Make All Things New

That’s the somewhat shocking title of a recent article in Time Magazine. The article is about insurance companies determining whether or not to pay for medical treatments for folks based on a cost-benefit analysis that caps human life at about $129,000.

Assigning a dollar figure to Medicare patients’ lives may sound crass, but such valuations are routine in Americans’ daily lives. Take, for example, the $500,000 death benefit the government pays families when a soldier is killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Or the cost calculations that for-profit health insurers make to determine how much coverage they’ll give customers. In fact, at least some Americans seem at ease with allowing money to play a prominent role in health care decisions. In a 2007 survey of New Yorkers, 75% of participants felt “somewhat” to “very” comfortable with allowing cost to inform Medicare treatment decisions, once they understood how the system worked. “Americans understand and are prepared to engage the issues that arise when setting priorities and limits for their public programs,” Marthe Gold, the City University of New York Medical School professor who conducted the study, wrote with colleagues this past fall in the journal Health Affairs.

What is interesting to me is that all this talk appears to come from a position that this current earthly existence is all we have. Certainly, I don’t expect Time Magazine to speak of things eternal. I can imagine some reading this Time article and being outraged. “No expense should be spared” they might say. But really, to be thinking in terms of dollars and cents for a finite life seems almost silly in light of eternity. I think of Jesus’ words in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

The real issue is not how much is a physical human life worth but how much is a soul worth? How can we count that cost?

Jesus Christ counted the cost. He entered into this world and gave his own life to redeem those who couldn’t make the payment. He looked at you and said “It is worth my giving of my life to bring you in.” The benefit of the price He paid isn’t just one year of life. No, it’s eternal life. The benefit of the price He paid isn’t just a better functioning body part (at least temporarily). No, it’s a new, flourishing resurrection body. The benefit of the price He paid isn’t just individual. No, it’s for people of all nations, tribes and languages who believe. In fact, the benefit of the price He paid isn’t just for people. No, it’s for the redemption of all creation in the new heavens and new earth.

It is terrible that things like figuring out how much should be paid for a human life are necessary for our current culture. No one would say that this is the way it should be. It is a tough and painful decision laced with greed and profits and compassion and worldviews. Christians must engage in this conversation to be a voice of hope. If there is a better way to solve these issues then let’s get to it. At the very least, let’s help people to view this in light of eternity.

Creativity and Technology

Shortly into this chapter, Marshall seems to state his position clearly: “Technology, properly used, is a gift from God.” (p 171) And he later cautions, “But if we think we can address the fundamental problems of humankind without addressing human guilt, human responsibility, human morality, and the reality of human freedom, then we are living in a dream world:we are insane.” (p 175). Yet again we are faced with the two extreme options and Marshall believes both are wrong. Neither is technology the key to better life nor is technology the problem with life. The problem, Marshall states, is human pride. (p 175) I believe that more correctly, the problem is sin. The technology itself is not the problem, sin is. Marshall shows that the Bible never condems technology itself (even though Cain made the first city and the tower of Babel was great sin against God). The problem is our ego not our innovation. The emphasis for Christians when it comes to technology should be a theme of responsibility. This, of course, is a challenging task.

Imagination and the Arts

Much should be said about this subject yet surprisingly, this was a very short chapter. Marshall’s use of scripture for this subject was interesting (not in a bad way). He began with the “Master Artist” in Genesis, spoke of the “an ancient fashion designer” of Proverb 31 and then Bezalel (temple craftsman) in Exodus 35. The point in sum: artistic skill is a gift from God to be used in the service of others.

The remainder of the chapter discusses a Christian view of fashion and food. I truly appreciated how Marshall was measured in what he wrote. He continually stresses that it is not the fine clothes or good foods that are a problem but rather the spirit with which we partake in these things. On the other side, he does seem to balance this with reminding us of stewardship of both time and money.

Marshall closes the book with this encouraging quote: “As we create…we mirror, in small portion, the genius of our Creator.” (p 166) I believe that knowing this, we should should be compelled to do all things for and to His glory.

