According to Bonhoeffer cost of discipleship, it surely gets to the deep within man's soul of how it affects an individual. How the call of God comes and how Christ stands as a mediator to accomplish this will, the call from God. In order to understand this call, one must understand the deep heart of God or in other words the deep heart of Christ, which is very heart of God himself. Men have fallen, men were actually created to love God and as a partner of love. However, men failed to love God back. In every moments of life men were supposed to involve God into everything. God wanted to have intimate relationship with man, not just as a father but even as a friend from the very beginning. This is evident in the verses from Isaiah 41:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23. From these verses it shows us that Abraham was not just a follower but a very dear friend of God.
When we consider a relationship of friends, it’s very deep and intimate. It is same as the relationship between Christ and its church, where Christ is the bridegroom and church is the bride according to Ephesians 5:25-27. In relationship between God and man, the intimacy is expected to reach the level of friend and bride, where we share everything with our creator without keeping anything back for ourselves. In relationship between friends, we share everything. Similarly in relationship between bride and bridegroom, there is nothing to hide as they stand naked in front of each other. God expects this same transparency between his relationships with each individual person created in this world. In order to fulfill his purpose, there is the great mediator Christ, through whom God receives all the glory.
Looking it in a deeper perspective of Bonhoeffer, the entire chapter's verse is directed from Luke 14:26. This verse shows us that how men have abandoned a deeper relationship with God. In the fallen world, the men tend to communicate and spend a lot of time to build the relationship between their biological father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters and even their own life. Fallen man's entire life is focused on restoring these relationships. However, no thought is given to restore the relationship between God and men. In Mathew 22:35-40, Jesus shared about the order of love. First we must love God and then love the neighbors. The vertical relationship takes the priority compared to horizontal relationships. As men failed to connect to God, men could no longer connect to their fellow human beings. No matter how much men try to mend their relationship with God, it doesn't get restored as God was not present in each horizontal relationship established on earth. God wishes to part take and become the center of the fellowship between two individuals. In order to accomplish this, God had the greatest plan, which is to send Christ as the mediator. Christ to act as the mediator who takes the position of God and he came into this world to dwell and have fellowship with us. It is very evident, from the time Christ came into this world, he started making disciples, drawing men towards him which in turn draws us and connects us back to God. All the glory son Jesus receives goes to the father. Jesus wanted to show the way, show the intimate relationship of love which can be accomplished when connected with Christ. Christ wanted to be center of all the relationship just as God wanted to be center of all the relationship in this world.
Christ's main focus was to change our focus that is to center man's entire relationship in fellowship with God. And sending Christ as the mediator was the plan of God. By accepting the mediator, we accept God as well. Dwelling deeper to the time of Moses in Exodus 7:1, Moses was placed as God in front of the people next to him by God himself. However, old testament was shadow of the reality that was about to be accomplished through Christ Jesus, who is the one and only perfect mediator or in other words, the one who takes the place of Father God for more intimate fellowship.
Before the verse 26 in Luke 14, we can see great multitudes followed him, many for love and more for company, for where there are many there will be more. Those who undertake to follow Christ must count upon the worst and prepare accordingly. Following Jesus and having intimate relationship comes with a cost. In order to fill the love of Christ, one must empty the cup filled with other forms of love. If a cup is already full, it is hard to pour anything into it. In John 2:23-26, Jesus shows us that the kernel of wheat must fall to the ground and die, only then it can produce many seeds. Similarly, our previous relationships, thoughts and the way we used to live must die in order to establish the right relationship with God. One must lose in order to gain. This is the principle of kingdom of God. The one who empties will be filled by God.
