Discipleship in Balance

[HKHaugan]

Mind	Heart	Spirit
Belief	Trust	Faith
0-100%	0-100%	0-100%

 

 

 

 

“At once, they left their nets and followed Him…and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him (Mt.4:20…Peter and Andrew, vs.22…James and John).”  Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say I am? He answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt.16:16).”  “Thomas said to Him, “My Lord and my God (Jn.20:28).” These were His close disciples.  What of the other people? 

 

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of Israel had come to Jesus at night, defended Him in a meeting of priests and Pharisees, “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find our what he is doing? (Jn.7:50)”  He also went with Joseph of Arimathea to help prepare Jesus’ body for burial (Jn.19:38-42). Add to these the steward at the water to wine miracle (Jn.2), the Samaritan woman at the well and her witness to her community (Jn.4), the temple guards who went to arrest Jesus and didn’t because “”No one ever spoke the way this man did (Jn.7:46).”  Then there was the healing of a man born blind who stood and courageously shared his experience before the Pharisees (9:30). 

 

These are just several of the many incidents that recall the effect Jesus had on those who saw Him in different circumstances.  They show how a disciple of Jesus is called to react spontaneously in any situation of life.  Spontaneity is one of the many qualities of Jesus He provides through the Holy Spirit.  Spiritual spontaneity occurs when the mind, the heart and the spirit work together in harmony, in unity.  Remember Jesus’ words, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you (Jn.20:21).”

 

If you take the context of the above verses and the many similar to those, you will find spontaneity as a major theme, which Jesus demonstrates over and over as a perfect human being in action.  His incredible grasp of immediate conditions and His incredible responses and incredibly real confidence in making them sets Him apart, which is what makes Him so incredible. 

 

It’s not that we concentrate on being spontaneous, it is the result of keeping the Word and letting the Spirit use it as we relax in Him while in the presence of others.  This is why John summarizes his Gospel this way, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and by believing have life in His name (Jn.20.31).”

 

As God the Son, Jesus is the perfect balance of mind, heart and spirit.  No matter what He says and does He is always in balance.  He is confident, stable and consistent.  As a result He is persistent when it comes to His mission, the salvation of mankind.  He is also automatically resistant when it comes to sin and evil. I speak of Him in the present tense because what He was He still is and always will be. 

 

He is the measuring rod for what it means to be a human being.  He is the standard for how the mind sets its order, reason and concepts.  He is the picture of a trusting heart centered on His Father.  He is the image of perfect faith in action.  When you see Jesus you see a 100% spiritual being living as a 100% human being.  In His ministry He was the conscious “I Am” living a human existence, “Before Abraham was, I Am (Jn.8:58).”

 

But think for a moment about your own reaction when someone makes a statement or asks a question that puts you on the spot and you are not sure how to answer.  You either stand mute or stumble trying to give an answer.  Then, as you think about it at a later time you do think of an answer or someone gives an answer and you say to yourself, “I wish I’d said that or thought of that then.” 

 

I remember when a rabbi asked me why I thought Jesus couldn’t just simply be considered the Christian Messiah, a Messiah for Christians (He wanted relief from Christian evangelism).  My thinking apparatus seemed paralyzed for a moment.  I think I didn’t answer because I was more concerned about not being offensive or losing him as a friend or maybe it was a personal fear that he might intellectually outdo me (pride never quits its guerrilla warfare in the heart). 

 

Later, when I took time to ponder it, reasons did come to mind.  First of all it was because Jesus was Jewish, secondly because all His early disciples and followers were Jewish, thirdly because He fit the role described in Jewish prophecies, fourthly because here was a Jewish prophet who was concerned about me and all non-Jews, fifthly, I wouldn’t have even known what a Jew was had it not been for Jesus who made me aware of a Christian’s Jewish heritage.  Add to this personal array, immediately after and because of the Resurrection, according to scholarly historical commentaries, more than half of the Jews in Jerusalem were converted along with many priests (Acts 6:7).  But I didn’t respond that way then and I wish I had.  None of that was on my mind.  How many times haven’t we all responded with, “I wish I’d thought about that then”?

