Wednesday, April 24, 2013

What's In A Name


Introduction

            It happens to be one of the occupational hazards of being a pastor that people who believe in god generally, bristle at my insistence that we can only be united (reconciled) to God by and through Jesus Christ. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had over the years with people who claim to be quite enlightened about many things including spiritual matters who insist that there are many paths to God and that Jesus is only one such way. Perhaps you too have encountered such a person. In some cases, perhaps most cases, these people are woefully ignorant in spiritual matters. However, I believe there is something deeper and more sinister at work in their lives. Rather than insist that they are incorrect, I offer them a simple challenge: I will offer them the support for my position that Jesus is the one and only way to God and they must likewise offer the support for their position that there are many ways to God including Jesus. The only stipulation in the challenge is that our respective positions must be based on an authoritative set of principles outside ourselves. In other words, it can’t be what “I think” is the truth. You can probably see the obvious paradox if you are a believer but non-believers rarely recognize that they are living in darkness until they see the bright light of truth. A person can believe there are multiple ways to god or they can believe that Jesus is the only way to God but it is not possible to believe that there are multiple ways to god including Jesus. That is a lie according to the authority of the Bible. This leaves the unbeliever who says they believe in god or “some sort of higher power” (whatever that means), to either cleave to their position that there are multiple ways to god now excluding Jesus or they can accept that reconciliation with God is only possible through Jesus and no one and nothing else according to the Bible. Unfortunately, most of those who I have engaged with this challenge have opted for the former of the two, at least for now. Nevertheless, they can no longer deceive themselves into thinking that they have all their “bases covered” with their many-ways-to-god theology that previously included Jesus. They must now consider that if Jesus stands outside their all inclusive theological construct then it necessarily creates the possibility of another way; the way that is Jesus only. This is usually the point where those who engage me in this conversation become angry with me. There is only one way to heaven and eternity with God; there’s no special formula; there’s nothing we can do to get there; we must rely on the power of one person and one person only and his name is Jesus. I refuse to equivocate on this matter! Let’s look and see if the biblical record supports what critics call my narrow and exclusivist perspective.

Biblical Text

Acts 4:8-20
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11Jesus is  ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Context


We have to go back to the beginning of chapter three to find the cause of the confrontation in our subject text. Peter and John are in Jerusalem on their way to the temple in the middle of the afternoon. The Beautiful Gate (aka Golden Gate) entrance to the temple courts was a popular place for beggars to be positioned because of the high traffic flow in and out of the temple courts—this day was no different. As Peter and John were about to enter the temple courts they were confronted by a beggar who the text says was crippled from birth. Peter addresses the man directly by telling him that he doesn’t have silver or gold but is prepared to give the man something far more valuable—Peter invokes “the name of Jesus” and heals the man! Holding fast to Peter and John, the man enters the temple courts with them “walking, jumping and praising God.” You can imagine the scene when the people inside the temple recognized him walking and jumping around. It’s possible that some of these people where those who carried him to his place at the temple gate. In any event, the text says they were “astonished” when they saw him. In more popular English vernacular, they “freaked out” when they saw him. This sets the stage perfectly for Peter.
The people were filled with “wonder and amazement” with this miraculous healing. However, although we don’t know exactly when this takes place, the events of chapter two take place at the first Pentecost after Jesus death and resurrection which was 50 days after Passover. What does it matter? Well it wasn’t long before Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified that he performed many miracles right in the temple (Matt 21:14-16). Yet these people acted as though they had never witnessed anything so amazing. The people are clearly captivated by the miracle performed by Peter yet Peter uses the occasion to give credit specifically to Jesus. Peter reminds them that God established Jesus as the “Righteous One” and the “Holy” but that they and their leaders, in their ignorance, crucified Him. Nevertheless, Peter testifies to the fact that he was a witness to Jesus’ resurrection and it was the resultant faith in “the name of Jesus” that the crippled man was healed. Peter acknowledges their ignorance in the matter and implores them, now that they know the truth they must repent and turn from their sins and accept Jesus as the one who was appointed as their savior. Peter goes on to tell them how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophetic promises beginning with the promise to Abraham that through his offspring all the peoples of the earth would be blessed and when God sent Jesus, he first sent him to the Jews so that they could be first to be blessed and reconciled to God through the forgiveness of their sins.
While John and Peter were teaching the people, the temple guards and the Sadducees showed up and were upset that they were teaching about Jesus and the resurrection. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Peter and John were detained and put in jail until they could be questioned the next day. However, Peter’s purpose had been accomplished as the text tells us that many who heard his message became believers. The next day, Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders for questioning. They were asked by what power or by what name they were able to perform the miraculous healing at the temple the day before. The use of the term: “the name of Jesus” or “by what name” sets the stage for the climactic statement made by Peter in our subject text.


