Misguided Mission or, Wrestling the Alligator
Feb 13th, 2008 by John
Did you ever try to put a too-small fitted sheet on a mattress? You usually struggle to get 3 corners on tight but when you try to get that fourth one, you find yourself wrestling an alligator! Soon all the corners are bare again and you collapse in a sweat.
I think a lot of Christians feel that the Christian mission is to stretch the Bible out over the entire scope of human experience like a little sheet on a big mattress. Just when they stretch the Bible toward one corner of life, pop!, up comes the corner they just covered. They struggle and toil and fuss and cuss to get that biblical doctrinal coverage over every square inch of life. They try to stretch it over their kids and are shocked when the corners break loose when the kids leave home. Husbands toil to get their wives covered and wives dutifully return the favor. High and mighty Christian gurus, exploiting the fears of unthinking people, tell us they’ll stretch the Bible over Hollywood, and rap music and abortion and homosexuality, over Supreme Court judges, over fire water, over illegal aliens and stem cell research. And just when it looks like that hostile landscape is covered with Bible verses, pop!, a corner snaps free.
God never intended the Bible to stretch over the whole world. No, God had a much smaller target–the human heart. The Bible fits the heart of people. God then sends people out to cover the world. The New Covenant never promised that God would write his word on the world. God promised to write his word on human hearts. The world isn’t waiting for more words to be spoken to it or preached at it or yelled at it. The world is waiting for transformed human lives to listen to it, love it and introduce it to a Person–Jesus the Christ.
There is no more deadly person than the one who tries to pull and tug at, fuss and fidget with the Bible in attempt to conquer his or her world when his or her own heart is not deeply changed by the Word-made-flesh-in-Jesus.
Popularity: 4% [?]
John,
great article. ive been reading a lot lately and it seems like so many people hold so tightly to certain views on so many issues while Jesus only speaks about love, charity, faith, forgiveness, reconciliation, Kingdom, and a few others. may we hold tightly to the essentials, and hold loosely to the rest. may we show charity and grace to those who disagree. may we be able to change our minds on things on which out minds need changing.
adam
Adam,
I agree with you. We get ourselves in trouble when we shift our focus off of Jesus and his Way.
“God never intended the Bible to stretch over the whole world. No, God had a much smaller target–the human heart. The Bible fits the heart of people. God then sends people out to cover the world.”
Oh, ROCK ON!!! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Hey, I just realised the other day that you are the John Frye that wrote the poem that you posted on your own blog here that I stole the other day (the cup of cold water one). I love that poem. You are very talented. Keep posting them
Sue,
Thanks for your exurberant affirmation. I’m glad you liked the poem, too.
You now how to make someone’s day!
Sue,
Duh! I meant “You KNOW how to….”
Hi, Dad! I have to comment today. I *love* this post. I think I want to print it and hand it out to everyone I meet. Oh wait…that’d just be more of the ill-fitting sheet. As I have been since I started listening in “big church,” I am thankful for your imagery and your thoughts. Your words gently tug at my heart as I strive to live the Christ-like life, not just be a Christian.
That’s a very good analogy, John, and it works well.
Elisha,
I am so taken by your comments. You had me at “Hi, Dad.”
I appreciate your endorsement of the imagery because I wondered it the picture would work. I see so many frantic Christians “wrestling the alligator” when all they need to do is relax and let God’s Word embrace *their* heart. And you’ve touched on a key distinction in these times…the difference between living a Christ-like life and being a “Christian.” I love you! Dad
Hey, Lukas!
Wow. It’s great to hear from you. Are you going out to the National Pastors Conference? Do you do that in your line of work? Thanks for affirming the analogy. Stop by again.
John,
Great post brother.
I love it.
You put it so well.
You get right to the point.
The main thing!
The thing that matters most to God….The heart.
I hope you have a blessed day brother.
I think sometimes we take the image of Scripture as sharper than a double-edged sword and start running around cutting up everything in sight.
Preacherman,
Thanks for your kind words.
Fred,
A great image that I think is sadly very true.
And if you listen now, You might hear
A new sound coming in, As an old one disappears
See the world in just one grain of sand
You better take a closer look, Don’t let it slip right thru your hand
Won’t you please hear the call, the world says
CHORUS
Put the message in the box, Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world, Until you get heard
Now is the moment, Please understand
The road is wide open to the heart of every man
A few simple words so a mule could understand
He don’t want tomorrow, If it’s just crumbling into sand
Won’t please hear the call, She says
Put the message in the box, Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world, Until you get heard
Until you get heard
The World says, Give a little bit, Give a little bit of your love to me
Cos I’m waiting right here with my open arms
Give a little bit, Give a little bit of your soul to me
Cos I’m waiting to behold your many charms
Is that love in the air?
She says
Put the message in the box, Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world, Until you get heard
World Party Lyrics
Ralston,
Like only an artist can do, the lyrics drive deep into us. The refrain says it: “Put the message in the box, Put the box into the car
Drive the car around the world, Until you get heard.”
So how the heck are you?