Semi-conversion

July 3, 2021 (Saturday)

 

In the late 1600’s, a Roman Catholic Archbishop, Fenelon laid the foundation for the holiness movement. One of his ideas what that of “semi-conversation.” Essentially, it means we are willing to accept the price Jesus paid for our freedom, but we are unwilling to accept the price we must pay. Another way to say that is we have a Savior, but not a Lord. (Sermon tomorrow)

 

In Matthew 8, this is illustrated by several people declaring their desire to follow Jesus. Jesus discourages them. You read that right, Jesus discourages them. Imagine your Pastor discouraging people from following Jesus. We’d get fired before we finished talking. Guess Pastors are not following Jesus very closely. These are not the only examples of Jesus turning people away. Let’s dig in!

 

“A legal expert came and said to him, “Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go.” [Matthew 8:19 CEB] These legal experts (lawyers) were tasked with preserving and copying Scripture. They were scribes. They were also tasked as teachers, since they knew Scripture from extensive copying. In a very real sense, they were the experts. When they spoke, all argument ceased, because they were the final word.

 

Jesus response in not encouraging, “But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” [Matthew 9:20 NLT] We have no way to know or understand why Jesus said this, except that He was telling the man what kind of life was waiting. We do not know what the legal expert’s decision was. We do know that Matthew does not mention him by name, suggesting he turned his back on following Jesus.

 

“Another man, one of his disciples, said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” [Matthew 8:21 CEB] Here was someone who either wanted to wait to follow Jesus or he had a condition. Family was very important it that culture. We do not know what the condition of the man’s father was. The father may have been sick, maybe not. Jesus answer cut against the culture.

 

“But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” [Matthew 8:22 CEB] This might seem cold. However, the reality of early Christianity was that it often put people in conflict with their families. Jesus was blunt about the possibilities of following Him, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” [Matthew 10:21 NIV]

 

Jesus will do this to the rich young ruler (see Matthew 19:16 – 22). At one point Jesus destroys a congregation of possibly 5,000 plus with His hard words. We read this comment as the result of Jesus’ teaching, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” [John 6:66 ESV] I wonder if those who added chapter (Stephen Langton in 1227) and later verse (Robert Estienne [a.k.a. Stephanus, who compiled a Greek New Testament] in 1551) had an eye on “the number of man” (see Revelation 13:18).  

 

Here’s the thing, we WANT people to be saved. So does God. But there is nothing easy about following Jesus. What might seem like they are discouraging words, are in fact, truth about what it will cost us. Don’t like that? Take it up with the one that said, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” [Matthew 10:38 NIV]

 

It’s a package deal. If we have a Savior then we have a Lord. Is it possible to have a Savior and not a Lord? Theologically, we are in danger if we separate them. Practically, we have a Lord (or lord), it’s who we obey (see Romans 6:16). I can’t say what it means to have a “semi-conversion.” Assuming it’s possible, at least on the practical day-to-day level, then it seem like we are missing out on the blessings and fullness of everything our salvation means.