Coming back from what amounts to an unannounced hiatus, Thomas and Pastor Brown (who recorded this episode just prior to Lent) jump into Jesus’ road to his passion and death. He gets back to Bethany (a town coming under increased scrutiny now that Lazarus has been raised), gets some pre-embalming (much to Judas’ ire), and then pulls a Solomon on his way into Jerusalem.
For the Inquisition, Thomas asks Pastor 2 questions: A) Are there really levels to heaven? And B) How do we understand the doctrine of Inspiration, and how should we use it in the context of apologetics?
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I have a cross that was given to me on my ordination day. The cross was a gift from my father. It is something that I greatly treasure. One of the reasons I treasure it so much is that it was first a gift given to my father by my grandfather on his ordination day. Maybe one day I’ll have the honor of giving it to my son. What makes that cross valuable to me is not because of the gold it’s made of or its intricacies—it’s that it is something that has been passed down from generation to generation.
The goal of the church is not to see how many people we can write into hell.
Okay, let’s be real here. We’ve heard it all before: “Follow your heart.” It’s the typical cliché kind of answer that gives us a spark of hope that only lasts for a little while until reality hits us hard again. Life changes like the wind blowing in many directions. We call ourselves “hopeless wanderers” because of the ever-searching quest for meaning and truth within the barren wasteland in which we live. This world is a mess, and we live in the thick of brokenness within families and friendships, lies and deceptions, fear and anger, murder, abuse, death, arrogance…the list goes on and on. Our hearts ask, “Where can we find a sense of belonging, a place of true happiness, a place of life and contentment?”
I can offer you no words of wisdom without first offering a confession. I believed a certain lie for a very long time. I believed the church was my possession. I believed it belonged to me. I believed it was there for me to take advantage of—that it owed me. Worse, I believed I could justify myself because I went to a church. I believed I could justify myself even more by contributing to a church, by staking my claim in it, by showing my merit badges as people I brought to it, by performing roles for it in worship and fellowship. But I was wrong.
Recently, a young high school-aged man (considering the ministry himself) asked me “Why did you study theology?” I was quick to answer his question, but then I began realize that my answer is vastly different today as compared to 2009 when I began my studies. After some personal reflection, I was baffled when I thought about what younger René had believed about theology…something like: “I study theology to satisfy the intellectual craving of my human mind.” To be completely honest, I have recently wondered if this was my sentiment even up until the point I stepped on the seminary campus! According to younger René, theology was no more than a body of knowledge to be consumed—no more than any other subject like biology, chemistry, physics, or even worse, just another philosophy. If that were the case, theology would become no more than static to the “theological-scientist” who sits in high towers, receiving the waves of cryptic nonsense. Boring. Uninspiring.
In another five years, my daughter is going to receive a gift from her mother and me. This gift is going to be a red four-door 2010 Jeep Wrangler. It will be her very first car. It won’t be considered a classic car, but it will be over a decade old. This Jeep has been a source of great memories for our family as we drove around town with the top down. We shared many laughs and crazy hair moments. This Jeep has been loved, cared for, and serviced—knowing it would be handed to someone we love deeply. This Jeep is not without its blemishes, dings, and imperfections but even those have meaning behind them. Bottom line, this Jeep will be given to her with grace (she didn’t work for it) and love and will get her where she wants to go.
The thing about the world is that it gets pretty messy. Since the Fall into sin, we have been trying to claim God’s throne for our own. With each sin we are attempting to dethrone the One True God, creating for ourselves the idols that we prefer to worship. From the shut gates of Eden we carried ourselves out into the fallen world to wander and die.
She’s absolutely beautiful to Him—the most beautiful woman in all of creation. She’s perfect in every way: no spots, no wrinkles, no blemishes. There isn’t a single flaw with her. He sees none.
