Seeker Sensitive

"Seeker sensitive". This is a word that Shane Claiborne has used a few times in his book The Irresistible Revolution. I borrowed the book months ago from Jennifer Majors, but didn't start reading it until last night.

I have a confession. I don't honestly know that the same author who has made me reanalyze myself would have ever gotten the time of day if I met him in person. I find that a little disturbing. In fact his book disturbs me too, maybe that's a good thing. I'm not sure.


"I heard one of the teaching pastors at Willow Creek speak on the rich young ruler text that Rich had talked about in Wheaton's chapel. The teaching pastor said, 'Now this doesn't mean you have to go sell your rollerblades and golf clubs,' and he went on to 'contextualize' the teaching to show that we just need to be careful not to make idols of our things. I wasn't so sure about that. Jesus doesn't tell the man to be a better steward, or to treat his workers fairly, or not to make money an idol. He tells this highly educated and devoutly religious young man that he lacks one thing: giving up everything he owns to give to the poor. Rich Mullins used to say that's because there are a lot of people coming to the banquet, and God doesn't want all the luggage to deal with."


"I decided to look a little closer at some of the rich young ruler text, which appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. After Jesus' teaching that you must enter the kingdom like a little kid, a wealthy man comes up and asks Jesus what he needs to do, and Jesus tells him he lacks one little thing. ("Lacks" is an interesting word to use, since the rich man thought he had everything.) And what might that one thing be? You can almost see him get excited. Then Jesus drops the big one: 'Sell everything you have and give it to the poor!' The man's face sinks and he walks away with his riches."

"I think it broke Jesus' heart to let the man walk away. The text says that Jesus looks at him and 'loves him' as he walks away. But Jesus doesn't run after the man saying, 'Hey, it's a journey, just give half,' or, 'Start with 10 percent.' He simply lets the man choose his wealth."

"In our culture of 'seeker sensitivity' and radical inclusivity, the great temptation is to compromise the cost of discipleship in order to draw a larger crowd. With the most sincere hearts, we do not want to see anyone walk away from Jesus because of the discomfort of his cross, so we clop the claws on the Lion a little, we clean up a bit the bloody Passion we are called to follow. I think this is why the disciple react as they do. They protest in awe, 'Who then can be saved?' ("Why must you make it so hard? We need some rich folks here, Jesus, we're trying to build a movement") And yet Jesus lets him walk away."

"Jesus doesn't exclude rich people; he just lets them know their rebirth will cost them everything they have. The story is not so much about whether rich folks are welcome as it is about the nature of the kingdom of God, which has an ethic and economy diametrically opposed to those of the world. Rather than accumulating stuff for oneself, followers of Jesus abandon everything, trusting in God alone for providence."


If I were a Dominican I would tell people I wasn't a christian. Not because I'm not moved for Jesus, or wanting to live for Him...but because when it comes down to all or nothing...I haven't given my all. That was something I learned in there, many non-christians in D.R. loved God and Jesus, but weren't willing to commit, yet (hopefully). It was Mother Teresa who said: "Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own." God uses us where we are, and with what we have. But I do fear that I'm holding out, in many ways....