• Blog
  • Media
  • Prepare/Enrich
  • Bio
  • Links
Michael Mercer: teacher. writer. father. husband. follower.

Upside Down, Inside Out

7/9/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
The other morning my son, Brody (5 years old), put his shirt on and not only was it inside out, but it was on backwards.  Usually I would say something to him, laugh with him about it, be silly, and then we would fix it.  This time, for whatever reason, I just let it go.  Some time that afternoon I noticed he had his shirt right side out and the tag was in the back.  I asked him about it and he told me that he noticed it and fixed it.  This is atypical of Brody who would usually want us to fix it for him.  Needless to say I was surprised and proud that he took his own initiative to fix his shirt.  It's the small things, people!

I have had this blog post in mind for some time.  The story of my son is a simple reminder that when we have eyes to see, we can see what is really meant for us in the Kingdom of God.  However, Jesus didn't really teach us to wear our shirts right side out and the tag in the back.  That was the message of the Pharisees.  Jesus wouldn't disagree that keeping the law of God is the right thing to do, but what Jesus saw as the law and what the Pharisees saw as the law were world(view)s apart.  The Pharisees could only see the law and the standard to live by from what was handed down for generations, since the days of Moses.  Jesus understood the law, but could only see (and know) the heart of God and the intent of the law.  Jesus knew that the law could never save God's people only an ultimate sacrifice could do that.

So, in many ways Jesus taught and lived out an upside down, inside out, tag-in-the-front, gospel.  But Jesus didn't teach and live this gospel to be noticed or simply for the practice of being unique, innovative, or different.  Jesus was interested in bringing heaven to earth.  Jesus grew weary of a law-filled life that actually would result in death.  The kind of life where joy is sucked from the marrow and leaves its people brittle and eventually broken, irreparable, unsalvageable.  The kind of life that when brokenness and sin enter and the pretty package of life that is promised by keeping the law, disintegrates leaving law-only followers blown away like chaff by the wind.

The gospel, good news, that Jesus brought, though new in approach and rhetoric in His day, lasts!  It creates a saving surge throughout the body giving hope, joy, and LIFE!  His gospel is the heart of God.  Where the law does not dissipate, but rather grows with deeper roots into the very nature of God.  The law become fulfilled through Christ and no longer does the law become the THING, but Jesus does.  We see God's heart through Christ.  We see that what God intended through the law is that His people would live upside down, inside out compared to those who live for the broken world.  Some believe that this means we must excavate ourselves from culture and live in gated isolation so that we aren't corrupted by the culture that invades our perfect Christian world.  Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Pharisees in scripture were after.  That was not Jesus' quest.  Remember he was the one who touched lepers, cast out demons in a graveyard, "worked" on the sabbath, called a tax collector to be his apostle, and often ate in the homes of tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus did not absolve himself from culture, but in reality immersed himself in the culture without changing who He was in God.

If we want to live the gospel.  We will be better off immersing ourself in culture and entering into relationships with people in our world.  When we choose this path we must keep our center, our core, strong.  Our relationship with Jesus will be tested and we must keep it first.  Then as we meet people, establish relationships, eat at their tables, God will use our stories and His gospel that is living in us to show a new path.  We must remember it is not our responsibility to manipulate an outcome for God.  We will be light bearers and God will take care of the rest.  Those that don't know Christ or have given up on him will appreciate our time, our words, our life that we are sharing with them.  It is those who stand on piety, law, and isolation that might attack our actions and maybe even our motive.  If so, then we are in good company.  And yes we will wake up in the morning and everyone will look and only see that we have put on our shirt inside out with the tag in the front.  But Jesus will see a follower, The Spirit will see thin space, and God will see a kingdom-meeting-earth-with-a-sweet-kiss moment. 

Who knows, maybe one day I will stand in the pulpit with my shirt inside out and tag in the front. 



0 Comments
    Picture

    Michael Mercer

    I like to explore different things about theology and the life of the church.  You might also find things here about me and my family.

    Prayer Requests: 

    mercerprays@gmail.com

    God Is... by Michael Mercer

    Available in Paperback and ebook!

    Picture


    God Is... -God is... is a book that takes a look at Genesis and portrays six true images of God.  There are many ways we think about God that are unhealthy and even destructive.  These six images help turn our attention to who God really is and how we might follow him more closely.  Click the Lulu button below to download your copy!

    Support independent publishing: Buy this e-book on Lulu.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Ash Wednesday
    Baptism
    Book Of John
    Christmas
    Church
    C'Mon Man
    Cross
    Culture
    Current Events
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Elevate
    End Times
    Escape
    Evil
    Expectations
    Faith
    Faithfulness
    Fall Of Man
    Family
    Following
    Freedom
    Funny
    God
    Gospel
    Grace
    Grief
    Halloween
    Happiness
    Hell
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Week
    Hospitality
    Humility
    Hypocrite
    Imitation
    Impartation
    Implantation
    Incarnation
    Jesus
    Jonah
    Journey
    Joy
    Justice
    Kingdom
    Lent
    Life
    Loss
    Love
    Marriage
    Mary
    Memaw
    Mlk
    Monday Car Ride
    New Beginning
    New Beginnings
    New Year
    Nice
    Palm Sunday
    Parables
    Patriotic
    Pharisees
    Praise
    Preaching
    Promise
    Prophecy
    Prophet
    Reckless
    Redemption
    Regeneration
    Rejoice
    Relationships
    Renewal
    Repentance
    Resolution
    Resurrection
    Sabbath
    Sacrifice
    Santa
    Scripture
    Senior Sunday
    Series
    Spiritual Renewal
    Sports
    Story
    Suffering
    Summer
    Technology
    Temptation
    Thankfulness
    Theology
    Transition
    Tuning Our Voice
    Ucc
    Urgency
    Veterans Day
    Visions
    Whining
    Wordle
    Worship

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2020
    April 2020
    August 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010