What’s In A Name


In our present day, parents usually give little thought to the meaning of the names they give their children. Names or a derivation thereof are often passed down from one generation to the next. Or perhaps a name is chosen based on personal preference (that’s how we picked the names of our children anyway). But in ancient Judaism, this wasn’t the case. Ideally, a name represented a person’s personality. Names may also be prophetic in nature; foretelling a person’s hoped-for destiny. A child’s name could also be a form of prayer that the person bearing the name will live up to the potential conveyed by the name. Let’s see how this works in relation to the name of Jesus.
            The name “Jesus” is the English translation of the Greek name Iesous. The ancient Hebrew translation is Yehoshua which is translated back to English as “Joshua” (I know it’s weird that it doesn’t translate back to “Jesus,” but that’s not really unusual. In fact, the Greek Iesous is translated as “Joshua” in Heb 4:8 so clearly the names are interchangeable at times). The Hebrew translation, Yehoshua, is derived from the same roots as the word signifying “Jehovah is salvation.” The name “Jesus” is significant because it means “God our Savior.” In this sense, the name of Jesus represents his personality; “Savior.” When the angel appeared to Joseph, while Mary was pregnant with Jesus, the angel said that Mary was to name the child Jesus because He would save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). In this respect, Jesus’ name is prophetic as it foretells his divine destiny. Consequently, Scripture tells us that, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:10-11a).” Can you see the personality trail? Let’s string the words and ideas from above together: Yehoshua = Jehovah + Savior = God our Savior. Jesus = Yehoshua; Jesus = God our Savior. So, What’s In A Name? The fullness of God in “Jesus” (Col 1:19)!

