Christians Are Recovering Human Beings: Returning to God’s Reality

By Edwin Zackrison

This book will examine some of the perspectives of reality that can help us realize the pattern of our recovery. In our notions of improvement there are elements of value and worth, which stress direction and evaluation. These elements are closely related to rationale, aim and goal. We call them wishes.

Christianity does not just talk of desire. Appeal often falls short of action. The reality of healing through our faith is directed by divine action. Theologians write about concepts like covenant, sacrifice, depravity and vindication. And they put meanings in those terms which often escape the “man on the street.” We will look at some of these perceptions in our study of this reality.

Love is demonstrated in our acts. Sometimes the Bible writers refer to this as ‘right-doing’ of loving response. Our love finds its convincing expression in good acts. Actions attract equivalence from others. Educators refer to this the contrast between cognition and affection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532078484

Edwin Zackrison

Edwin Zackrison is a retired professor of theology and ministry at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He is the author of The First Temptation (2015), People Under Construction (2020), and Profile of a Religious Man (2020).

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Copyright © 2019 Edwin Zackrison.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All Biblical quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Quotations appearing at the beginning of each chapter are taken from Ted Goodman (ed), The Forbes Book of Business Quotations (New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 1997; and Laurence J. Peter, Peter’s Quotations: Ideas for our Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1980.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-7846-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-7848-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909893

iUniverse rev. date:  07/24/2019

Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1 The Price of Eternal Life

Chapter 2 Looking at The Snake

Chapter 3 When God Terrifies You

Chapter 4 The Kingdom that Cannot Be Shaken

Chapter 5 Answers from The Storm

Chapter 6 Christ is Our Life

Chapter 7 Every Gravestone has A Silver Lining

Chapter 8 How Should We Live?

Chapter 9 Life is A Sexually Transmitted Disease

Chapter 10 Mary’s Song

Chapter 11 The Peculiarity of Obedience

Chapter 12 The Glory of The New Covenant

Chapter 13 Change What You Can—For The Better

Chapter 14 The Spirit Without Price

Chapter 15 Broken Hearts Keep on Beating

Chapter 16 Two Kinds of Wisdom

Chapter 17 The Power in A Word

Chapter 18 Splashes of Joy in The Cesspools of Life

Chapter 19 We are Pilgrims, Not Settlers

Chapter 20 Why The Future is So Bright

Chapter 21 God’s Answer to Death

Chapter 22 No Longer Strangers

Chapter 23 A Profile of Trust

Chapter 24 The Essence of The Gospel

Chapter 25 The Sweetness of Vindication

Chapter 26 Does The Loser Get Anything?

Chapter 27 O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

Chapter 28 God’s Minimum

Chapter 29 Are Christians Too Judgmental?

Chapter 30 The Shocking Alternative

Chapter 31 In The Still of The Night

Chapter 32 A Fiery Birth

Dedication

To MY CHILDREN,

Jill, Mark, Eddie, and Zoey.

We are a family that has endured

much turmoil that has given us adequate

chances to see that we are recovering human beings.

Foreword

A couple of weeks ago, an email arrived in my inbox. And, as sometimes happens, the email brought a surprise. Not a political cartoon. Not an advertisement for some product that was not suited to me. Not a plea for help from some foreign country, along with a promise of great financial reward if I would help them. The surprise was something that I consider an honor.

A friend of many years asked me to write a foreword for his latest book. Well, I was very surprised. What an honor! And, what a challenge for someone that mixes up letters and words when they write. Yet, when a friend sincerely asks for something, then you do your best to respond. As Paul Harvey often said, you have the rest of the story!

So, I ask you kindly to look at this in two main parts. I want to tell you about the author before I tell you about his latest book. Please be patient as I tell you about both, from my perspective.

The author has been someone I have known for many years. Decades. Trusted friend. Admirable teacher. Compassionate person. Committed Christian. Articulate scholar. Accomplished writer. Those are ways in which I know Edwin Zackrison. Personally. Professionally.

When Ed returned to the Chattanooga area years ago, we connected with more than a letter or email. We met up. I met with him and his family. Here and there we had a meal and conversation. More meals and more conversations. More emails. More phone calls. Text messages. We got to know each other better as time went along. And, without any exaggeration, I learned new things from him. I learned about theological issues. I learned about interpretation issues with things from the Bible. I learned about church issues. I learned about relationships issues.

The time came when I really wanted him to return to the pulpit in a small church that was occupied with grace oriented Christian church members. I knew he would just fit them. I knew he would greatly bless them. I knew they would bless him. With confidence about that matter, I kept at it until he agreed. The rest is history. He delivered wonderful messages to that congregation.

For many years Ed would give his time and effort to deliver a message of substance from the pulpit to these people. I sat there more than once to hear what he would say that day. And, without fail, I would learn something else new listening to him speak. I was in deep admiration. He was so organized. That was something I struggle with throughout this day no matter how hard I try. He would use the right words all the time. Well, I struggle with that issue. He had great illustrations. At least I thought I could keep up with him there. However, he just looked like he belonged there!