Our Political Responsibility

This chapter seems to communicate the same call for engagement that has become familiar with this book. Much like all aspects of culture, Christians tend to one of two extremes: submersion or avoidance. Marshall calls Christians to be involved in the governance of people in a balanced way. I think he is communicating the same “be in the world but not of the world” attitude with politics.

After a brief discussion on the history of politics within the Bible, Marshall gives us three difficulties democracies must contend with (p 146):
1) “If governments are responsible to their entire population, we as Christians have to respect and give room to others in the society to exercise their responsibility, whether they are Christian or not.”
2) “At the same time, governements cannot always simply do what most of the people want.”
3) “Governments cannot simply ignore what people want.”

The above tensions are what often cause Christians to be uncomfortable with what appears like compromise. While recognizing that it can be messy, Marshall says it is better than the alternatives. He states, “As Christians we are called to enter into this frustrating and freeing, exhausting and exhiarating struggle to make possible what is right.” (p 148)

The Natural World

Chapter nine marks the beginning of part IV (of V) in the book. This part is entitled, “Our Taks in the World” and looks to be quite practical and helpful. Let’s begin by taking a look at Marshall’s take on the natural world.

God values nature and as God’s image bearers, we too value it too. The tendency in our society is to go to one extreme or the other. To either over-value nature to the point of wanting to keep it pristine, or to underv-value nature because its destined for final destruction. The Christian view of nature keep us from both extremes. God’s command to us is to be stewards of the natural world. Marshall states that there are two aspects to God’s command: “to properly cultivate the earth and to preserve it, it to use it and maintain it.” (p 128)

Marshall documents the common failure of Christian in this area and the false idea of “domination” that results. Stewardship is not domination. As stewards of the earth, our responsibility is far-reaching in scope and steward properly, we must treat things “in the way that God calls us to treat them.” (p 132)

The Pleasures of Play

I have to admit, I was really looking forward to this chapter. It’s not often (enough, in my opinion) that we hear or read about the Christian perspective on leisure. So perhaps it was my high level of anticipation that led to me being a bit disappointed with this chapter. Perhaps, but I think it was the lack of what I would consider solid scriptural support for the concept of play that caused my disappointment. Understand, I enjoyed what I read in this chapter, I just kept asking myself, “Is this what the Bible has to say about play?” Philosophically speaking the discussion was great, I just found it a bit lacking in biblical support. So if anyone has any suggestions for further study on play and leisure within the Christian worldview, I’d be interested in knowing about it.

All that said, let me share a few things that I did find noteworthy about the chapter. Marshall does wrestle with the sometimes difficult distinction between work and play. What is one person’s work, is another person’s play. Recognizing this, Marshall states, “It’s not the activity itself that makes the difference between work and play, or even rest. It’s the spirit in which we engage in them.” (p 107) While reading this I couldn’t help but think of some of the things I like to do to just relax. I really enjoy shooting hoop in my driveway. For some reason, shooting clears my head and while it is a somewhat physical activity, it doesn’t really tirer me out. But then I wonder if this holds true for my friend Joe (he is a professional basketball player). Would it really be play for him to just go outside and shoot hoops? According to Marshall’s examples it would not be play. But I find that this may not be true based on the quote above. If Joe can enjoy the act of shooting a basketball with a playful spirit, would he then be engaged in play? For Marshall also states that, “Play is what we do for no reason at all. Play is not done for any reason outside of itself. It is done for its own sake.” So play is something that is done purely for the sake of doing that something. If that is the standard (and I think that it is a good starting point) then I believe most of my leisure activities are not play. I probably spend much play time not enjoying the activity for the activity’s sake but for the outcome.

Perhaps the most entriguing portion of the chapter was when Marshall states this: “Why are they [playful activities] godly? Because they’re useless, and play really is intended to be useless.” That was a bit shocking to me and definitely held my attention. He goes on to explain what he means useless by defining useful. “A useful thing or act or practice has its goal outside of itself.” (p 111) If we work to make money, we are not working for the sake of working. One who lifts weights to stay fit, is not lifting for the sake of lifting. These activities have a goal outside of themselves. Therefore, a “useless” activity would be one in which the goal is within itself. The actual doing of the act is the goal. I think this is a very interesting point philosophically, I just wasn’t convinced by the biblical support (little) provided for this particular concept.