Text Analysis

            “Probably the most outstanding feature of apostleship as it is portrayed in Acts is the involvement of the Holy Spirit in apostolic ministry. The risen Jesus promised the apostles that they would receive power and be his witnesses when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:5, 8). Having been filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they proceeded to give their witness to the resurrection.”[1] In the setting of v. 8, Peter is addressing his message to the religious leaders as though the religious leaders alone were guilty of Jesus’ condemnation and death. Of course, we know this isn’t true as we witness the crowds generally calling for Jesus’ crucifixion in the Gospel accounts. Nevertheless, the harshest criticism is always reserved for the religious leaders because the heinous actions of the people began with the despicable plot hatched by the religious leaders.
            Peter begins in v. 9 by recalling the events that led up to their detainment in that they showed kindness to a crippled beggar by giving him the gift of healing. As usual, the religious leaders failed or refused to see the deeper meaning behind the healing of this simple beggar. Just as the miracles performed by Jesus authenticated who he was, the miracles performed during the apostolic age and even to this day attest to the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of the name of Jesus. Peter testifies to this effect by his statement if v. 10 as he credits the healing miracle to the power of the name of Jesus; the very Jesus they crucified, he reminds them, the one that is risen from the dead. “In the records that the Acts of the Apostles gives us of the preaching of apostles Peter and Paul, we find the death of Christ always has a place of central importance. In this preaching the human responsibility for the death of Christ is laid at the door of the Jews who handed him over to be crucified and of Pilate who condemned him to death, but it also makes clear that it was in fulfillment of the purpose of God in the Scriptures…His enemies did only what God’s own ‘power and will had decided beforehand should happen.’”[2]
            V. 11 is one of those prophetic threads we see weaving its way through the Bible. Only now do we see the rich tapestry produced by that thread. We first see these words in Psalm 118:22. The Jews naturally saw themselves as that “cornerstone/capstone” that was rejected representative of their designation as God’s chosen people yet oppressed throughout their history by various military super-powers. However, Jesus quickly added another dimension to their understanding when he described himself as the “cornerstone/capstone” that would be rejected (Lk 20:17). “The cornerstone was the most important stone in the building, used as the standard to make sure that the other stones of the building were straight and level. Israel’s leadership, like the builders looking for an appropriate cornerstone, would toss Jesus aside because he didn’t seem to have the right qualifications. They wanted a political king, not a spiritual one.”[3] The fact that Peter was standing before the religious leaders brings these words into sharp focus as Jesus, who they rejected, has become the cornerstone of an eternal structure—the Church.
            Most of us can identify something in our lives that we would never equivocate about. I have many of them; the love for my wife and kids comes immediately to mind. However, you may have others that you would identify and in doing so you use words like: Never, always, everything, nothing, etc. Those words represent a “line in the sand” that won’t be crossed. The truth about a “line in the sand” is that it often becomes a battle line as well. That’s what v. 12 represents in our subject text. Jesus is the way of salvation and there is “No Other” name that we can call on to save us. Period! For those of you who are as convinced of this as I am, what would it take to get you to cross that line in the sand? I’ll tell you what it would take for me; you’d have to kill me and drag my dead body across the line! For those of you who think that is harsh and exclusive, that is the force of the text in v. 12. You can pick at the words, you can dig through their various meanings, or you can put them into a larger theological context but the end result will always be the same. We are saved by Jesus and no one and nothing else. “Jesus was not simply a useful commodity given to men but a person who lived among them as the agent of God’s salvation. The general meaning of the clause is clear: Jesus Christ is the only source and ground of salvation available for mankind…If we are to be saved at all, it must be in this way, for there is no other.”[4]
            V. 13 begins a section of our subject text that just makes me scratch my head. The religious leaders have all the pieces of a puzzle that a child could assemble yet they are dumbfounded. They acknowledge that Peter and John were with Jesus, they knew what Jesus taught, they hear Peter and John teaching the same things; using the same words, yet they are astonished because they are “unschooled!” Nevertheless, Peter and John boldly confront those who are “schooled.” Don’t misunderstand the purpose of this text. This text is often incorrectly used to justify the belief that pastors must not be formally educated in order to lead a church; that is not the meaning of this text. The force of the text is intended to illustrate that that those who should have been the most qualified to recognize the Truth instead had Him nailed to a cross?[5] The religious leaders are truly befuddled. They recognize Peter and John as being unschooled yet they are eyewitnesses to the miracle healing as confirmed in v. 14. They just can’t seem to reconcile those two things. They never even seem to consider Peter’s testimony that the miracle was performed in the name of Jesus. It seems obvious that they completely ignored everything Peter said to them.
            In vv. 15-17 we get a peek into the world and hearts of the religious leaders. In v. 15 they send Peter and John out so that they can discuss the matter amongst themselves. Who knows, maybe the message got through to some of them and perhaps those who understood Peter and John’s message would be able to convince the others of the truth; or…maybe not. There never seems to be even the slightest consideration by the council of what Peter had to say. You would think that one of them would stand up and say, “Hey! What if they’re right and we’re wrong?” Instead, vv. 16-17 tell us that “The council was in a quandary. The apostles had performed an undeniable, widely publicized miraculous sign. The masses were gravitating toward this new sect. How could the religious leaders save face (in light of the obviously healed man), discourage further teaching and healing in the name of Jesus, and preserve the status quo? The solution was to order the apostles not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again. It seems as though they thought that their power and position could convince these men to be silent.”[6]
            Let me ask you a question, if you had the cure for cancer and someone told you to keep it to yourself, what would you do? I know, it’s a dumb question. But that’s in essence what the religious leaders tell Peter and John to do in v. 18. They tell them that they are free to go but that they can no longer “speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” The religious leaders have drawn their own line in the sand. What will the disciples do? What would you do? “Suppression of the press, control of the media, banning of books—the rulers always hope that there is some way to keep this sort of thing quiet, some way to control the people’s access to information. Unfortunately for the rulers, trying to keep spirit-filled apostles quiet is like trying to hold back a breaking wave.”[7] This was simple for Peter. He had previously given in to the fear of being associated with Jesus—not just once but three times he denied knowing Jesus. Not this time. He was an  eyewitness to the Truth! Even though Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah before he was crucified, his denial of Jesus when Jesus was brought before the religious leaders demonstrated that he lacked the necessary conviction of what he previously said he believed about Jesus. So what changed? The empty tomb, an encounter with the resurrected Christ, and being filled with the Holy Spirit—that’s what changed! Vv. 19-20 convince us that Peter and John knew the Truth and there was no way anyone would shut them up. There is a profound theological principal at work in the encounter with the religious leaders—simplicity. Let me show you: The crippled man was healed by the name of Jesus—simple; there is no name other than Jesus that can save us—simple; it is better to obey God than men—simple. This simplicity is common throughout all of Scripture. Plumbing the theological depths of God is no different than plumbing the depths of any person we love in order to know them better; more intimately. However, as important as it may be to pursue a deep understanding of a person with whom we are in a relationship with, we must never forget the simplicity of that relationship. With respect to the simplicity of our relationship with Jesus, the message is very simple, it is the kerygma passed down through the ages: Jesus is God incarnate—simple; lived a sinless life—simple; died on a cross as payment for our sins—simple; rose from the dead as the Conqueror of death—simple; ascended to heaven as Lord of all—simple; will one day return to judge the living and the dead—simple. We are saved when we believe this in our hearts and confess it with our mouths (Rom 10:9). This was the simple truth that Peter, John, the other Apostles and countless disciples confessed and continue to confess to this day even at the expense of their lives. What’s In A Name? We are saved when we call on the name of Jesus—that’s What’s In A Name!

