Thinking | 1

I’ve been thinking more about this idea of Phronesis and what it means to collectively think, feel and act like christ as a body. I’ve decided I’m going to start an ongoing series of blog posts that focus on one of the three specifically. Some may be long and some may just be a quick thought that relate to one of them. Either way, I hope they help us all figure out what it means to be a priest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I like to think one of the things that the disciples thought, or maybe even whispered to each other (a dangerous thing to do around Jesus), as they listened to Jesus speak and watched him minister is “Seriously, what the junk is this guy thinking?” which probably led to the question “and what the junk are we thinking following him around?” These are naive questions, but I’d say they are great questions, even for the most mature of Kingdom citizens. Seriously, what was Jesus thinking? and what are we doing following him?

Back when I was in high school, Louie Giglio was speaking at a summer event series called Passion on the Hill. I went with several friends for a few of them and during one of them, while Louie was speaking, I noticed that one of the people I was with was frantically digging through her purse, then carefully checking her pockets, the ground around her, then back to her purse. She was obviously missing something and obviously not at all engaged in what was happening on stage. I asked her what was up and she said she couldn’t find her keys, which was kind of important because we came in her car. I told her not to worry because, since she drove, they had to be somewhere among us. Even still, she couldn’t focus. I’m sure there were a hundred different “what ifs” running through her head. What if someone stole them and took my car? What if I dropped them in a drainage grate? What if I never brought them in the first place and I managed to power the car with supernatural electrical pulses from my fingers and if I touch someone, they’ll die? Okay, the last one there is pretty absurd but you get the idea. In his book, The Way To Love, Anthony De Mello shares a very similar story of someone who is in a concert hall listening to a beautiful symphony and realizes they left their car unlocked. They’re so anxious about what could happen that they can’t enjoy the music. One of my favorite songwriters, David Wilcox, describes the same sentiment talking about someone who goes to the store to buy something specific, but gets distracted by “blue light specials” and after checking out, realizes they forgot the one thing they came in for. This has happened to me and it’s probably happened to you.

This is what life is like. We’re here for one reason and yet, we’re distracted so much by attachments that don’t really matter. Sometimes we’re so concerned about something like car keys that we completely lose sight of the bigger picture. We start thinking about protecting and maintaining our attachments (they can be material things, people, ideas, religions, etc.) that our role as agents of the Kingdom fades into obscurity. There’s beautiful music playing, yet, we’d rather listen to the noise. We run into the store for toothpaste and come out having spent hundreds on.. what did we buy again? We think ourselves into situations like this all the time.

This is how we think. Jesus thinks differently. He doesn’t get distracted by things that don’t really matter, even good things, or good works. He doesn’t let them get in the way of the purpose for which he was sent. Check out what Jesus does in Luke 4:31-44. He goes into a town called Capernaum to talk about the Kingdom. He goes to a synagogue and drives a demon out of a man, then to Simon’s house and heals his mother-in-law of a high fever. Then all kinds of people start coming to him to be healed of various things. The next morning, the crowd of people finds Jesus again and tries to convince him to stay, as there likely were many more people to be healed, people who believed in him and wanted to hear about the Kingdom. In verse 43, Jesus responds “I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (emphasis mine) Jesus doesn’t stay to heal more people. He leaves. The people were probably wondering “Jesus, what are you thinking? There are more sick people here, more people in need.” He’s thinking about the big picture. He knows there will always be another person to healed, or another sermon to preach, but he always remembers what he’s really here for and he’s not afraid to walk away from even good things to keep the Kingdom first. There’s something bigger he’s concerned about.

Another way this way of thinking is evident is something brilliant Luke repeats several times throughout his gospel. In Luke 9:51, he says that “as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” So here’s a goal, a destination, a very important one. Now, a LOT takes place before Jesus arrives at the gates of Jerusalem, 10 chapters of things. He visits a lot of people in different towns. He heals them, tells them about the Kingdom. Between towns he tells parables. He teaches the religious leaders in the synagogues. As you’re reading, just as you’ve probably forgotten that Jesus is on the way to a specific city, Luke reminds you. In Luke 13:22, 17:11, and 18:31, Luke says something to the effect of “on his way up to Jerusalem.” Luke wants us to remember the larger goal in the midst of all of Jesus’ ministry: getting to Jerusalem, because as we know, what happens in Jerusalem is one of the most important events in the Kingdom narrative. No doubt, Jesus was constantly thinking about the larger task at hand, even amidst all he was doing, and in chapter 19, he finally arrives in Jerusalem.

Thinking like Jesus means maintaining focus on the bigger picture, remembering our role in the Kingdom and keeping it first, even in the midst of good or bad distractions.




Oh, I did want to add that we did finally find the car keys. They were left in the car, in the ignition, in the on position. :)