When somebody asks me this question I usually answer that this is like asking me if I have stopped beating my wife yet. No matter if I answer yes or no, I am in trouble. The point is that both questions hold the hidden assumptions that they can be answered with a simple yes or a no. In fact, depending on the passage, the answer is sometimes yes, sometimes it is no, and sometimes I need to answer “I still have not quite figured that out yet” (i.e. huge chunks of the book of Revelation, see also 1 Corinthians 8:2). We Christians, if we are to be real, need to learn to say “I don't know”. Other times I might answer “I take the Bible seriously”.
Let's look at a couple of examples. “Do not murder, do not commit adultery” (Exodus 20). These commandments, as with most commandments are meant to be taken literally. But what do you do with the saying of Jesus that “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26)? To take this literally would be to contradict the whole thrust of both the Old and New Testaments. In particular it would contradict the "Great Commandment" to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:30). It is also contrary to “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar” (1 John 4:20).
As I have suggested elsewhere when we encounter apparent contradictions like this, we need to ask the question “What am I missing here? It is a mistake to think that every statement the Bible makes can be understood by taking it literally. We must , for example, take into account the genre, that is the style or type of expression of the writing. The Bible contains a great many genres, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, history, apocalyptic writings etc. etc. It also uses many literary devices in order to make a point, or to cause you think deeply about something. We short circuit the intention that lies behind what is written when we insist on interpreting everything literally. The literary device that Jesus is using here is hyperbole. That is it is an over the top exaggeration of the point He is wanting to make. He does not want you to pass over this lightly, it is shock value. His intention is for you to pause and say “Wait a minute, what does He really mean here?” We will not fathom the deep things of God if we insist on taking everything at face value. Jesus can be clear, and Jesus can be subtle (see last day's post). Loving God with all of our minds, involves searching out the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10)! We need to be sure of the basics, but we also need to go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1,2). It is a tragedy when a child does not grow up. Reciting “Mary had a little lamb” is cute in a 4 year old, but not so cute in a 25 year old!
If we look at the context of the passage in Luke, we see that Jesus is talking about the cost of discipleship. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. So discipleship has to do with self denial and frankly with suffering. You might encounter opposition, even strong opposition, from your parents, siblings or children. Jesus did (see Mark 3:21). What if it is your spouse? What is being required here is a radical commitment that excludes all else. If and when it comes down to a choice between following the Lord or following the desires of our family (or even of our own hearts - “yes, and his own life also”) then the true disciple will choose the Lord, even if that looks to others, like hate.
Some Christians insist that we take the whole of the Bible literally. When I read their defense of this, the impression I get it that what they are really insisting on, is the radical obedience to the Word that Jesus is calling for, in passages like the one we have been discussing. I don't however think that they would council one caught up in the grip of pornography, to literally blind himself (see Matthew 5:29). This is certainly not what Jesus intends. He does however intend that we deal radically with such things. This is what I mean when I say we need to take the Bible seriously.
By and large it is a pretty soft option, here in the West to become a Christian. But there are places in this word in this day and age where it can cost you your job, your family or your very life. However if we follow Jesus in the radical way He is calling us to follow Him, it is more than possible that our contemporaries will conclude, as they did with Jesus that “He is out of His mind” (Mark 3:21 again). What are you and I willing to sacrifice to follow Him? How far are you willing to go to enter into the fullness of what Jesus is offering us, or even to see if it is all true?
Are you a God chaser (see Tommy Tenney - God Chasers), or are you a limp lover (see "A safe place to be real II" October 2010)? Are you willing to go where they are telling us God is at work (check it out carefully – years ago I went to Africa seeking revival, but by the time I got there, revival had moved on!)? God is doing some amazing things today in our world. We do hear about them, but we too easily dismiss them as fake, and certainly some are. But not all are fake. If you want to experience the miraculous, you may have to leave the comfort of home. You may need to be willing to go to the ends of the earth. The Kingdom is advancing in the here and now, and these things are totally worth checking out. What if it is all true and you miss it? I will suggest three places. Visit Bethel church (http://www.ibethel.org/site/) where miracles happen on a regular basis (see also http://www.bjm.org/home.html and check out the testimonies). Go to Iris ministries in Mozambique and elsewhere (http://www.irismin.org/). Take a short term mission with Randy Clark (http://www.globalawakening.com/).
I said above, that I take the Bible seriously. It is easier to do this when you have seen, and been used of the Lord to perform miracles in Jesus name. Do I take the Bible literally? In many places I do. I take the promises literally, and most of the commandments. “All things are possible to he who will believe”. I pray and mean it “Lord I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:23). I have not yet fully entered in, but I want to press forward towards the goal of the high calling in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:14). How about you?
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