Application

            This week, our country experienced another painful episode of terrorism. Of course many of you experience terrorism on a regular basis in your country so you’re unfortunate veterans at this sort of thing if that’s possible. However, when terrorism strikes us here in America, people naturally search for answers; for solutions to prevent future evil. I am always interested in reading and listening to the various reactions from people, particularly Americans who are unaccustomed to terrorism, about what it will take to stop such evil and violence. Since Muslims seem to again be behind this latest act of terrorism, many of the reactions were ridiculous as one might expect ranging from deporting all Muslims to hunting down Muslims and killing them. These are obviously childish and foolish solutions and would ultimately be ineffective. Thankfully, this is not the reaction of most thoughtful people. However, the solution still seems to elude many people even as the answer may be staring them right in the face. There is a power available to overcome the darkest evil and transform even the hardest of hearts. Many people in the last few days insist that the answer to combating evil in the world is love; all we need is love (sorry for the unintended Beatles song reference I couldn’t help myself). If we would just love one another then evil would cease to exist. Don’t be deceived! This sentiment makes sense only in a vacuum and we don’t happen to live in a vacuum! We live in a sinful, broken world where love is relative. For example, Muslims generally love other Muslims and love the god and religious system they have constructed. However, they hate just about everyone else that doesn’t love what they love. You see, love that is rooted in a lie does not have the power to transform humanity into something beautiful when it has been so grotesquely disfigured by sin. In order for love to transform evil into something beautiful, love must be rooted in truth. Once we accept that, then and only then, can we be saved from much of the evils of sin. Cowards become courageous; persecutors become advocates; those who seek retribution give way to forgiveness; and those who once hated develop a never ending capacity to love. It is only when humanity recognizes the power of transformation found in the name of Jesus that evil will find its match. For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)! Love is the answer, yes. But only love that is rooted in truth and the truth is that Jesus is humanity’s only hope of redemption and reconciliation. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). Love apart from Jesus is a lie and often only perpetuates evil, but love rooted in Jesus can and will change the world. Trust in the name of Jesus to transform and tell others about Jesus and the love that so many hope can change the world will become a reality. What’s In A Name? Try calling on the name of Jesus to save you and see what happens.



[1] Ralph P. Martin & Peter H. Davids, eds., Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997), p. 79.
[2] Walter A. Elwell, ed., Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996), p. 157.
[3] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 486)
[4] C. K. Barrett, The International Critical Commentary, Acts, Vol. 1, (Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark Ltd., 1994), pp. 232-233.
[5] It is true that there are many pastors in the world that are not formally educated yet God has called them to be pastors. They are magnificent pastors who serve God’s calling precisely the way God intends. However, most of those pastors do not have a formal theological education because it is not available to them. This is not justification for pastors not to pursue formal theological education if it is available to them. There are places in the world where men and women provide medical care without formal medical education. However, generally speaking, when medical education is available, medical education is required. This should be the principal in the case of pastors as well. Where theological education is available, theological education should be required. If we insist that the part of us that dies be cared for by the most educated medical professionals, why don’t we insist that the part of us that lives forever be cared for by the most educated theological professionals? Education, as demonstrated in our subject text, does not guarantee qualification but it is never a reason for disqualification. Conversely, lack of education does not guarantee disqualification but it is never a reason for qualification.
[6] Barton, et al., Life Application Commentary, pp. 486-487.
[7] William H. Willimon, Acts, Interpretation—A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1988), p. 49.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Finding Punchinello (Rewind)


Remembering Brennan Manning

            I don’t know about you but there are a few people in my life that have had a profound positive impact on my life. First and foremost is Jesus Christ who did what no one else could do for me—captured my life and soul for eternity. Second is my wife who has loved me during some very dark times in my life. She has seen the wounds and scars of a life growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father. Her deep love has been a healing balm for which I am grateful beyond words. Third are my daughters who have loved me without condition and honor me with their faith in Jesus and commitment to growing in Christian maturity. Finally, although I have many friends who have served to shape and transform me into the person I am and continue to become, one person stands out as a person who accurately identified my wounds and directed me toward the path of healing and wholeness, and I’ve never met the man. That person was Brennan Manning. Unfortunately, Manning died last week on 4/12/2013. One of the regrets I have is that I never tried to contact Manning to thank him for his teachings and the healing and transformation they brought to my life. Someday, when I see him, I’m going to thank him. For now, the author of Abba’s Child is finally at peace with his Abba in heaven. In honor of Brennan, I want to repost an earlier lesson derived from a cross-section of some of Manning’s significant writings.


(4/27/1934-4/12/2013)

            Born in New York City to Emmett and Amy Manning during the era of the Great Depression, Brennan Manning grew up in Brooklyn along with his brother, Robert, and sister, Geraldine. Manning graduated from St. Francis College majoring in philosophy and minoring in Latin. Thereafter he completed four years of advanced studies in theology. In 1963 Manning graduated from St. Francis Seminary and was ordained to the Franciscan priesthood.

