One of my recently completed tasks was to write a series of bible studies for my church on the Sermon on the Mount. That set me thinking about how we should understand the ethics in the Sermon. Upon the recommendation of my friend at Moore (thanks Steve!), who's currently doing a 4th year project on that topic, I've picked up a copy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. Will be posting some reflections of my reading as I plough through the book.
For starters, Bonhoeffer in his first chapter begins with a blasting exposition against 'cheap grace' which has very often replaced the 'costly grace' Scripture advocates for. Here's an excerpt:
Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace. Cheap
grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack's wares. [...] Grace without price; grace
without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance;
and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. [...]
Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian "conception" of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins. [...]
In such a Church, the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living
Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God. Cheap grace means the
justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner. [...]
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap
grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.[...]
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 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 nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and
it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son [...] and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not
reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.
grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack's wares. [...] Grace without price; grace
without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance;
and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. [...]
Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God taught as the Christian "conception" of God. An intellectual assent to that idea is held to be of itself sufficient to secure remission of sins. [...]
In such a Church, the world finds a cheap covering for its sins; no contrition is required, still less any real desire to be delivered from sin. Cheap grace therefore amounts to a denial of the living
Word of God, in fact, a denial of the Incarnation of the Word of God. Cheap grace means the
justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner. [...]
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap
grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.[...]
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 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 nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and
it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son [...] and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not
reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.
I like how Bonhoeffer states things. It has actually given me an insight into how we should perhaps understand the Sermon on the Mount - precisely as costly grace. Some writers in understanding the Sermon have emphasised the grace component so strongly that I think they have not done justice to the serious ethical implications of actually living out the Sermon (for e.g. in such interpretations, the Sermon is merely presented as an impossible ideal which drives us to realise our sinfulness and how far we are away from God's righteousness and hence the need for Jesus). Others have swung to the other extreme and so emphasise on living out the requirements of the Kingdom that they run the danger of almost portraying that it is by living this way that we enter the kingdom. I suspect Bonhoeffer's costly grace might give us the right paradigm to begin understanding the Sermon. Obedience to the Sermon is called for; the requirements of the Kingdom are pressed upon our hearts; discipleship and witness is intrinsic to the Sermon - and here is where it is costly. But it is also grace because it is Jesus we are obeying, the one who has first and foremost fulfilled the requirements of the Kingdom and the requirements of his own words! And it is also grace because in giving up our life, we actually find it, or more correctly, we actually find it being given to us. I like how Bonhoeffer states things. It has actually given me an insight into how we should perhaps understand the Sermon on the Mount - precisely as costly grace. Some writers in understanding the Sermon have emphasised the grace component so strongly that I think they have not done justice to the serious ethical implications of actually living out the Sermon (for e.g. in such interpretations, the Sermon is merely presented as an impossible ideal which drives us to realise our sinfulness and how far we are away from God's righteousness and hence the need for Jesus). Others have swung to the other extreme and so emphasise on living out the requirements of the Kingdom that they run the danger of almost portraying that it is by living this way that we enter the kingdom. I suspect Bonhoeffer's costly grace might give us the right paradigm to begin understanding the Sermon. Obedience to the Sermon is called for; the requirements of the Kingdom are pressed upon our hearts; discipleship and witness is intrinsic to the Sermon - and here is where it is costly. But it is also grace because it is Jesus we are obeying, the one who has first and foremost fulfilled the requirements of the Kingdom and the requirements of his own words! And it is also grace because in giving up our life, we actually find it, or more correctly, we actually find it being given to us.
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