Being the Church - Following and Practising the Way of Jesus.

Being with Jesus in Simplicity

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:1-5).

I. TO BEGIN WITH JESUS, COME TO HIM SIMPLY LIKE A CHILD:

Jesus likens trusting faith for entering the Kingdom of God as becoming like a `’little child.”

The word for “little child” is Paidion, identifying a very young child, sometimes even an infant. This particular child was perhaps a toddler, just old enough to run to Jesus when He called him to Himself.

A child is rarely torn by competing allegiances, or tormented by anxiety and stress.

In a normal, healthy family environment the small child’s world is simple. It is a call - sometimes an unconscious call - to be dependent; be obedient; be trusting; be loved and live within the joy and freedom of that ideal.

The way to see the importance of this is to see it in Luke’s Gospel in connection with what comes next in Luke 18:15-16:

“People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

This incident is immediately followed by Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler who excluded himself from the Kingdom of God because of his preoccupation with riches and the cares of this life

In contrast to the little child who is so dependent on parents for provision, this Rich Young Ruler relied on himself and his riches to get him through life and hopefully but him entry into the Kingdom of God.

How misguided but how like us he is. The complicated life of an adult who is bound by the need to earn our way and secure our path and the cumber of this! It gets in the way and if we are not careful it can rob us of our souls!

That is why Jesus says: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”(Luke 18:24-25)

II. TO CONTINUE WITH JESUS REQUIRES A CAREFUL AVOIDANCE OF HARMFUL DISTRACTIONS WHICH CAN BECOME IDOLS:

It is interesting that John ends his Epistle to his Christian readers by saying “Dear friends keep yourself from idols”(1 John 5:21) and Paul in Timothy warns: “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10

The child lives simply; the adult, Rich Young Ruler type lives a complicated struggle every day with conflicting priorities, some of which endanger the soul, especially being “eager for money”

So Paul says, “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10.

We agonize over what to do. We are anxious about the future and we struggle continuously with the tension of not being able to to serve God and "mammon" (see Mt 7:24).

This results in an internal conflict because obviously earning a living is important and necessary BUT money can easily become an idol we serve and a desirable lover that we cannot give up and then we are in danger of putting other gods before God.

Incidentally this is why there are so many warnings in the Bible about worshipping idols and why we must never fall into the trap of thinking that these passages do not apply to us today in the secular West - after all, the gods of our secular materiel world, the gods of sport or celebrity or fashion or technology; of architecture or of education are worshipped just as much as the old gods of wood; stone and rpecious metal.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares: “Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing [i.e., treating as one's highest allegiance and top priority] what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honours and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. ... Idolatry rejects the unique lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God.” (2113).

When Jesus calls us into His Kingdom He warns us against the god of mammon

This challenges the notion of our modern world that the good life is found in the accumulation of stuff - “Contemporary culture is plagued by a passion to possess. The unreasoned boast abounds that the good life is found in accumulation, that ‘more is better.’ Indeed, we often accept this notion without question, with the result that the lust for affluence in contemporary society has become psychotic.” - Richard Foster. The Freedom of Simplicity.

We live in a desires culture not a needs culture and we begin to associate our meaning and purpose with the things we desire - what we wear; drive; where we live, etc defines us. Complicated and more and more expensive lives result as we are unconsciously manipulated by around 5000 adverts a day, consuming twice as much material goods as we did 50 years ago.

Jesus in contrast declares:“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”(Lk 12:15) and in another place, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”(Mark 8:36-37).

This is an ever present danger and it occupied a a lot of Jesus’ teaching - about 25% of his teaching is on the dangers of materialism and the love of money which is “a root of all kinds of evil”(1 Tim 5).

So Christians are called to keep themselves from “the love of money”(Heb 13).

“The sinful worship of Mammon does not consist in eating and drinking and wearing clothes. . .for the needs of this life and of the body make food and clothing a requirement. But ...consists in being concerned about it and making it the reliance and confidence of your heart” -Martin Luther

If we live our lives rich in possessions but not “rich towards God” then we will have everything we need for time but nothing that we need for eternity!

Question 1- How does/should the Bible’s teaching on money, wealth and possessions challenge us with respect to how we live our lives?

III. TO BE WITH JESUS REQUIRES A CAREFUL CULTIVATION OF SIMPLE OBEDIENCE:

Richard Forster defined simplicity as "The inward reality of single-hearted focus upon God and His kingdom, which result in an outward lifestyle of modesty, openness, and unpretentiousness and which disciplines our hunger for status, glamour and luxury.”

A “single-hearted focus upon God and His Kingdom” accords with Jesus teaching to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” and then to trust him for all other things that we need to get by!

Soren Kierkegaard defined purity of heart for the Christian as: "Purity of heart is to will one thing." To will whatever God wills, and that's all. Not to try to serve two masters, or three or four. To have just one King on the throne of your heart.

