6.20.24
This week we will be concluding our series in Hebrews. And we’re looking at the theme of a tale of two cities. We reside in the city of man. But we are citizens of the city of God. And it’s the tension of living in the one while being a citizen of the other that forms the tension that God uses to grow and stretch us in our seasons of struggle and hardship.
As we’ve said throughout this series, God does not cause or bring evil into our lives. That happens naturally because of our rebellion that broke God’s perfect world. But God does allow and use the evil and brokenness of this is world for his good purposes: to strip away all that is ugly and selfish, and slowly transform us into the image of Jesus.
And the tension of living between two worlds reminds us that this world is not our home. And so we don’t allow suffering and hardship to undo us, as if this world and its happiness is our only shot. But we also recognize that we are citizens of a world that will one day heal everything that is broken about this city of man. And so we begin even now to engage in the fight that Jesus is engaged in…to redeem the broken things of this world and make them new again.
But how do we get the power to become citizens of that city? How do we keep from becoming enemies of the culture by trying would make Christianity win? How do we keep from simply becoming friends of the culture and fitting in? Does it come from trying harder to keep a balance between these two worlds? Does it come through trying harder than the fundamentalists to be truly biblical? Does it come through trying harder to engage the city like the liberals?
The writer here tells us that Jesus suffered outside the gate to make us holy. And then he calls us to bear the same disgrace by being “outside the gate” ourselves. And what this means is that the only way we can become good resident aliens is through a fundamental restructuring of our hearts. And this comes by an encounter with Jesus. Not by trying harder.
Both liberal and conservative versions of religion share the model of transformation that says: do this and work hard at it, and then change will come. But only the gospel can come to us with such high expectations that we say, “I cant”. But then we’re reminded that’s true, but theres one who did - and he did it in your place. And to the degree we can grasp the reality of that, it changes your heart so that you can begin to do it too.
How can you love a city that will never love you back? Only when you see Jesus coming and loving you when you didn’t love him back. Only when you see his unconditional pursuing love for you will you be able to pursue the good of a world that is trying to destroy you and everything you believe in. That’s who and what you are before God. And he loved you anyway. And as that grips your heart, it will empower you to love and serve a city who will return your love as much as you returned Christ’s love for you.