Costly Grace by Jon Walker (Lesson Two)

Becoming Like Jesus in Our Suffering

And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.” And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”  Mark 8:31-38

Often times when we respond to the call of Jesus, like Peter, our discipleship breaks down when we find ourselves in disagreement with Jesus. We retreat from the reality of it all back into the shadows of our finite thinking. Jesus explains that he must suffer and be rejected, but this doesn’t match Peter’s image of what the Messiah should be. In a sense, the apostle disengages the mind of Christ. He stops thinking like someone who lives in the kingdom of heaven and, ignoring the Father’s wisdom, insists on the right to decide, not only for himself but also for Jesus.

The strong rebuke from Jesus is because Peter’s insistence is nothing short of an assault on God’s sovereignty. As Bonhoeffer notes, suffering and rejection are “laid upon Jesus as a divine necessity and every attempt to prevent it is the work of the devil, especially when it comes to his own disciples; for it is in fact an attempt to prevent Christ from being Christ.” Bonhoeffer adds that, in suffering, Jesus bears the whole burden of humankind’s separation from God. Our sin costs Jesus and, in light of his suffering, we can no longer pretend that grace is cheap. In truth, Bonhoeffer says, Jesus must not only suffer; he must also be rejected. Otherwise he says, a suffering messiah may appear as something heroic and “all the sympathy and admiration of the world might have been focused on his passion.” But Jesus is a rejected messiah and that “robs the passion of its halo of glory.” He dies without honor, despised and rejected.

The cost of discipleship, then, is this: The way we become like Jesus is through suffering and rejection. Jesus became the Christ because he was rejected and suffered, and for us to become his disciples—to become like Christ—we must share in his rejection, suffering, and crucifixion.

As we learn to think like Jesus, Bonhoeffer says our perspective on suffering and rejection will change from fearful avoidance to redemptive endurance. We will come to understand that enduring the cross is not a tragedy; rather, it is the fruit of “an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ.”

Jesus always brings us to a choice. The road is hard and the gate is narrow into the kingdom of heaven. The student is not greater than the master and the master is calling you to follow him regardless of the suffering and rejection this may bring.

• So, are you willing to suffer? Are you prepared to be rejected? And why should we do that?

(Because the suffering of Jesus is redemptive. It leads us into an intimate and eternal communion with God, where we can approach the throne of grace boldly and with confidence. Bonhoeffer says, “Just as Christ maintained his communion with the Father by his endurance, so his followers are to maintain their communion with Christ by their endurance.”)

• If suffering and rejection lead to intimacy with the Father, could it be the inability of so many of us to go deeper with God lies in our fear of suffering and rejection? Is it possible our avoidance of these things keeps us in the shallow waters of discipleship?
• What does it mean to take up your cross?

(Bonhoeffer notes that the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise God fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls us, he bids us come and die. Our death—the way we join with the death of Jesus; the way we carry his death within us (2 Corinthians 4:10)—may be leaving the home we love or a job that has become comfortable, very much like the first disciples did to follow Jesus. Or it may be leaving the comfort and predictability of our religious tradition. Regardless, it is the same death every time. We die to the old life in order to live in the new life of costly grace. We die to our own desires and demands. Every day we are given a choice to obey or not to obey Jesus as we face off with sin and the devil.)

• Will you obey Jesus even if it means you will suffer and be rejected or will you limit your obedience only to situations that keep you comfortable?

Becoming Like Jesus in Our Loyalty

If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.   Luke 14:26

The call of Jesus isolates us from family and friends, nationality and tradition—and that is exactly how God intends it. Jesus calls you, not a group. He requires that you stand alone before him in an intimate, face-to-face relationship. You are responsible for your own decision to follow him or not to follow. You are responsible for your own obedience or disobedience. Absolutely no one can stand between you and Jesus and that is why he sounds so stern whey he says you cannot be his disciple unless you love him more than any other.