In the late sixties, Manning joined the monastic order of the Little Brothers of Jesus. Among his various assignments, Manning became an aguador (water carrier), transporting water to rural villages via donkey and buckboard; a mason's assistant, shoveling mud and straw; a dishwasher in France; a voluntary prisoner in a Swiss jail; and ultimately a solitary contemplative secluded in a remote cave for six months in the Zaragoza desert.

In the mid-seventies, Manning moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he was engaged in campus ministry at Broward Community College. His successful ministry was abruptly interrupted, however, when he suffered a debilitating collapse into alcoholism. Six months of treatment culminating at the Hazelden treatment center in Minnesota restored his health and placed him on the road to recovery. It was at this point in his life that Manning began writing profusely. One book soon followed upon another. After years of declining health, Manning passed away at the age of 78.

Introduction

When my girls were little, Laura and I would read to them every night. One of my favorite stories was about a character by the name of Punchinello. Sometimes I still call the girls my little Punchinello as a term of endearment (that and I really like saying “Punchinello!”). We laugh and have a good time but for me the short story touched me deeply which is why I loved reading it to my girls. I often cried after reading the story when my girls were asleep. I wondered what it would feel like to hear the One who created me say: “I made you and I don’t make mistakes!”

I'm probably like lots of you in that I have been wounded by the words and actions of influential people early in my life; in my case an abusive, alcoholic father. Although I refuse to be a "victim" of those experiences, they have, nevertheless, served to shape my view of myself and by extension have impacted my relationships with people and with God. Much of my life has been marked by self hatred as well as feeling useless and worthless; words I heard growing up. Now, I offer this self-disclosure not for the purpose of evoking sympathy but to insist that even at 51 and a pastor who has counseled others about the folly of such self-hatred, I desperately need God's transformational power to heal the wounds of my life and learn just how valuable I am. Brennan Manning's teachings have been instrumental in helping me grasp a Biblical understanding of God—not so much from a theological perspective but from the perspective of the relationship between Father and child. I am far from having accepted the truths about what God thinks about me but the more time I spend with Him, the more I begin to believe His words when He says He loves me and that I am valuable. I know that I’m not alone in this struggle and I desperately wish I could just tell those of you who have been wounded that God loves you and values you and that if you would just accept that then all the awful things you think and feel about yourself would just magically change. But I know from my own life that it’s not that simple. It takes time for God to rewire who we think we are into who God has always known us to be. It’s not easy so I won’t patronize you by offering some three-step or ten-step method for changing the way you think about yourself. Instead, I want to invite you to just spend time with Him, read the precious words of Life revealed in his Word and let His words of love begin to transform your mind and heart. I promise, based on personal experience, that you will begin to see yourself changed from the person you think you are or should be to the person He knows you are—a child loved by the Creator. Brennan Manning’s writings have helped me in this regard.

Priest, author, lecturer, alcoholic and spiritual formation guide, Brennan Manning, has dramatically blessed my life through his writings. This lesson in spiritual formation and healing is taken from a cross-section of some of Manning's writings. However, before I start my lesson, I have to share the story of Punchinello with you!

You Are Special

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. All of the wooden people were carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Each Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.

And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people spent their days sticking stars or dots on one another. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots.

The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good! It made them want to do something else and get another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, his wood got scratched, so the people would give him more dots. Then when he would try to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid to do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one for no reason at all.

"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another.

"He's not a good wooden person."

After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had lots of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lucia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some of the Wemmicks admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Others would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.

That's the way I want to be, thought Punchinello. I don't want anyone's marks. So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.

"It's easy," Lucia replied, "Every day I go see Eli."

"Eli?"

"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."

"Why?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there." And with that the Wemmick who had no stickers turned and skipped away.

"But will he want to see me?" Punchinello cried out. Lucia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he decided to go see Eli.

He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name.

"Punchinello?"

The voice was deep and strong. Punchinello stopped.

"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."

Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he looked at the gray dots. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks."

"I didn't mean to, Eli, I really tried hard."

"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."

"You don't?"

"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you're pretty special."

Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."

Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this—much less his maker. He didn't know what to say.

"Every day I've been hoping you’d come," Eli explained.

"I came because I met someone who had no marks," said Punchinello.

"I know. She told me about you."

"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"

The maker spoke softly. "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."

"What?"

"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
"I'm not sure I understand."

Eli smiled. "You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. "Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door, "you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

Punchinello didn't stop, but in this heart he thought, I think he really means it. And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.[1]

(You can purchase this wonderful children's book beautifully illustrated by Sergio Martinez from Amazon.com.)

