Jesus, the Ace

There are always presuppositions in our thinking. We always begin with some sort of data, concept, or opinion. We may hold these loosely at times or they may hold us so strongly we can not even recognize them. The key to wisdom and good scholarship (especially in handling the Bible, accurately) is to be aware of our own and ask for wisdom from God to discern from others, theirs.

For many, statements like these could be a key to understanding their presuppositions (in parenthesis):
• The Bible is the Word of God (to be taken literally at all times)
• The Bible is the Word of God (to be studied and understood in its original authors context)
• The Bible is the Word of God (as a historical document and handled as a literary text)
• The Bible is the Word of God (it is mysterious and holy and can only be understood with divine guidance)
• The Bible is the Word of God (it is God's letter of love to me and the world)

The Bible can be some or most of these things. Yet, I have to admit my particular presupposition. Jesus is the Word of God made visible and real. My own preference to approaching the Bible as God's revelation is that it points to a true north as a compass is designed to do. Jesus becomes the lens or filter through which we understand and interpret scripture. There are many passages to quote for this stance but the first chapter of John is by far my favorite. No matter what I think scripture is teaching I have to first filter it through the life and teaching of Christ. I may not understand a specific teaching or command from Paul until I do the hard work of weighing it upon the very real example that Jesus gave us in his life. Jesus' ace high trumps Paul's king high hand every time (even though when we study Paul, I see more and more how he is just underscoring Jesus ).

Here's the bonus, and very vulnerable confession: I believe a lot of what Jesus was doing in his teaching and embodying the Kingdom of God was unhooking us (and those of his day) from our own finely held presuppositions that did not reflect what He was here to ultimately do. (two examples: Matthew 13:13-16 & Matthew 15:1-20 & Matthew 16:19-30) They had (and we still do) create tidy boxes in which God is to live and operate. Jesus was by far the most extraordinary person to ever live and also the most controversial and dangerous (for our theologies). Jesus was constantly creating discontinuity in the minds of His hearers.

The best I can do is to submit my ideas to Him and His life. "Lord, help me to let go and trust in your manifold wisdom revealed in your Son, was and is the Way, the Truth and the Life." Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Troy