I believe God has been preparing us for “Unclean” Church. I think sometimes we get into the trap of looking at the clean and unclean in the Bible and trying to make a perfect Church with the things that are deemed clean by God. I am of the opinion that God is very much into making the things that are unclean clean and then using them for His glory. I think He is more into the business of recycling of the unclean trash for the purpose of use than manufacturing clean things that aren’t meant to be touched. Seven times in the gospels, Jesus performed a miracle on the Sabbath (which was against the Law and made you a sinner according to the godly people of Jesus’ day). At least once, he touched a leper to heal him. This would have made Jesus ceremonially “unclean” according to the Law. Jesus himself did many things the “unclean” way. He was even baptized in the Jordan River which was the dirtiest river around. It seems that Jesus chose to do things that seemed to go completely against the mainstream religion and yet still in keeping with the Law and the Prophets.
I think sometimes we lose sight of Jesus’ teachings to try to make something perfect and acceptable to God, but even Moses recognized that what God wanted had nothing to do with our physical cleanliness but a “circumcision of the heart.” It seems that over the years we have pursued excellence and cleanliness in the church and we have many mega churches to model ourselves after. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think it is with a good heart that we strive for excellence and the “proper” and socially acceptable way of doing things. For instance, the spirit of excellence I believe comes from a heart of wanting to give God the best. The one time in the Bible that a spirit of excellence is mentioned is in the book of the prophet Daniel which says that Daniel had an excellent spirit. God used Daniel and his excellent spirit within the leadership of a pagan kingdom to bring about the salvation of the Jews. The excellent spirit that Daniel had was something that God used. In Philippians 4:8, Paul says to think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. David also had the desire to give God the best when he made the plans for the temple in Jerusalem. In this case however, God rebuked him saying, “Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool. What kind of dwelling place do you intend to make for me?” I think sometimes we try to set up God’s model of leadership in our world’s kingdom when what God is trying to do is completely invade, take over, and set up His kingdom in our world.
If Jesus were on the earth in our generation, He would be just as radical as He was two thousand years ago and He would have just as extreme calls for His disciples. I think right now He would still tell rich people to give everything they have to the poor and he would still say that no one that puts his hands to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom. I think he would still rebuke the religious leaders and go have supper with thieves, addicts, adulterers, and other riff-raff that we have a hard time inviting into our homes much less going to eat with them in theirs. What if whenever we saw beggars on the street and fed them and healed them and invited them to come and walk with us rather than ignoring them and saying they need to get a job before we can help them with a clear conscience? Jesus never told the lepers to go make themselves clean or heal themselves before he touched them, he didn’t tell tax collectors to stop robbing before he would enter their houses, and he didn’t tell adulterers to go fix their lives before he saved them. When I see the example of Jesus, it is impossible for me to say that I can follow Him without giving everything I have away and giving my life to become the servant of the least of the world. Do we find ourselves caught up in the next blessing that God is going to give us? Or the next person we can give to? I just recently discovered that the city council where I lived denied an organization’s request to start a homeless shelter because it would hurt the city’s image. Who decided that helping the poor gives you a bad name and image? In Jesus’ day, it was the religious leaders.
It is time for Christians to decide to stay clean and stay home or get dirty and forcefully advance the Kingdom of God. I believe God is calling us to start having “Unclean” Church where we serve the poor, the homeless, the orphans, and the widows without fear of losing face in the community. I believe that God is challenging us to give up everything to follow Him. My question to you is this: What do you not want to give to God? Is it your money? Family? Security? Material things? Or what about your heart? Or your time? Now think about that thing…and give it to Him. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven…not the other way around. We have to give everything to Him here, where we are, right now. Are you willing to take up the cross and follow Him? Are you willing to give up an excellent, clean life for dirty persecution? This isn’t a call to a perfect life. It’s a call to an abundant one. And there’s only one way to have it…accepting the life that Jesus offered. If you want to gain your life, you must lose it.
Chris
