Jesus in the Center (Matthew 7:24-27, I Corinthians 3:10-11)
Jesus is… We continue our look at the Mennonite World Conference shared convictions by considering conviction number 2. This one is about Jesus. Remember, this is the shared conclusion of Anabaptist folks from around the world. This isn't just FMC, or the PSMC, or MC USA, or the 40 % of the world's Mennonite population that lives in the global north, it is piling us altogether. Here it is:
Jesus is the Son of God. Through his life and teachings, his cross and resurrection, he showed us how to be faithful disciples, redeemed the world, and offers eternal life.
The statement reflects on our peoplehood's understanding of the divine within Jesus. It gives emphasis to his humanity, that his witness and his word are critical. It ties his life, his teachings to his death and resurrection. It proclaims the importance of discipleship, that Jesus is available to the world, and it points to the mystery, and the wonder, of life eternal.
Jesus in the arts Now we talk about Jesus all the time. Most of you are long time churchgoers, so you've been around Jesus for decades. You've listened to stories of what he did and what he said. We have sung many songs about Jesus. This morning we have already sung two songs of praise about Jesus. All hail the power of Jesus' name let angels prostrate fall…
The index at the back of our hymnal lists songs related to ``images of Jesus Christ,'' the ``life of Jesus,'' the ``Lordship of Jesus,'' ``names of Jesus,'' the ``presence of Jesus,'' and the ``teachings of Jesus.''
I tried to think what songs come to mind when I think about Jesus. What is sort of locked up there in my head? You might try the same thing. The first one I remember was out of my growing up years, ``'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.'' It's number 340 in our blue hymnal. It's a song that has its origins in the late 19th century. Consider the words: `Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, and to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise, and to know, ``thus saith the Lord.'' Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him, how I've proved him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust him more!
Later verses sing in loving terms of the ``precious Jesus, Savior, Friend.'' He's the one we trust in so that from sin and self we can cease. And in Jesus we can know life, rest, joy, and peace. It's a lovely little song, quite repetitive with a soothing message that caused me to think, if I were stuck in a rowboat in the middle of the Pacific I'd be singing it over and over again.
But I'm not stuck, hopeless and lost, on a rowboat in the middle of the Pacific. I don't live in a constant state of desperation and in need of warmth and attention. But I do take Jesus very seriously and so, these days, a very ``Mennonite'' way to sing about Jesus is to turn to number 307 and sing ``Will you let me be your servant.'' Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you, Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too. I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I'll laugh with you. I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through. Our songs obviously reflect different ways of thinking about Jesus.
Through the years artists have rendered their interpretations of Jesusthrough paintings on cave walls, in great cathedrals, in stone, on canvas, in movies. Let's look at some pictures….
(show series of pictures, commenting along the way)
Jesus is at the center of our faith One way of expressing what Anabaptist Mennonites around the world understand about their faith is to put it this way: Jesus is at the center of our faith. Menno Simons, whom we Mennonites are named after, was fond of quoting I Corinthians 3:11: no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the foundation, the center.
The early Anabaptists would point back to the witness of Jesus and the example of the early church. Those who were with Jesus when he was on this earth, and the early church, saw or remembered how he cared for the poor and healed the sick. They saw and remembered his strong interaction with the authorities, both religious and political. Through his life, his death, and his resurrection they came to believe in him and accept him as their Teacher, Savior, and Lord.
But they did not just ``believe'' in him. They wanted to be followers, disciples of Jesus, desiring to be Jesus-like in all they did. Believing for them carried the sense of doing. Believing is not just an intellectual exercise of the mind and will. Believing is doing and practicing.
This is how the early church practiced faithfulness. But this changed in the 4th century. Constantine was the ruler of the Roman Empire. Through a vision he came to believe that he should stop the persecution of Christians, and he even declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman Empire. But in his life he did not emphasize or practice the teachings and example of Jesus. In fact, he had his own wife and son executed for disagreeing with him. He held to creeds rather than to practice.
And then, later in the 4th century, came Augustine, the great early church theologian (he was born in modern day Algeria). He focused more on the meaning of the death of Jesus rather than on the life of Jesus. The early Apostle's Creed does not even mention Jesus' life. Rather, it stresses Jesus' birth, suffering under Pilate, death, resurrection, and ascension. Trusting in the sacraments of the church and focusing on the death of Jesus became primary, with no mention of Jesus' life and teachings.
The Reformation began to reverse some of these trends, and the Anabaptists, our forbearers, took it farther than other reformers. And while affirming the Apostle's Creed they talked about the transformation of being ``born again,'' not just being ''justified by faith.'' This transformation involves one's total lifepersonal, social, economic, everything.
Mennonites and Jesus What can we then say about Jesus in the context of the world-wide family of Mennonites?
I think we can say that it is core to all of us that belief and practice are inseparable. It's why if someone would say to me, ``do you believe in Jesus?'' I can answer yes but I have to say more. I have to be sure that the questioner knows that it isn't enough to just intellectually believe.
I think it is also important to acknowledge that Jesus can mean different things in different times and places, and that we are all informed by our own experiences and life situation. For some it's the tender Jesus, the good shepherd, the one who calls the children to his side. We need this image of Jesus.
For others it is the healing Jesus, the one who holds out the possibility that one's life can dramatically change in the here and now. This Jesus is a friend to the lost and the sick, the ones without a home.
For some it's the radical Jesus, the one who confronts the powers, the one who offends, pointing out our inconsistencies. This is the Jesus who is a threat to the wealthy, the established, the educated, the one's in control.
In the global family of Mennonites we have people in all these camps and more inbetween. And if you are hanging out with Jesus-lovers of another ilk you may feel uncomfortable. But that's ok, that's Jesus for you. We all have a friend in Jesus but he's a friend who is always challenging us, pushing us to love and serve him more and more.
