of the "religious." '
My thoughts- I love this - '... the following of Christ is
NOT the achievement or merit of a select few, but the divine command to ALL
Christians WITHOUT DISTINCTION.'
TRUTH!
There is NO
distinction between any of us! We are ALL called to follow our SAVIOR
equally! Even Christ had this to say
when questioned about who was the greatest among the Apostles.
Mar 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the
house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
Mar 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way
they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and
saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all,
and servant of all.
Christ's idea of
being the greatest and man's idea are entirely different! We think that being
the greatest is something we even need to contemplate when it's NOT.
It's no wonder we as
a people have tried to manipulate Christ's word to suit our selfishness rather
than hold ourselves to the true COSTLINESS of true GRACE!
Continuing with
Bonhoeffer-
'The bottom having
thus been knocked out of the religious life, Luther laid hold upon grace. Just
as the whole world of monasticism was crashing about him in ruins, he saw God
in Christ stretching forth his hand to save. He grasped that hand in faith, believing
that "after all, nothing we can do is of any avail, however good a life we
live." The grace which gave itself
to him was a costly grace, and it shattered his whole existence. Once more he
must leave his nets and follow. The first time was when he entered the
monastery, when he had left everything behind except his pious self. This time
even that was taken from him. He obeyed the call, not through any merit of his
own, but simply through the grace of God. Luther did not hear the word:
"Of course you have sinned, but now everything is forgiven, so you can
stay as you are and enjoy the consolations of forgiveness." No, Luther had to leave the cloister and go
back to the world, not because the world in itself was good and holy, but
because even the cloister was only a part of the world.
Luther's return from
the cloister to the world was the worst blow the world had suffered since the
days of early Christianity. The renunciation he made when he became a monk was
child's play compared with that which he had to make when he returned to the
world. Now came the frontal assault. The only way to follow Jesus was by living
in the world. Hitherto the Christian life had been the achievement of a few
choice spirits under the exceptionally favorable conditions of monasticism; now
it is a duty laid on every Christian living in the world. The commandment of
Jesus must be accorded perfect obedience in one's daily vocation of life. The conflict between the life of the
Christian and the life of the world was thus thrown into the sharpest possible
relief. It was a hand to hand conflict between the Christian and the world.'
My thoughts-
'The only way to
follow Jesus was by living in the world.' TRUTH.
'The commandment of
Jesus must be accorded perfect obedience in one's daily vocation of life.'
TRUTH.
We have NO excuses!
We can use NOTHING as an excuse as to why we do not follow our Savior's
teachings. When we are faced with choices and choose the one that self serves
we are accountable for that choice. We have NO excuses. We cannot console ourselves by saying we
aren't pastors, we aren't nuns, we aren't prophets so of course we're not going
to be like they strive to be, we aren't going to be THAT close to Christ. LIES!
We have to be as close to Christ as any other human being can be, we are all
called to follow HIM equally! If we believe any differently then we are saying
that Christ has made it impossible for people to follow Him, the average person
just cannot do it. Christ NEVER said
that. Christ has made it POSSIBLE for ALL to follow Him...you, me, those all
around us! It is a call to COSTLY GRACE, not cheap grace that lets us make up
our own truths, we must believe Christ's truths and ONLY Christ's truths.
More tomorrow by the
GRACE of God. Through HIS MERCY, HIS LOVE!
Please LORD help us, teach us, save us with your COSTLY GRACE. Teach us
the cost of true discipleship in YOU.
All in YOUR LOVE
always!
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