Think of it like this. A Christian living a simple life and the there is nothing simpler than beginning it as a child; resting in the arms of Jesus; trusting him for our daily bread and his everyday guidance of our lives, simply doing His will each day as He guides us - that the Lord’s prayer! That’s simple, childlike, unquestioning obedience.

This is not easy! We live in the world, but our hearts and minds are to be citizens of God’s kingdom, which has a much different value system than we experience every day.

Its tricky because there are “all kinds of greed”(Luke 12:13) - it doesn’t have to be just about money; it can be other kinds of material stuff; inordinate desires of any kind, including sexual desire, reputational status, etc.

It’s also difficult because sometimes the good stuff that comes our way is available as a reward for our labour and is well deserved - “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” It’s so easy to make the subtle shift in life from hard-worker to full time consumer where me and my desires become the most important thing in life and to forget that nothing is ever earned in isolation of others and those who helped contribute to our riches deserve a share of the spoils.

It is also very tough because it is counter-cultural as we really do like the easy life and we don’t necessarily want to explore this route! The discipline of simplicity allows us to live in freedom from things that clamor for our attention but do not fulfill our souls.

The way of Jesus calls us to create space—in our schedules, in our homes, in our finances—for what really matters.

It calls us to life with Jesus, to abide in his goodness, and enjoy life to the full in the Kingdom of God.

This discipline calls us to remember our identity is in Christ and to put Him above all others.

It calls us to put Him first; simply obey and make an impact in His Kingdom!

Why should we practice simplicity? because it helps us to focus in on the intentions of God and frees us from being burdened with all the things we think are so important. It is in short to “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”(Matthew 6:25-34), to invest our life in the things that God is doing in the world and trust Him to take care of us.

APPLICATION:

Now there is no question that the life of simplicity is tough!

Iin this area, as in all others, I cannot say; “follow me as I follow Christ” because I am not even scratching the surface here when it comes to practising these disciplines, I am a learner on this, not much of a teacher and I need to learn from others who are further down the line than me:

By simplicty we mean “the arrangement of life around a few consistent purposes, explicitly excluding what is not necessary to human wellbeing.” (Dallas WIllard. The Spirit of the Disciplines)

Simplicity is an inward reality that becomes an outward lifestyle.

I thought about this on Monday eveing when I decided to take an evening walk with God and Maggie my dog - Maggie wouldn’t interupt much and I reflected on how simple the lives of birds and flowers really are! Birds feed on what they find are clothed with their own feathers, and shelter in their carefully made nests and yet they are alert and alive to God in way that I am not, Likewise the flowers of the field, depend on God for their growth; sustenance from the soul and beauty for the totality of their short lives! That made me think hard about how compliated my life has become, even my faith has become in the face of simple trust and abandonment upon God. I have much to learn about simplicity!

And this led me to reflect upon Everlyn Underhill’s words: “Consider that wonderful world of life in which you are placed, and observe that its great rhythms of birth, growth and death--all the things that really matter--are not in your control. That unhurried process will go forward in its stately beauty, little affected by your anxious fuss. Find out, then, where your treasure really is. Discern substance from accident. Don’t confuse your meals with your life, and your clothes with your body. Don’t lose your head over what perishes. Nearly everything does perish: so face the facts, don’t rush after the transient and unreal. Maintain your souls in tranquil dependence on God: don’t worry; don’t mistake what you possess for what you are. Accumulating things is useless. Both mental and material avarice are merely silly in view of the dread facts of life and death...The simpler your house, the easier it will be to run. The fewer the things and the people you ‘simply must have,” the nearer you will be to the ideal of happiness--’as having nothing, to possess all.” -From The House of the Soul and Concerning the Inner Life by Evelyn Underhill

Simplicity becomes a resistance against the way of the world’s gluttony’ selfishness and self-absorption, making peace with ourselves in contentment and blessing.

So what should I do in the face of this teaching:

SIMPLIFY MY HEART

In the creation story we see that the entire creation is dependent upon God. We have no independent existence, no self-sustaining ability apart from God.

All we are and all we possess is given to us by God - “We are not the captains of our souls nor the masters of our fates. We are part of the created order and hence totally dependent. Our posture is not one of arrogant acquisition, but of simple trust. What we have or ever will have come from his gracious hand...Our value is not tied to wealth, status, accomplishments, or position. It is a gift….The terrible reality of the fall was nothing more than a repudiation of our dependence upon God. Adam and Eve took to themselves what God had forbidden. They said, in effect, “We will provide for ourselves.” …Independence always comes at a high price, and especially so when it involves a rejection of the gracious provision of God. Simplicity means a return to the posture of dependence. Like children we live in a spirit of trust. What we have we receive as a gift.” Richard Foster, The Freedom of Simplicity

To simplify your heart requires that you recongise that all that you possess comes from God and is loaned to you. You do not really own it and you cannot keep it or take it away.

Think again of Luke 12:16-17. “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Notice he claimed ownership of something that God’s earth produced for him! That’s rude!

