Hardscrabblers all – homesteaders, loggers and miners – wrestled harsh Montana.
Similarly, author Arthur Miller (1915 -2005) has character Uncle Ben warn Willy and Willy’s sons: “Life’s a jungle. Be hard. Some go into the jungle and find diamonds. Others get caught by tigers. Life’s a jungle. Be hard” (“Death of a Salesman”). If life is a fearful jungle, we must harden ourselves to run the gauntlet.
But, reader, despite the “curse” and hardships of life – see Paul’s “troubles, hardships, distresses” … (2 Cor. 6:4-10) as well as the persecuted faithfuls’ acute persecutions (Heb. 11:36-38) – Christians believe God ultimately makes such suffering come undone for his own. How?
Consider “hardness” in Jesus’ Matthew 25 story
A leader we’ll call JC, preparing to journey abroad, entrusted millions to three employees. We’ll call them maximizer Max, diligent Don, and timid Faithless (TF). To Max he gave five times what he gave to TF. To Don, he gave twice what he gave to TF – “each according to his ability.”
Much later, JC returned. Faith-driven, besotted-with-God entrepreneurs Max and Don doubled their resources. Commended and promoted, they were invited to enter into JC’s joy. Joy! Christ-followers seek to bring glory to God. Relishing grace AND working vigorously hallmark authentic Christian faith.
But, TF told JC: “I knew that you are a hard man…so I was afraid. I buried the money.” TF had smooth-talked himself into believing that JC would overlook his negligence. But, JC asked TF why TF hadn’t put the money in an interest-bearing account.
And more. JC called TF “wicked” and “lazy.” “Wicked” is used 79x in the New Testament (NT) – sometimes it means “malicious sloth.” Hmm. “Lazy” is “reluctant, dragging one’s feet, disinterested.” JC gave TF’s money to Max.
Jesus summarizes: “Everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance (literally: ‘surpassing all around’ – used liberally, 39x, in the NT – ponder that!). Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that ‘worthless’ (‘useless, unprofitable, unworthy’) servant (TF) outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Some prove to be irredeemable. Opposing the Light (Jesus) leads to eternal darkness.
Questions about TF and us
Was TF right about his master being harsh?
Let’s answer that question with these questions.
- Friend, shall we stay with TF in Life-Is-Hardville?
- Let’s also ask: How did ‘victimized’ TF miss the zest his associates had for life?
- What lies did he believe about JC?
- If TF’s twisted heart made his mouth slanderous, what more would it do?
- Can we see how TF’s fear prompted him to bury not only his resources but his life?
And, our fears can bury us – like fears of being honest, risking, being humble, failing, being human, loving and many more – like fearing having children. Fear undermines faith and mission.
Who/what can overcome our fears?
Clues from how “hard” is used in the NT
In Jesus’ story, Matthew uses “sklērós” – “hard, harsh, stern.” “Sclerosis” is “morbid hardening of tissue.” Figuratively, “sklērós” describes “those who won’t budge because they are stubbornly, ruthlessly harsh.”
Let’s consider three NT uses.
Acts 26:9ff
Self-righteous, pharisaical Paul indulged a raging fury against the followers of Jesus. He persecuted them even in foreign cities.
One day, he went to Damascus to terrorize Jesus’ people. On his way, Paul heard a blinding light ask: “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is ‘hard’ for you to kick against the goads.’ I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.’”
“Hardness” here comes from opposing God – his Person and Purposes – and his People. Whether we are negligent of God or rebellious against God, we “kick against the” immutable “goads” of God’s reality and we are further broken. Judgement is coming.
Jude 1:14,15
“Behold, the Lord comes with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the ‘harsh’ things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
And who is not guilty of speaking harshly against God?
Only One.
John 6:58-69
That One, Jesus, the crushed wheat baked on the cross, becomes the sweet bread of life. “This is the bread that came down from heaven, it is not like the bread (manna) the fathers ate (in the wilderness), and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a ‘hard’ saying; who can listen to it?” Believing Jesus took more faith than they had.
Then Jesus spoke harder words: “’No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.’ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So, Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’”
Partnering with TF or Jesus?
How is “hardness” overcome? Contra TF’s fear, Jesus warmly calls God “Father” nearly 200 times. Almost always, Jesus’ recorded prayers include such intimacy. Anticipating the Ultimate Hardness – the cross – Jesus, overwhelmed with sorrow, still doubles down calling out: “Abba, Father” (Mk. 14:36). Imagine!
Then on the cross, investing all, Jesus stretched out his over-sized carpenter hands. Why? – “for the joy (!) set before him” (Heb. 12:2) – redeeming his dear ones – those he reconnected with God.
Well done, Jesus!
A person spearheading a Will Graham Celebration brought a big bucket and a magic marker. Meeting people, he asked: “May I write your name on the bucket?” Later, as MC, raising the bucket before the crowd, he asked: “What if this was God’s bucket and tonight you discovered you were on his ‘bucket list?’”
Aha. Everything would change.
Friend, Jesus loves sinners like us. In that reality, life’s hardscrabbles fade in the coming joy.
