You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it. (2 Corinthians 3:3-4, The Message)

Subversion

We’ve just begun a new sermon series on the Parables. Jesus was a master at subversion. He appeared harmless enough – A carpenter from the backwoods of Galilee turned itinerate rabbi. At first glance he seemed ordinary but a closer look revealed more, much more. Below the surface, hidden from plain view he was starting a revolution whereby one kingdom would be thrown out and another put in its place; a kingdom that was much more livable than the present one. And he would do this without the means of military force or democratic elections. He would act subversively. Working from the inside out. Capturing and changing human hearts which eventually, like a growing seed or a bit of yeast in dough, would influence and change the whole culture.

One of Jesus’ favorite tools of subversion were parables. They were casual, rather ordinary stories about familiar everyday life. Theyweren’t overtly about God so there was nothing threatening about them. His audience could relax and listen with an open mind. They were free to think, wonder, and use their imaginations… And then without warning, like a booby trap setting off in their unprotected hearts, they suddenly would realize, “Oh my gosh, he’s talking about God… he’s talking about me!” They had been subverted. They had been invaded. The revolution had begun in them!

My life

I want to be a subversive. A kingdom of God subversive. I want to be part of a subversive community. I want to be a living parable. I want God to use my life to bring his revolution to the people around me. Not in an in your face, you-better- listen-to-me-I-know-what’s-best, sort of way that turns off so many people today. No, I want to be a subversive; subtle like a parable. I want to be a regular person as far as everyone else can see. Not having anything weird or threatening about me. I don’t want to make a big religious hell, fire and brimstone commotion. I want to work quietly, hiddenly, and patiently doing the small things, carrying subtle messages, planting seeds, pointing people towards something more, something better. Naturally supernatural, like parables.

I want my life to have the strange, subversive attractionthat Jesus’ parables had. I want to carry around the love, justice and beauty of God’s kingdom wherever I go, changing the mood a little bit towards belief and hope. Helping people to honestly think about God and use their imaginations when considering his kingdom. Letting God use my small, sacrificial, subversive acts of kindness to slip his love past their defenses in order to perform its subversive work in their hearts.

…Just  something I’ve been thinking about that I thought you might want to consider for yourself. See you Sunday. I’ll be talking about the subversive story Jesus told the time a woman with a rather questionable reputation anointed him with her tears.

See you Sunday,
Mike T