Introduction

The story of Punchinello may, on the surface, seem like a simple child’s tale but for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can see ourselves in the story and we can hear the words of the Master calling to us; bidding us to come and spend time with him to hear his words of life; healing words; loving words; in fact the Master’s intent is to give us the Word. Brennan Manning is much like Lucia from the child’s story; telling us there is a better way; always inviting us to experience the Master for ourselves. While Manning’s mission to spread the Good News of Christ’s unconditional love to the world seems simplistic in nature, like a child’s story, his understanding of how a person matures or is formed as a result of that unconditional love is far from simplistic. Instead, Manning emphasizes a number of different formational principles that are at times complex and interwoven so that two or three principles are at work simultaneously to guide believers along their path to spiritual formation. It would appear that based on Manning’s writings, many of his formational principles were either spiritually inspired during his contemplative seclusion in a cave in the Zaragosa desert or forged in the fire of brokenness during his first and recurring battle with alcoholism. The foundational principles of Manning’s concept of spiritual formation can generally be identified as, ruthless trust, accepted tenderness, elimination of self-hatred, intimate belonging and compassion. During the process of trying to determine if there is a systematic approach to Manning’s formational principles it became increasingly obvious that each element is in some way interdependent on one or more of the other elements. Consequently, no single element can be identified as the central concept upon which the others are dependent. Therefore, instead of understanding Manning’s view of spiritual formation as a systematic approach, it is best to consider his spiritual guidance as holistic as opposed to strictly sequential. Nevertheless, below is an attempt to describe each formational principle on its own merit and thereafter describe how Manning’s principles interact as a holistic approach to spiritual formation.

Ruthless Trust

In describing ruthless trust, Manning writes, “Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic...It requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.”[2] This is clearly a biblical concept as we find Jesus insisting that his disciples “Trust in God and trust in me [Jesus].” (John 14:1). But how is this level of trust transformational in the life of the believer? From a relational aspect, according to Manning, our level of trust with someone will have a tangible impact on the depth of our relationship with that person. Essentially, if I cannot trust you, I cannot love you. This is no different in our relationship with Jesus. If I cannot trust Jesus fully then I cannot love Jesus fully. Ruthless trust by necessity insists that we trust when trust is unreasonable or seemingly impossible. Nowhere does this ruthless trust manifest itself more clearly than when we trust that what Jesus did on the cross was sufficient to atone for our many sins. Since there is absolutely nothing we can do to atone for our own sins, we must trust that Jesus did what we could not. The depth of our trust will manifest itself in our actions in response to Jesus’ atonement on our behalf. If we ruthlessly trust in Jesus then we will surrender our lives to him. As a result, we are transformed through our relationship with Jesus and become more like him in thought, word and deed. If we do not trust Jesus fully, we will constantly try to supplement Jesus’ atonement with our own efforts to atone for our sins. In this way we move away from a relationship with Jesus. Manning writes that “Our trust in Jesus grows as we shift from making self-conscious efforts to be good to allowing ourselves to be loved as we are (not as we should be).”[3] It is important to note that if a person is unable to fully trust the Creator of the universe then it is not unreasonable to insist that such a person will have difficulty fully trusting anyone. As a result, relational depth is stunted with both God and neighbor.

Accepted Tenderness

It is an oft repeated sentiment by many that they find it difficult to believe that God lovingly accepts them as they are. With respect to this acceptance, Manning writes,

“When I accept in the depth of my being that the ultimate accomplishment of my life is me—the person I’ve become and who other persons are because of me—then living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness is not a technique, not a craft, not a Carnegian ploy of how to win friends and influence people, but a way of life, a distinctive and engaged presence to God, other ragamuffins, and myself.”[4]

Manning refers to God’s tenderness toward us as his “Fierce Mercy.” And it is this fierce mercy that transforms our lives. The Bible is replete with examples of God’s tenderness as fierce mercy. Some of the more poignant examples are Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery, Peter’s repeated denial, and ultimately the events of Jesus’ death on the cross. In each case, Jesus never reacts angrily toward the transgressors but instead tenderly offers forgiveness. Jesus offers forgiveness to a woman caught in adultery by calling into question the integrity of her accusers who are prepared to stone her. Jesus offers forgiveness to Peter who repeatedly insists that he would never deny his association with Jesus yet he does so not just once but three times. Finally, after being brutally beaten and then nailed to a cross, Jesus makes one of his most profound statements when he says, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk. 23:34) As a result, the woman caught in adultery became a devout follower of Jesus, Peter became one of the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem and died a martyr’s death in the name of the One he once denied knowing, and Jesus’ work on the cross still makes it possible for lost sons and daughters to come home to God. We are transformed when we accept God’s tenderness, according to Manning, because it changes our perspective on life and the world. Manning writes, “The way of tenderness affects our manner of being in the world rather than our manner of doing in the world.”[5]

