Motivation

[HKHaugan]

In a recent meeting of a men’s discussion group someone raised the question about why Jesus died and asked ‘Would you be willing to die for a cause like He did?’  The assumption on the part of the questioner was that Jesus died for a cause.  The questioner obviously missed the meaning of the Cross.  Jesus didn’t die for a cause, ---He died for His Father.  Scripture is clear here. ‘Father, if you are willing take this cup from me; yet not my will, yours be done (Lk.22:42).”  On the Cross He said, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing (Lk.23:24).”  Then with His last human breath He said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit Lk.23:46.”  The most telling Scripture is this one, “Father, the time has come.  Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you (Jn.17:1).”  Note how personal these are.  It was the Father’s will that we should be saved from sin and thus the Father’s will that His Son could achieve that goal because He loved us that much.

 

There are other Scriptures that show Jesus was not cause oriented but rather Father oriented.  So as disciples of Jesus we need to reaffirm that we don’t take up our cross for a cause but for a person, the Person of Jesus.  There is an important distinction to be made here.  God is not giving us a cause to believe in but a Person with whom we can follow and relate with forever.  The heart of God is relational, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me that is the way I am sending you (Jn.20:21).”

 

So then what is a cause?  A cause is something a man conjures up in his mind to claim goodness or an extension of what he believes to be good.  A cause is an objective conclusion and, if you take historical notice, a charismatic person usually drives it.  A cause is an invisible concept that has no life nor can it provide life.  I know that I can say something like ‘I did that because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.’ Or we can say I came up with an idea and followed it through because it was the Christian thing to do.’  And also when captivated by a strong leader, ‘He seemed like such a great person with a great cause so I followed him.’ Note the self-gratification involved in those ideas and their actions.  I know we can argue about words but the point is that Christians are not involved in causes but in a relationship.  They do what they do not because it is a good cause but to please Jesus.  And this is what pleases the Father which is why He says we are to listen to Jesus.  When the apostles died they were not dying for a cause.  They were dying for a person, the person of Jesus.

 

All the words of Jesus; His commands, His confrontational meetings with the Pharisees, His driving out demons and evil spirits, His interchange with different kinds of people and His teachings, were all relationally directed and motivated by His relationship with His Father and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus reversed the world’s position on goodness as an objective entity.  He turned philosophy on its head by putting everything in a personal context.  He was the context.  Everything Jesus did pointed to Him and was about Him.  Creation, Scripture, the universe and human existence were all about Him.  He pointed to Himself on every recorded occasion.  Unlike the direction of our sinful egos what Jesus did by pointing to Himself as central was to draw attention to His Father as His motivation.  He was always Father-conscious and being Father-conscious He brings us to Himself because that was His Father’s direction.

 

What this means for us is that everything we do, every thought, choice, decision and every behavior is not done because I think it is good or makes me look good or helps the general good or is done for some good cause.  It doesn’t make any difference whether or not we can prove human derived causes are right, just, good or helpful.  Causes are secondary considerations to personal relationship. It is because we have a living relationship with God the Son, our Lord Jesus.  This is what pleases our Heavenly Father and prepares us for a relational eternity. 

 

If we can answer the question people raise when they ask us why we do the things we do and we can attribute them directly to wanting to please Jesus then it has validity regardless of the reaction we get.  He is One who ‘causes,’ the motivation and the reason for who we are and what we do.  Notice here that ‘cause’ is a verb and not a noun.  So if we use the word ‘cause’ we always add ‘be-‘ because it is Jesus that is the reason.

 

Paul says it so well, “ According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:20-21).”