Week 5

Simplicity 

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the story of the "Rich and the Kingdom of God" (Matt. 19: 16-30).  Most of us have heard this story many times.  I would bet that most of the time it has been taught and preached as a stewardship sermon.  It is true that Jesus has a lot to say about our money and how it should be used.  But, I would suggest that this story is about much more that stewardship.

The rich rules opens with the question, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"  We must first consider what he was asking.  In our contemporary understanding, eternal life suggests that he is asking about heaven.  But what did eternal life mean to this rich young man?  It has less do with the after life and more to do with life in the present.  He was asking what must I do to have a full and joyful life right now?  

It is interesting that the young man had it all according to our standards today.  He was rich and could have anything he wanted.  Yet, his life was missing something.  There are many stories of million dollar lottery winners who become more unhappy than before winning.  Money and possessions do not buy happiness.  I was struck, by the joy that was evident in the lives of the poor of Paraguay that I encountered on a short-term mission trip.  They literally had nothing.   

He was a religious man.  He attended church and obeyed the commandments.  He followed the religious conventions of his day with all its legalisms  yet, his life was still missing something.  I think the clue is in his question.  In his quest for an abundant life, he was looking for something that he needed to do.  He was looking to add to his life rather than subtract from it.  In order to find eternal life, he needed to simplify.

The spiritual discipline of simplicity while classified as an outward discipline, first begins with what Richard Foster calls "inward focus and unity."  It means as Christians, we need to operate out of what Thomas Kelly calls "The Divine Center."  Simplicity is emptying oneself of those things that prohibit us from making space for God and for others.  Real life is measured in relationships rather than checking things off of a to-do list. Relationships can only be fostered when our lives are simple enough to allow them.

Think about your life for a moment.  If it is anything like mine, it is filled with moving from one thing to another.  Technology is supposed to make our lives easier.  But in many ways technology has complicated our lives with the constant intrusions of text messages, emails, Facebook messages and the like.  Our culture sets expectations we aspire to achieve with the newest toys, gadgets, gizmos, clothes, cars and other things.  We are constantly working to keep up with the Jones.  Life is anything but simple and relationships are hard to foster in this environment.  Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."  The abundant life only possible through a relationship with Jesus and that requires space that can be made through simplistic living.