Eliminating Self-Hatred

Self-hatred is perhaps one of the most crippling phenomena among mankind but particularly when it impacts the Church. “God’s mission in the world and his mission in his relationship with the individual believer is essentially a mission of overcoming self-hatred. For self-hatred is a barrier to love. We hate other people not because we love ourselves too much but because we are not able to love ourselves enough.”[6]

Unfortunately, much of our self-hatred inevitably manifests itself in our relationship with God and others. Manning recounts a fictional yet interesting story about a young back-woods boy who is painfully unpopular particularly among his peers. He ventures out one day and providentially encounters an injured turkey that he quickly kills and slings over his shoulder as he heads to town. Once in town, he is lauded as a kind of hero by the townsfolk as he retells the story of his good fortune. All the way out of town he is praising God for his provision until the town bullies apprehend him at the edge of town and take his turkey from him. Thereafter, all the way home the boy repeatedly chastises himself for displaying obvious pride and joy over his good fortune certain that God must have been angry and thus relieved him of his vaunted trophy. Of this attitude Manning writes,

“Our God is the One who benevolently gives turkeys and then capriciously takes them away. When he gives them, they are a sign of his interest, favor, and good pleasure with us. We feel comfortably close to God and are spurred to the heights of generosity. When he takes them away, it is a sign of his displeasure, rejection, and vengeance. We feel cast off by God. He is fickle, unpredictable, and whimsical. He builds us up only to let us down. He relentlessly remembers our past sins and vindictively retaliates by snatching the turkeys of good health, wealth, inner-peace, empire, success, and joy.”[7]

Why is this our view of God? Primarily, according to Manning, it is due to our self-hatred. In essence, we project onto God how we think he feels about us based on how we feel about ourselves. But this is a crucial error in our understanding of God and how he views us. Manning writes, “[Thus,] if we feel hateful toward ourselves, we assume that God feels hateful toward us. But we cannot assume that He feels about us the way we feel about ourselves—unless we love ourselves compassionately, intensely, and freely.”[8] Ultimately, we begin to be transformed and set free from our self-hatred when we learn to see ourselves as beloved children of the Father.

Intimate Belonging

Everyone wants to belong—for our degree of belonging will have a direct impact on our sense of identity. For example, being abused, neglected or abandoned, in many cases, forges a sense of uselessness/worthlessness. Conversely, being loved and cared for builds a strong sense of security and the freedom to be all that God intended for us to be. Manning writes, “Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.”[9] Paul’s letter to the Galatians reminds us that God’s relationship with us through Jesus necessarily defines us when he writes,

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Gal 4:4-7)

Manning insists that there is tremendous transformation in the realization that we are beloved children of the Father—the Creator of the universe.

“We are children, perhaps, at the very moment when we know that it is as children that God loves us—not because we have deserved his love and not in spite of our undeserving, not because we try and not because we recognize the futility of our trying; but simply because he has chosen to love us. We are children because he is our father, and all our efforts, fruitful and fruitless, to do good, to speak truth, to understand, are the efforts of children who, for all their precocity, are children still in that before we loved him, he loved us, as children, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”[10]

Compassion

How we treat others can have as much or greater transforming affect on our own lives as it does on those with whom we interact. Compassion is one of those acts that can impact and transform us disproportionately compared to the person or persons on whom we have compassion. For example, when Jesus wept over Jerusalem, his compassion had little if any impact on the people of Jerusalem but it had a dramatic affect on him. However, most of the time, compassion will have a palpable impact on the recipient of that compassion. Manning observes that,

“A Christian who doesn’t merely see but looks at another [compassionately] communicates to that person that he is being recognized as a human being in an impersonal world of objects, as someone and not something. If this simple psychological reality, difficult and demanding as it is, were actualized in human relationships, perhaps 98 percent of the obstacles to living like Jesus would be eliminated.”[11]

What do you see when you look at another—especially someone who has hurt you? What if we could see that person with the eyes of a triage doctor as opposed to an executioner? Who would be changed—you, the offender or perhaps both? Whether or not Manning’s assumption about the efficacy of compassionate interaction is completely accurate is not really the point. More important is the fact that compassion can and does have dramatically transformative power. Manning makes this clear when he continues,

“In Jesus’ reaction to Peter we see that no man was ever freer of pressures, conventions, or addictions. Jesus was so liberated from the dominating barrage of desires, demands, expectations, needs, and inflexible emotional programming that he could accept the unacceptable. He did not have to resort to screams, vicious attacks, or undue threats. He communicated his deeper feelings to Peter by a look. And that look [of compassion] transformed and re-created Peter.”[12]

