The text for todays lesson does not include ekklesia or the English translation church. The text is actually a part of a prayer prayed by Jesus the last day (perhaps the last night) of his earthly ministry prior to his arrest. His statement is specifically prayed for those men who would serve as the resurrected Jesus apostles. This request on behalf of these men is based on the same concept of church. He prayed they would be in the world but not of the worldvery much the concept of church (people who are called out of the world to live in Jesus Christ by embracing Gods values as they exist to do Gods will).
The reason for using this text for this lesson is the similarity of concepts of the in but not of concept and the concept of church. Jesus never intended for his followers to build a wall between themselves and society. If there is to be righteous influence, there must be contact. For example, there can be no light in darkness if there is a segregation of light from darkness. Christians exist in contact with the rebellious world, but they follow Gods values, not the worlds values. They were called out to be in but not of.
In this request that Jesus made to God the Father on behalf of the men who would serve as his apostles, there are two paradoxes you are asked to consider. Paradox #1 focused on Jesus joy (my joy) declared in verse13. Jesus said he was coming to God, and he had informed these men of Gods values and purposesfor the purpose of giving them his joy.
It seems strange for Jesus to pray the disciples joy would be made full when Jesus knew what these men would soon endure. To us, anguish makes joy impossible.
The concept of joy when combined with all that would happen in the next 24 hours was strange!
This was an unusual concept!
Jesus is within a few hours of his arrest, his physical torture, and his death. History declared that all these men but one was killed because they served Jesus Christ. The one who was not killed endured exile. In no way did Jesus or his apostles live desirable physical lives. How could Jesus know what was before him physically (John 17:1, 4, 5) and understand the physical destiny of these men (John 17:14) and speak of joy?
How could there be such disillusionment and suffering on the road to joy? This insight is a powerful commentary on Jesus understanding of joy.
Please note this joy had nothing to do with physical experience. The joy involved an experience that was beyond the physical. A good physical reality and the accompanying physical experiences were not a key to having Jesus joy. A good physical reality still today is not the key to Jesus joy!
The joy Jesus wanted for his disciples (who were to serve as his apostles) did not depend on physical well-being and worldly experiences. It is difficult in this society to be Jesus disciples because people who have faith in Jesus commonly associate hope with having the physical. What is possible physically in this prosperous society with its laws and opportunities is not possible for much of this worlds population. It is too easy for us to associate spiritual hope with physically having and physical experiences.
Paradox #2 is the in but not of concept in John 17:15, 16. Jesus had no desire to take these men out of a world that would misunderstand and kill them. Jesus loved them with unquestionable love, and he would not resent them even when they ran from him shortly. Yet, he wanted them to represent God in this rebellious world in spite of the consequences.
Representing Jesus to those who reject Gods values does not involve leaving physical existence. Gods values cannot be reduced to lists of dos and donts. Gods values frequently involve choices and always involve motives. The motive that prompted the choice made is always important. Being Jesus disciple requires living by and acting on Gods values among rebellious people. Sometimes that requires words, and sometimes it requires an act. Always it requires faiths courage.
Being is as important as saying. If we are to influence those who rebel, we must live by Gods values. The objective is not just to tell them, and it surely is not merely to exercise control over them. The objective is to teach and influence as we represent Jesus. We seek to produce faith in those who do not believe.
In a powerful statement, Jesus declared to his disciples in Matthew 5:13-16 that they were to be Gods light and salt in a world that rebelled against Gods influence. To grasp the power of this statement, we must visit that world. Lets begin with salt. Salt was one of the few preservatives available to their world. There was no refrigeration or canning. Freezers did not exist, and there were no Mason jars, can lids, or pressure cookers. Furthermore, their lack of quality control in food stuffs would be appalling by many of todays standards. Meager food supplies often meant people had to eat what was available. Salt was one of the few things they had that could improve the taste of poor quality food.
We take the preservation of food and improving the taste of foods for granted today. For an example, take grit in foods (sand, small rocks, objects we would consider trash). Like us, they wanted uncontaminated food. However, they did not have our technology, and they had distressed food supplies more often than we do. There were times many people had to eat what we would consider poor quality food to survive. Salt made such food palatable. Even today, most of us do not care for food that has no salt.
