(M, C)br...
Illustration
(M, C)
A certain professional man had descended from several generations of staunch supporters of a local church. His interest, if he ever had any, had long since waned. He never attended. He never gave time, treasure or talent. In response to a survey being done by his church of all local, inactive members, he gave the following replies to the questions asked:
Question: I describe my present relationship with the church as follows: "Congenital, hereditary familial association now quite dormant."
Question: My future plans in relationship to the church are: "Continued mild interest through relatives."
Question: I would like to have someone visit me as follows: "None."
Tongue-in-cheek? Perhaps. Amusing? A little. Smug? Quite. Sad? Very -- especially when you compare his clever answers with the radical expectations Jesus apparently had for his followers. Consider the implications of our text: Keeping the Ten Commandments is not enough. A willingness to surrender all your money to the cause may be required. Discipleship is a higher loyalty than family relationships (see Mark 10:17-31). The man whose passion for our welfare led him to a cross and who prescribed crosses for our health and integrity would surely say a cross of self-denial is precisely what this smug, inactive member needs.
-- Campbell
A certain professional man had descended from several generations of staunch supporters of a local church. His interest, if he ever had any, had long since waned. He never attended. He never gave time, treasure or talent. In response to a survey being done by his church of all local, inactive members, he gave the following replies to the questions asked:
Question: I describe my present relationship with the church as follows: "Congenital, hereditary familial association now quite dormant."
Question: My future plans in relationship to the church are: "Continued mild interest through relatives."
Question: I would like to have someone visit me as follows: "None."
Tongue-in-cheek? Perhaps. Amusing? A little. Smug? Quite. Sad? Very -- especially when you compare his clever answers with the radical expectations Jesus apparently had for his followers. Consider the implications of our text: Keeping the Ten Commandments is not enough. A willingness to surrender all your money to the cause may be required. Discipleship is a higher loyalty than family relationships (see Mark 10:17-31). The man whose passion for our welfare led him to a cross and who prescribed crosses for our health and integrity would surely say a cross of self-denial is precisely what this smug, inactive member needs.
-- Campbell