Marshall quotes a couple of texts from Deuteronomy (26:12 and 14:24-26) to show that God calls his people to celebrate and party. My question is, was their partying to merely be for the sake of partying? That is, the partying wasn’t a “useless” (and therefore) playful activity. Was the partying playful or was the partying for goal outside of itself; namely, worshiping God. This just isn’t made clear to me based on this chapter.

So I move out of the chapter on play not fully convinced and a little confused but enjoying this book all the same.

Reflections on Rest

After completing a chapter of work, we now are led through the idea of rest. Marshall points out something quite interesting about us humans, “Most of us manage to not only have problems with work but also problems with rest, and often both of them at the same time.” (p 91) The problem, according to Marshall, often stems from or misunderstanding of work and rest. While we sometimes forget that work is a good thing, we can often go the other direction and over emphasize the importance of work. We are not justified by our work. Our hard work doesn’t earn us salvation or rest. Marshall points out how the parable of the two sons (Luke 15:11-32) points out how “we are accepted by God’s love not by our own dilligence or lack of it.” (p 91) It is not our work that gets us right with God, it is grace. Grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone. This is a gift. Until we know this deeply, we cannot even begin to rest. So rest is really based in faith. Without a faith that God is who He says he is and will do what He promises, we cannot rest. Don’t we know this? No one can really rest until they rest in God. The point (and it is probably a tough one for most of us) a lack of rest is really unbelief. (Ps. 95:8-11; Heb. 3:7-4:10)

Rest requires faith. As Marshall states, “..salvation can be pictured as rest. When we rest we accept God’s grace: we do not seek to earn; we receive. We do not justify; we are justified.” (p 100) That is both encouraging and challenging at the same time. To truly enter into rest, we must be at rest in the One who provides both the rest and the means by which we can obtain it.

A Perspective on Work

Work isn’t a product of the Fall. We were created to work. Even Jesus worked. In fact, during his time on earth, Jesus probably spent more time swinging a hammer then he did preaching. Now there’s a thought; the Sovereign King of the Universe spent a greater portion of His life sawing wood then he did preaching the good news. If it was good enough for Jesus, certainly it is good enough for us. The problem is that most of us don’t have a proper perspective on work. This chapter seeks to help us gain a better understanding of work and how we can work to the glory of God. While I have been trying to write these entries more as summaries than commentaries, I will offer that a much fuller treatment on the subject can be found in Gene Veith’s God At Work. Veith writes much more in depth on the doctrine of vocation than Marshall is able to in one chapter. Nonetheless, this chapter is helpful so let’s take a closer look.

Marshall points out (as has been the case with most everyone I have read regarding the doctrine of vocation) that the Reformers had a clear emphasis on work. They did not think that there were some job (say ministry for example) that were more spiritual than others. They emphasized the preisthood of all believers and heald firmly to the belief that all work is equally a service to God. I personally believe that a clear understanding of this teaching would be a great service to the Church universal. How many young people think that they must go into full-time ministry if they are to be spiritual. It ought not to be that way. Briefly, we are to do all things to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). That would include our work. We can glorify God through many different vocations. Working in these vocations outside of ministry does not make one a second class Christian. Where would the world be without garbage collectors for example? But here’s another thought, where would the world be if the majority of garbage collectors were do their vocation to the glory of God?

One last thought on this before I move back to what Marshall had to say about work… Ministry should be something one is called into not necessarily chooses. In my part-time and limited experience in ministry, I would say that if it wasn’t for the strong calling I have, I wouldn’t have lasted one week. But I am digressing.

Marshall gives us three points to keep in mind in regards to work (pp 79-80):
1) “We should affirm that all genuine human tasks are equally God-given and are equally spiritual.” I hope I sufficiently outlined this idea above.
2) “Work must not be regarded as the antithesis of human fulfillment.” I thought this was a brilliant point. What he means is we are not supposed to work to be free (retirement or living for the weekends) but find freedom to express the image of God in and through our work.
3) “We must live out the fact that work is the act of a creature made in the image of God.”

