How much does it mean?

Feeling the need to read something a little deeper than a lot of the material around today I have taken Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship off my shelf for a re-read. It would be easy to put it straight back on the shelf as in the first line of the Foreword we read one of his most famous quotes:

‘When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die.’

Of course some eight years after writing this book Bonhoeffer did in fact die as a martyr hung by the Nazi’s on April 9 1945 at Flossenburg Concentration Camp. His brother and two brothers-in-law were also executed as traitors for standing for Jesus Christ instead of Adolph Hitler.

This book flowed out of the growing tide of fascism in Germany during the 1930’s. Dietrich spoke against cheap grace and instead compared it to costly grace:

‘Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field, for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy for which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his net and follows him.’

I couldn’t simply keep on writing after putting in the above quote. The words caused me to stop and reflect on my own journey of faith.

You may have noticed that there is a move in the Education Department, via the NSW State government, to introduce an ethics class for those children who are classified as ‘non-Scripture’ kids, to give a secular alternative for those choosing not to be involved in the Scripture classes. Since when did Scripture become an ethics class whereby other kids need an alternative ‘non-religious’ view? I certainly don’t teach Christian ethics at my classes. To steal from a guy named Paul back in the New Testament, as best as I can, I teach Christ and him crucified!

It would be easy to blame the Premier of NSW (Who has got the job this week by the way?) but I believe that we can trace it back to the cheap grace that has seemingly convinced so many followers of Jesus today. Christianity is basically about being good people. Follow the golden rule, whatever the heck that means, and do unto others before they do it unto you!

Jesus and a few mates went for a mountain walk one day and when they reached the top they had a meeting with Moses and Elijah. Now, the fact that Moses and Elijah hadn’t been around for a few hundred years didn’t seem to faze Jesus though his friends were a little taken aback. Having had the mountain top experience they came back down to witness the rest of the gang struggling to heal a young demon possessed man.
I can tend to get too caught up in a Scripture story, so take your own look at Mark 9:14-19 and work out your own feelings about Jesus’ mood. Me, I do tend to think that Jesus is less than pleased. The man’s father says to Jesus ‘If you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ I love the response of Jesus – ‘If you are able! – All things can be done for the one who believes.’

When Jesus was hanging from the cross that first Good Friday they were all gathered there. We find some of his followers, family and friends. We will also find his accusers and his executioners; maybe the recently released Barabbas was looking on? The religious, the righteous, the poor and the rich were all spectators. He had a couple of companions hanging either side of him for company that day. There was a point in the crucifixion when Jesus uttered the memorable words: ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’

Was Jesus simply asking forgiveness for those who had brought him to this place - Those evil men wearing the black hats? Or do we all need to hear those words today? Cheap grace or costly grace? Have we left any nets lately?