We believe Jesus is the path, the way to the Father. We believe his death and resurrection created the bridge for us to cross into the kingdom of heaven. But he also clears the path by insisting that we adhere exclusively to him, that we, “rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly” (Hebrews 12:1).

• Pastor Vance Havner once said, “Jesus demands greater allegiance than any dictator that ever lived. The difference is that Jesus has a right to it!” Do you agree?

When we buy into cheap grace, we assume, since we are forgiven, that we can now go back and relate to others as if we are not connected to Jesus. But we can’t do that anymore than someone who’s just gotten married can go back to former lovers and try to maintain a relationship with them that does not recognize the marriage. We are in union with Jesus just as a married couple is in union with each other.

Bonhoeffer adds that the world is full of little gods who want to retain their hold over us and that is why the world is so bitterly opposed to Christ. Some of those little gods are us—we refuse to relinquish our independence from Jesus, insisting we can receive forgiveness but then return to a life of independent living.

• Your choice: Will you choose Jesus or will you choose the other person/people in your life?

Becoming Like Jesus by Developing His Character

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus calls us to a life of total dependency on him, but it is not a dependency of weakness. If we say we’re dependent upon air, we don’t consider our dependency a weakness. We understand the air sustains our life.

The entire Sermon on the Mount is a series of contrasts between institutional religion and an intimate relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. In each segment, the prefect righteousness of Jesus exposes the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, the arrogance of all our attempts to pull heaven down to us even as we stand before the one who came to bring us up to heaven.

Jesus says the very things the religious leaders value—such as power, position, prestige, and patronage—are of no value to him but these people before him, who appear to be of no consequence, who are poor and desperate are of the highest value to him.

In a sense he says you must move from fallen thinking to kingdom thinking and this means those who appear to be losers will win in the end; those who appear to be poor are of immense wealth to me; those who are weak will become strong through me.

You cannot live in the mythology of self-righteousness any longer. You cannot cling to your delusions of being good and nice and better than most. I am here to expose the lies you believe but I am generous in victory. I desire mercy over sacrifice. I don’t need you to jump through hoops; I need you to trust in me, and to follow.

Jesus calls us into a community of believers, where Bonhoeffer says, “the poorest, meekest, and most sorely tried of all men is to be found—on the cross at Golgotha.” With Jesus we lose it all, but with Jesus we find it all.

• Will you try harder to be a Christian or will you trust Jesus to develop his characteristics in you?
• Will you set your heart and mind on the things above (your new life in the kingdom of heaven) or will you keep focused on the things below (your old life)?

Becoming Like Jesus in Influence

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:13-16

If you are a disciple of Jesus, you carry responsibility. Your connection to Jesus gives you influence, but that also makes you responsible for how you use your influence. You cannot be a disciple of Jesus and fail to carry his influence. This is the cost of grace. This is the cost of your connection to Jesus. This is why Jesus tells you to count the cost before you follow him. This connection transforms you into a necessary influence in your corner of the world. Your saltiness will help them to see the truth—that the whole world is groaning under its slavery to decay, but we have a confident hope that God will set us free.

Jesus says, “…if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out…” Some think this means to try harder—or worse, to tell others to try harder: “Get with the program. Start acting like a Christian and start telling the world how they should live.” They have completely missed the point!

• How do you become the salt of the earth?

(You didn’t become the salt of the earth by your good behavior. You didn’t develop supernatural influence by keeping all the right rules. You are the salt of the earth because of your connection to Jesus. You remain influential by your relentless obedience to Jesus—an obedience wrapped in love: “If you love me, then obey me.” Your obedience is to Jesus and not to a set of rules. When you cease to be obedient, you cease to be salt. Our good behavior—and the example we set by keeping the rules—are nothing more than by-products of our intimate connection with Jesus.)

Bonhoeffer says, “The same Jesus who, speaking of himself, said, ‘I am the light,’ says to his followers: ‘You are the light in your whole existence, provided you remain faithful to your calling. And since you are that light, you can no longer remain hidden, even if you want to.’”