 

Three results could have occurred had I opened up then.   One, I would have been a better witness, two, he would have had counter ideas and taught me more about Judaism and three, I would have been able to relate to him more deeply as a person.

 

What does this all say about Jesus?  He never had to go through the process I did to have an answer for the truth that was in Him.  He responded perfectly to everything and everyone confronting Him in the moment at that moment.  No hesitation, no suggesting that they come back after He had considered it for a while, no reluctance, no fear of consequence.  He just answered from His mind, His heart and His Spirit acting in the unity the moment demanded.  It is the kind of spontaneity I wish I had all the time.  This is one reason I know why I need a Savior and a Redeemer.  My internal unity of mind, heart and spirit, my balance of belief, trust and faith, are desperately in need of restoration. 

 

From time to time I experience that sense of spontaneity as when, for instance, I have been in a subtly hostile discussion where the obvious array of liberal and conservative clergy were gathering and spiritual pride was spreading its odor of rigidity.  Truth was begging for a champion.  A statement was made that undercut the authority of Scripture.  I blurted out an answer that caused a complete silence and I thought to myself, “Where did that answer come from?”  It was the Holy Spirit and I knew it.  He was the champion.  I was just a vessel for Him at the moment.  Spontaneity is the result of just trusting the Holy Spirit.  He keeps you alert not only to speak but also to keep quiet when necessary.  It led me to spend more time in reading the Word. 

 

The same thing happened to me in a prep school faculty meeting to discuss end of the year awards for deserving students.  The two highest awards were for the all around student and for the one who exhibited most clearly basic Christian values.  The student who the faculty wanted to receive the award was Jewish and truly, a really wonderful person.  It was my first year there as chaplain and, by the unwritten protocol of lacking seniority, I was just there to listen not speak.  However there was something in me that said ‘I can’t let this go by’ so I spoke up and said, “But he’s not a Christian.  He’s Jewish.”   The surprised and offended faculty each shifted their disapproving gaze at me, the ‘newbie’ and chaplain no less, with shock.  I immediately said, “He’s really a great guy and probably the most genuinely open and honest kid on the campus but you are giving him the Christian award.  Give him another one that awards character.”  With that one of the faculty broke the silence and asked, “Well Whitey what do you think a Christian is?’  Without a moment’s pause I blurted out, “A Christian is anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord.”   I even startled myself with that reply especially since I hadn’t really accepted Him myself at that point in my life.  The reaction was amazing.  Of the twenty-two present in that room there was not a sound.  All eyes were looking at the floor.  After a rather lengthy silence what finally happened was this really great kid got an equally deserving award.  The end of the story was this.  I never saw him again but learned later he went to Harvard and while there became a Christian.  

 

Back to the graph above.  It shows three things, mind, heart and spirit.  Each disciple is a blend of the three.  No one has the same balance.  When you received Jesus as your personal Lord He brought the Holy Spirit to be His ministry in your mind, heart and spirit.  He takes from Jesus what is necessary for you personally and builds in you His way, truth and life---the way of the Cross, the Word of truth and the faith of the Spirit.  This is why we engage the mind in the Word of truth so that the heart learns what to trust and the spirit is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

 

What we see in the Word is the perfect balance of the three in all the events Jesus finds Himself in.  His responses in thought, in heart and Spirit are exactly what were necessary in each situation.  It is that openness to the will of the Father in the Spirit that we take from Jesus.  What we are doing is being open without fear to what Jesus wants in our every next moment.  That is what makes us His disciples.  We are studying His spontaneity to be open in the same way.  Every situation we encounter in our individual lives is an opportunity to respond as Jesus did.  The question is really not would Jesus do but what did He do and how can we be open like Him to the creative moments He has waiting for us?