Consider light and darkness. Begin by realizing all the things that could not be done without light. First, understand there were no petroleum distillates availableno lamp oil, no kerosene, no man-made (by modern technology) means of providing lighting. If you were rich you might afford torch sticks, but very few were rich. The lamps of most people were small and operated with wicks in olive oil. They provided such a dim light they had to occupy an elevated place in a room to keep people from stumbling. Second, understand most people went to bed shortly after dark. Night travel was dangerous! There were no batteries, no flashlights, no streetlights, no store lights, and no parking lot lightsin short there was no common means of seeing at night! The sun went down, and people went to bed. The sun came up, and people begin working. Why? The sun provided lightthey could see! Without sunlight, they could not see how to do things!
In this society, we take light for granted. To us, there is nothing special about stores being open 24 hours a day or a nightshift in a manufacturing plant. Light is usually available by an act as simple as turning on a switch. If there was no light but sunlight for a month, our society would encounter much chaos. If the sun controlled when we went to bed and when we got up, that likely would alter our lifestyle. In the first century they did not have the convenience of light we have in our lives.
In the first century, a discussion of salt and light was a discussion of essentials. Today, we take both salt and light for granted. To them, both were critically essential. To achieve Gods purposes in this world, Jesus disciples are essential. Without those who are Jesus disciples, there is no light in a black world of darkness, no salt for bad-tasting food. Without Jesus disciples, the worlds decaying food tastes terrible in a hopelessness that dreads death.
Jesus was talking about essential roles when he discussed his disciples being salt and light in a rebellious world of people. Disciples represent God and His values to people who do not know God or His values.
A critical truth: JESUS DISCIPLES MUST LOOK LIKE JESUS DISCIPLES, AND NOT THE UNPRESERVED WORLD OF DARKNESS. If we look and act like the dark, unpreserved, rotting world, we cannot be Gods light and salt!
We cannot be Gods salt and light if we live by the values of people who do not belong to God.
Years ago I was teaching Jesus parable of the prodigal son. An active member of the congregation expressed major dissatisfaction with the parable and its lesson. Why? The prodigal son had all the fun while the older brother had nonehe just stayed at home and did his duty. The parables point was missed! The prodigal son did not have funhe experienced lifes misery, not lifes joy. When Christians conclude fun is found in darkness, they do not understand discipleship with its hope.
Lasting hope is not found in godlessness. The pleasure of the physical indulgence of the body is short term and filled with devastating consequences. Rebellion commonly involves pleasure, but it is short-term pleasure that often produces suffering.
The hopelessness of fun in a dark, unpreserved world profoundly affected my life. I have spent too many hours seeking to consol people whose life is in tatters or helping people find hope in the midst of their disgust with themselves and people. In the worlds fun, there is no hopeonly consequences that terrify life. The worlds pleasure and escape are temporary and often deceiving. Aging results in fearful questions that produce terrible answers. The worlds fun produces consequences that leave a bitter taste that lingers. For God to extend forgiveness is one thing. It is quite another to forgive yourself.
The pleasures of godless values are not fun when you seek to help someone enduring pregnancy that is unmarried and alone, sexually transmitted disease, an addiction, a broken marriage, abuse, or utter selfishness or greed.
For Thought and Discussion
1. Does todays text include ekklesia? Then why use it as a text?
It does not. It is used because of the similarity of the concepts of in but not of and called out of (church).
2. What is the first paradox Jesus used in John 17:12-16? Why was it a paradox?
The first paradox was (and is) Jesus concept of joy. It was a paradox to pray about experiencing joy with the understanding of all that would happen in less than a day.
3. You are asked to note what in regard to this joy?
This joy was not related to physical experiences.
4. What is Jesus second paradox in this text?
The second paradox involved the in but not of concept.
5. In Matthew 5:13-16, discuss salt as a preservative and a flavoring for food.
In the discussion should be the awareness that salt was one of the few ways they had of preserving food, and salt made undesirable food more palatable.
6. What two things are you asked to note about light.
(a) There were no petroleum distillates available, and (b) the sun regulated life.
7. Discuss the importance of sunlight in the first century world.
The discussion should include the awareness that sunlight regulated the rhythm of life, even in matters so simple as time to go to bed and time to get up.
8. Salt and light were what in the first century world?
They were essentials.
9. State the critical truth given in this lesson.
Jesus disciples must look like Jesus disciples, and not the unpreserved world of darkness.
10. What is absent is what the world calls fun?
Enduring hope is absent.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2