We may hide the light because we’re afraid of what our connection with Jesus will cost us or because we want to get ahead and know this will require compromises. We may set the gospel aside to join with a secular movement for what Bonhoeffer calls “sentimental humanitarianism.” Is it wrong to work with non-believers for a humanitarian cause? Of course not, but we must always remember that the sacrifice of Jesus, not humanitarianism, is the only way to pull sinful humans out of the mess we’re in.

• Why are we called to do good deeds?

(Jesus says we are to let our light shine so that others can see our good deeds, but those good deeds are seen, not to show that we are good, but to bring praise to our Father in heaven. In other words, the light shines on our good works so that other people can see the power of God in our lives. Bonhoeffer says “these works are none other than those which the Lord Jesus himself has created in them by calling them to be the light of the world under the shadow of his cross.” Our good deeds do not generate the light. The cross alone illuminates the good deeds. Our good deeds do not reveal God; Jesus simply said others will see our good deeds and glorify God as a result.)

God alone deserves all the glory. If we clothe the naked or visit the imprisoned or feed the hungry, we don’t deserve praise. If we are called before a tribunal and are punished for our faith in Christ, we deserve no glory. We are merely being the light Christ has made us to be; we are simply shining from the hilltop on which he has placed us.

• You don’t need to try harder to be salt or light. The life of Jesus working in you makes it a natural outflow of your life. Will you abide in your obedience to Jesus, so that you will be salt and light to the world or will you live faithlessly, that is, in such a way that you can live your life without trusting Jesus?

Becoming Like Jesus in Righteousness

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus refuses to let the Ten Commandments sit on a pedestal above other parts of the law. When he says the disciples’ righteousness must be greater than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, he isn’t limiting that faithfulness to just the Big Ten we tend to follow while ignoring what we perceive to be the lesser laws. The Bible says, “You must be obedient to the whole Law or else be found disobedient to the whole of the Law.” There is no middle ground. To echo the apostles, “How can anyone possibly do this? This is humanly impossible!”

But that is the very point. It cannot be done, which is why Paul called the law a school for Christ, where we learn that trying to earn or maintain righteousness is impossible and so, in our broken state, we come to Christ and declare our dependence on him (Galatians 3:19-21). We follow Jesus, abandoning all else, including our obsession with the law. But this doesn’t mean the law has been abandoned. It means the law has been fulfilled by Jesus and when we enter the realm of costly grace, we satisfy the law because the life of Jesus, who fulfilled the law, is flowing through us.

• How does this change the way you look at the law?

(The thing Jesus knew—and which we so readily ignore—is that if you want to live under the law, you have to apply every bit of the law or you are in violation of the law. The law is unified. It will not allow you to simply make a list of which laws you think are important and which are insignificant. This picking and choosing is a form of legalism. We make our legal lists and they make us legalists.)

The problem with lists is that you not only have to accomplish everything on the list perfectly, but just having the list gives you a false sense of security. It causes you to lose sight of the other parts of the law—the smallest details—that you failed to place on the list. But worst of all, we end up following our lists instead of following Jesus.

So when Jesus says he requires from us a more faithful pursuit of the law, he doesn’t mean at all that we are capable of fulfilling every jot and tittle ourselves. Rather, he means we must live by faith in him, not by lists. We must live not by an independence born of cheap grace, but by obedience (which leads to belief) in him.

When we are in union with Christ and obey his commands, we do the will of God and fulfill the law of God. We transcend the teaching of the law, and become doers of the law of Christ. “This is where the righteousness of the disciple exceeds that of the Pharisees,” says Bonhoeffer. “It is grounded solely upon the call to fellowship with him who alone fulfills the law.”

Our righteousness flows from the life of Jesus into us. We must obediently trust that this is true and stop trying harder to be holy. By trusting more, we become obedient to the commands of Jesus.

• Why does trusting Jesus lead to holy living more so than trying harder to live holy?

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