Every time we show compassion to someone, we become more and more like Jesus. The closer we get to what Manning calls “indiscriminate compassion,” the more we are transformed into the image of Christ and the more we begin to love our neighbors as ourselves—especially when those neighbors are particularly unlovable. In this respect, Manning writes, “The insistence on the absolutely indiscriminate nature of compassion within the Kingdom is the dominant perspective of almost all of Jesus’ teachings.”[13]

Summary

            Clearly, no single principle is more important than the others. Additionally, there is not an inherent progression whereby a person can complete one then go to another. Instead, Manning’s principles are interrelated and interdependent as part of his holistic approach to spiritual formation. If you go back and read the story of Punchinello, see if you can pick up on the correlation between Lucado’s beautiful yet simple children’s story and Manning’s principles for spiritual formation. We can trust ruthlessly when we realize that we belong intimately to a loving Father. As a necessary part of that intimate belonging, be begin to accept God’s tenderness that can only be described as fierce mercy in light of the grotesque nature of our sin. Ultimately, what grows out of the relationship of intimate belonging with God that can only be possible through God’s tender acceptance of who we are and not who we want or think we should be, is a sense that we need not hate ourselves because we may, in fact, be quite likeable. Once we begin to let go of our self-hatred, we are better able to stop focusing on our own shortcomings and begin seeing with eyes of compassion a lost and hurting world around us desperately in need of life-giving transformation available through Christ.

Final Thoughts on Brennan Manning

            As I said at the beginning, I regret never having tried to tell Brennan how his teachings provided healing and guidance for my life. If I could go back, I would try to tell him. Unfortunately, I can’t do that. However, I have vowed to do what I can to reach out to those who have touched and transformed my life through their words and deeds regardless of where they might reside. You might consider doing the same before you are no longer able to and suffer the same regrets. You might be surprised at the transformative power your acknowledgment will have—on you! This week, in honor of Brennan Manning, reach out to someone who has invested in you either knowingly or unknowingly and share your heart with them.

Special Guest Announcement

            I want to take this opportunity to let you all know about an upcoming lesson on redemption I will be posting sometime in the next few weeks. As you know, I don’t normally announce my lessons in advance but this will be a very special lesson. As part of the lesson, I have been granted the opportunity to interview Michael Franzese so I can bring you his story. I heard Michael speak many years ago on The Jim Rome Show, a nationally syndicated sports talk show, and I just couldn’t forget about him after all these years. When I decided on this lesson, Michael was the first person I thought of to tell his story to my readers. Here’s a taste of what’s in store for you:

“Michael Franzese grew up as the son of the notorious Underboss of New York’s violent and feared Colombo crime family. At his most affluent, he generated an estimated $5 to $8 million per week from legal and illegal businesses. It was a life filled with power, luxury…and deadly violence.
“Just a few years ago, mafia boss, Michael Franzese was named one of the biggest money earners the mob had seen since Al Capone, by Vanity Fair. At the age of 35, Fortune Magazine listed him as number 18 on its list of the ‘Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses’, just 5 behind John Gotti.
“Michael Franzese is the only high ranking official of a major crime family to ever walk away, without protective custodies, and survive.
Michael’s compelling story of fame, power, prestige, love and fear has been featured throughout the country on high profile media. Most recently, he was featured on the following networks: Fox News, Life Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, GQ, L.A. Times, 48 Hours, Sean Hannity’s Great American Panel, The Today Show, Nightline, ABC Primetime, NBC Nightly News, ESPN, HBO Real Sports, and The Jim Rome Show.

            In preparation and anticipation of the upcoming lesson, I hope you all have the chance to visit Michael’s website and order his books. You can have access to order any of Michael’s materials at www.michaelfranzese.com. If you haven’t heard about Michael and don’t know his story, then you’d better strap yourself in tight and be prepared to have your world rocked by his amazing story of redemption. Make sure you share the news with your friends and subscribe to my weekly lessons so you don’t forget and miss this one. I don’t know exactly when it will be published so make sure you don’t miss it.


[1] Max Lucado, You Are Special, (New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1997), pp. 7-31.
[2] Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust, (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2000), 3-4
[3] Ibid., 92
[4] Brennan Manning, The Wisdom of Tenderness: What Happens When God’s Fierce Mercy Transforms Our Lives, (New York, NY : HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2002), 3
[5] Ibid., 6
[6] Brennan Manning, The Importance of Being Foolish: How to Think Like Jesus, (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2005), 107
[7] Brennan Manning, A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred, (New York: HarperCollins, Inc., 2003), 4
[8] Brennan Manning, Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2002), 19
[9] Ibid., 60
[10] Ibid., 95
[11] Manning, Being Foolish, 110
[12] Ibid., 111
[13] Manning, Abba’s Child, 75