Think of James 1:17 when he says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” or Paul’s words in Acts 17:34-36 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

This reminds us that all that we are and have comes from God. This simple truth can free us from the pressures, worries and strivings we experience daily.

When we stop to acknowledge that God is the author of everything, we realize there is someone else in charge. God gives to us each day in so many different ways.

“We have forgotten the gracious hand which has preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving Grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. “ -Abraham Lincoln

To simplify my heart I need to understand that I simply need to receive what He offers.

This means believing He really wants to give us good things and that His love for us compels Him to care for us. It also means being content with what He gives us and not living in envy or discontent about what we don’t have.

2. SIMPLIFY MY LIFESTYLE

Desire of the heart must lead to discipline of the life or the desire will die. Disciplines lead an idea from our heart to our lifestyle.

Instead of always striving for the next great thing; the next great outfit or gadget, etc ask yourself, shouldn’t I take time to ask whether this adds value to my life.

Will it interfere with the life I could be living? Will it prevent me from giving time to the most important things in life? Will it teach me to be happier and more content with my life

Paul testifies:“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.” Philippians 4:10-14

“There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.” G.K. Chesterton

Desire less - be Content!

Now the concept of CONTENTMENT goes hand in hand with SIMPLICITY:

Simplicity does not require us to be be ascetics and take a vow of poverty. Clearly there are rich Christians who have been blessed by God and entrusted with the riches they have.

Most of us are rich Christians when compared with many of our impoverished brethren elsewhere but we are not been asked to despise or reject our benefits and blessings - though some are called to “sell all they have and follow” Jesus. This is not the calling upon most of our lives.

By simplicity we reject both materialism and asceticism and what we are left with is “the biblical way of generosity, which in turn is linked with simplicity. Simplicity is not to be understood in 'nothing' but 'enough.' When we consider the needs of the poor, and indeed the needs of world mission, then there is a challenge to generosity - something that can always be increased as we simplify our lifestyle. This is a sensitive area, for simplicity can easily become pharisaical when we begin to bring our opinion and judgement to bear on how others should simplify their lifestyle. (And particularly pharisaical if others should suggest how we might simplify our lifestyle!) The reality is that we are all extravagant in different ways. Voluntary simplicity of lifestyle is a way to increase our generosity."’ John Hosier

Question 2 - How might we teach ourselves to desire less?

3. ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP

Jesus said to his disciples, “If any man would come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life, for me will find it.”

What does it mean to deny yourself, to try to save your life and to lose it for Christ, only to find real life again. C.S. Lewis helps us here: “The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked – the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.” (C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity).

The challenge of discipleship is to “SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher.

He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience" (originally published as "Resistance to Civil Government"), an argument for disobedience to an unjust state.

Thoreau often escaped from civil society and went to live in the woods in a small naturally built house near Walden pond. Why? Because he worried that the stuff of life was robbing us of life - “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”

When asked to explain why he went to live in the woods he replied: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life..”

Simplicity leads to the life where you can get rid of the clutter.

Simplicity is an inward reality which results in a lifestyle free of cumber.

Simplicity is a practice of letting things go. Trusting God.

So let’s be practical here - Richard Foster in the Celebration of Discipline outlines Ten Principles (not rules) for Expressing Simplicity Outwardly:

Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status or prestige.

Learn the difference between a real need and an addiction. Then find support and accountability to regain “sobriety,” freedom from addiction.

Develop a habit of giving things away.

Avoid unnecessary and short-lived technological gadgets that promise to “save time.”

Enjoy things without owning them. For example, take advantage of public libraries and parks.

Nurture awe and appreciation for nature.

Spend more time outdoors!

Get out—and stay out—of debt.

Use plain, honest speech. Say what you mean and keep your commitments.

Reject anything that oppresses others. For example, buy Fair Trade products.

Seek God’s kingdom of love and justice foremost. If anything distracts you from that purpose, let it go.

Question 3 - Thinking of the Ten Principles for expressing simplicity as suggested by Richard Foster how you do or might you find some of these helpful or challenging to adopt?

“May God give you--and me--the courage, the wisdom, and the strength always to hold the kingdom of God as the number one priority of our lives. To do so is to live in simplicity.” -Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Talk about - Spiritual Exercise:

This may be too delicate in a small group but Richard Foster encourages people, either individually or in groups, to evaluate the ‘things’ in your life to which you are inordinately attached-whether people, places, technology, work or possessions which is seriously impeding a life of simplicity.

If you have an unhealthy attachment to something that is causing a problem in your spiritual life, we encourage you to meet with a trusted friend to talk about it. Pray together. Ask for accountability.

Talk about how letting go of this thing would bring greater freedom and simplicity in your life.

As you seek God, figure out a strategy for doing this.

If it is too overwhelming, consider talking to a pastor in your life about it.

“Father, I want to know thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up it’s toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God