The chapter ends with what I think is some good (though we must be careful how we uses this) advice:
“But we do not work only to evagenlize. Our work itself is a divine service to others.” (p 86)

The Wonder of Learning

This chapter, I believe the longest in the book, was quite encouraging to me. Marshall begins by giving examples of how God uses his wolrd to teach us. It is not scripture alone that provides us with all the information we need to know about this world. God’s Word is “a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” and, as Marshall cleverly writes:

“a lamp is not something to be looked at. You don’t buy a flashlight so you can stare at the bulb. The purpose of a lamp is not to illuminate itself but other things. Similarly, apart from its revelation of God, god’s word is meant to be a light on creation, helping us to see properly the world that God has made.” (p 57)

The call is to think biblically about the world. Having a biblical worldview so that we can engage God’s creation, interact with it, shining the light of the Word on our exploration. “We need to study not only God’s Word but also God’s world; we study the world in light of God’s Word.” (p 58)

“If principles and universal truths were sufficient to make laws or to run governments, we would no longer need person judgement.” (p 66) This quote, for me, gives a brief summary of this chapter. We need to understand the Bible but we also need to apply biblical truths to particular situations. We need to take the “rules” of the Bible and learn how to “play” within them. The Bible, according to Marshall, is not given “to tell us everything but to show us the foundation of everything. [The Scriptures] are focused on a particular message, the most important message in the world — on telling us who God is, who we are, how we came into being, what we live for, how and why we do evil and know suffering, and most especially how God has prepared and accomplished our salvation in Jesus Christ. This is the center and circumference of human life, by far the most important thing in human life — but it still remains our responsibility to learn what it means not only in our lives but, throughout the creation.” (p 67)

And this learning is not a means of growing independent or autonomous, for the more we learn, the more we come to see “how little we really know.” (p 68) And I would add, how great our need is to be reconciled to this Good Creator.

Redemption and Human Life

This chapter takes us through a brief overview of God’s plan for redemption from Abraham through the New Testament. As seen in God’s promise to Abraham, God planned to bless all peoples on the earth through Abraham. God’s concern and care for all the world is seen not only through His workings through Abraham but also in Daniel (and others). In the book of Daniel we see how God is not just sovereign over the nation of Israel but of all nations and kings. “As the people of Israel begin to spill over onto the world stage, so it starts to become clear that the God of the whole world is also the Redeemer of the whole world. What God plans to do he will do not only for Israel, but for Babylon, for Rome, and for whatever empire follows.” (p 41)

This world-wide focus doesn’t end in the OT. The promise of redemption through the New Covenant of Jesus Christ continues to include and welcome the whole earth. John 1 speaks of Jesus in a way that parallels the words of Genesis (cf John 1:1). Jesus is the Creator of the world as well as the Redeemer of the world! Marshall reminds us that this promised redemption through Jesus Christ is not just to us, but to the creation itself (see Romans 8:19-23). So much more could and should be said about this glorious truth but a full exposition is not the purpose of these entries. One distinction Marshall makes(and I think it is a good one) is:

“Paul does not mean that each and every individual thing, or each and every individual person, will be saved, for he directly goes on to talk about God’s election, God’s choice of some. His point is not that every individual person or every individual thing will be rescued, but that all sorts of things will be rescued. Just as Adam’s sin has affected everything, so also will redemption in Christ affect everything. Redemption in Jesus Christ is not limited to any one area of creation: souls, persons, nations, kingdoms, mountains, rivers, seas — the entire creation will be reconciled. God, through Jesus Christ, will make a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells. God will make all things new (Rev. 21:5).” (p 43-44)

The cosmic significance of Christ’s work is also displayed in Colossians 1:15-20:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

This passage, according to Marshall, is an example of Paul stressing that the gospel is for all things and makes a “threefold statement about the lordship of Christ. Everything was made by and for Jesus Christ. Everything holds together in Jesus Christ. Everything will be reconciled by Jesus Christ.” (p 46) The scope of redemption is therefore the same as the scope of creation.

Marshall ends the chapter with the challenge that human life doesn’t end with redemption. He states that we need to live lives that demonstrate “the redeeming power of God in our prayer, our programming, our play, and our politics.” How this plays out is the task of the remainder of this book.