We can see that peter's affirmation telling that disciples had left everything to follow Jesus in Mathew 19:27. In fact disciples, who were willing to follow, really left everything and their relationship was entirely centered on Christ. God's intention was that only when man leaves everything, he can have proper and fulfilling relationship which starts with God, which then later connects with others and multiplies into beautiful relationships. Once God becomes center for every moment and instance in a person's life and his relationships, God wanted man to connect and communicate with other as well. It is evident from the words of Jesus that once, the fallen world of love is restored, in other words once the order of love is recovered, God wants man to communicate and love others and gain hundred times as much.
When we consider a relationship of friends, it’s very deep and intimate. It is same as the relationship between Christ and its church, where Christ is the bridegroom and church is the bride according to Ephesians 5:25-27. In relationship between God and man, the intimacy is expected to reach the level of friend and bride, where we share everything with our creator without keeping anything back for ourselves. In relationship between friends, we share everything. Similarly in relationship between bride and bridegroom, there is nothing to hide as they stand naked in front of each other. God expects this same transparency between his relationships with each individual person created in this world. In order to fulfill his purpose, there is the great mediator Christ, through whom God receives all the glory.
Looking it in a deeper perspective of Bonhoeffer, the entire chapter's verse is directed from Luke 14:26. This verse shows us that how men have abandoned a deeper relationship with God. In the fallen world, the men tend to communicate and spend a lot of time to build the relationship between their biological father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters and even their own life. Fallen man's entire life is focused on restoring these relationships. However, no thought is given to restore the relationship between God and men. In Mathew 22:35-40, Jesus shared about the order of love. First we must love God and then love the neighbors. The vertical relationship takes the priority compared to horizontal relationships. As men failed to connect to God, men could no longer connect to their fellow human beings. No matter how much men try to mend their relationship with God, it doesn't get restored as God was not present in each horizontal relationship established on earth. God wishes to part take and become the center of the fellowship between two individuals. In order to accomplish this, God had the greatest plan, which is to send Christ as the mediator. Christ to act as the mediator who takes the position of God and he came into this world to dwell and have fellowship with us. It is very evident, from the time Christ came into this world, he started making disciples, drawing men towards him which in turn draws us and connects us back to God. All the glory son Jesus receives goes to the father. Jesus wanted to show the way, show the intimate relationship of love which can be accomplished when connected with Christ. Christ wanted to be center of all the relationship just as God wanted to be center of all the relationship in this world.
Christ's main focus was to change our focus that is to center man's entire relationship in fellowship with God. And sending Christ as the mediator was the plan of God. By accepting the mediator, we accept God as well. Dwelling deeper to the time of Moses in Exodus 7:1, Moses was placed as God in front of the people next to him by God himself. However, old testament was shadow of the reality that was about to be accomplished through Christ Jesus, who is the one and only perfect mediator or in other words, the one who takes the place of Father God for more intimate fellowship.
Before the verse 26 in Luke 14, we can see great multitudes followed him, many for love and more for company, for where there are many there will be more. Those who undertake to follow Christ must count upon the worst and prepare accordingly. Following Jesus and having intimate relationship comes with a cost. In order to fill the love of Christ, one must empty the cup filled with other forms of love. If a cup is already full, it is hard to pour anything into it. In John 2:23-26, Jesus shows us that the kernel of wheat must fall to the ground and die, only then it can produce many seeds. Similarly, our previous relationships, thoughts and the way we used to live must die in order to establish the right relationship with God. One must lose in order to gain. This is the principle of kingdom of God. The one who empties will be filled by God.
We can see that peter's affirmation telling that disciples had left everything to follow Jesus in Mathew 19:27. In fact disciples, who were willing to follow, really left everything and their relationship was entirely centered on Christ. God's intention was that only when man leaves everything, he can have proper and fulfilling relationship which starts with God, which then later connects with others and multiplies into beautiful relationships. Once God becomes center for every moment and instance in a person's life and his relationships, God wanted man to connect and communicate with other as well. It is evident from the words of Jesus that once, the fallen world of love is restored, in other words once the order of love is recovered, God wants man to communicate and love others and gain hundred times as much.
No comments:
Post a Comment