Now there you have some of those wonderful, fun, great things that are positive. You look, and you are just in amazement. So often I have met church leaders that were nothing more than religious politicians. So many of those types that I have met that maintain that religious façade. Yet, behind them, when you get to know them, they were very shallow. You are even stunned at the extraordinary hypocrisy of their lives. Dr. Zackrison was not like them. He was more concerned about the kingdom of God, than the kingdom of the church. I was in his home with him and his family. I got to know him deeply. His struggles, his challenges. His intentions. His questions. Yet, through it all he was genuine.

Ed faced the malicious attacks that were totally unjustified. And, I was there and witnessed some of it. His pain and suffering were very real. He saw the suffering in others and he suffered along with them. He hurt when others hurt. Yet, through it all, as I saw him, he was genuine. He was kind. He was soft spoken. He kept going. That is what I personally saw in him. And, I think that is the reason he has the insights now. I think that is the reason why he grasps some of those theological issue with more depth. In his suffering, he, himself found deeper meaning.

This book is an outcome of that realistic, painful, funny, horrifying, educational, devoted life that he has lived. Therefore, I recommend this book to you. The illustrations are real. Some of them I know a lot about, others as I read them were new to me. Some illustrations just hurt to read. Some other illustrations you sit back and think that he really messed that one up. Yet, all the illustrations that I have read in this book just seem to fit. This is where his imperfections and mistakes show up. Inexperience in dealing with some things in life can really show up at the wrong time. Well, those are in the book also.

Christians are Recovering Human Beings is a book that is easy to read. The book is also with substance paragraph by paragraph, page by page, and chapter by chapter. You want to consider value in suffering? It is in there. You want to consider purpose in life? It is in there. You want to look at questions? They are in there. You want to consider challenges in human dynamics? Those are in there. Plus, there is more if you take the time to read what he has written.

This book is from an author who is opening his soul to you. Ed is being authentic with you. Some of the wrong things he said were not out of being malicious at all, but out of inexperience. Who he is as a person comes out in the pages of this book. Yet, through it all, there is depth in the discussions. Yes, I do recommend this book to you. Take a fresh look at some new perspectives, when you sit down to read it. You may even get a new perspective on some story from the New Testament that you read years ago. Now, in a fresh new approach, such things may make more sense to you now. With sincerity, I think you will enjoy Ed’s latest writing.

Edward C. Ley, MSCJ

Department of Criminal Justice, Retired

University of Phoenix

Chattanooga, TN

Preface

Viewing life can be depressing depending on what thoughts we put into the viewing. The first funeral I conducted was for a church member in her nineties. Some people think funerals should be depressing but for this lady’s sisters the funeral showed very little sadness. These siblings were also in their nineties and they could only talk about what a wonderful life their loving sister had had and how thankful they were that she was now in the hands of the Lord.

I was just a ‘youngster,’ in my middle twenties, and I was sharing my own nervousness at holding my first funeral. But when I stood at the head of the coffin and watched them in their tearless happiness I began reframing some things about life. Since then I have often opened up a funeral service to responses from the congregation asking for them to reflect on the beauties of the life we have just lost.

Life is a journey. And we treat the journey according to our attitudes and hopes. Christians are encouraged from their scriptural sources to treat their life realistically. If we experience a broken heart we reflect on the effect brokenness has on God. The Bible presents a picture of God’s broken heart related to the failure of his first created beings to follow his clear instructions. And since that failure in the Edenic origin, we have all been challenged to recognize that our human race can be recuperating through faith in its creator.

In this book we will examine some of the perspectives of reality that can help us realize the pattern of our recovery. There are times in our lives that we see things not going right. And we wish for recovery which involves elements of self-esteem and personal worth. These include constituents that enhance the direction of our lives. They help develop our ability to evaluate rationally our aims and goals in a realistic life. Early in our experience we may call these wishes. But Christianity does not just present desires. Appeal too often falls short of action.

When my daughter was in eighth grade she came home one Friday afternoon and revealed that she had been moved by a speaker that day at school. In her assembly the dean of a western medical school had talked to the students in a way that motivated her. When she got home from school she walked into my study and said, Dad, I’ve decided I want to be a medical doctor.

Over the next eight years I remembered her announcement. Her seriousness demonstrated itself in her selection of activities, her choice of friends, and her serious dedication to her school requirements. She had made a decision that affected her whole life. She pursued community activities, musical development, and a temperate life that was devoted to religious direction inspired by the healing ministry of Christ. She married a young man with the same aspirations. They went through medical school together and finished their course.

Such a decision made seriously at that age can cause the image of God to breathe into the young life. Scripture reveals that all human beings inherit an imperfect nature of what God had intended the human race to be. An honest look around the world helps us understand the evil of the present age. But the message of the gospel is concerned with changing that nature. The reality of healing through faith is directed by divine action.

Theologians write about concepts like covenant, sacrifice, depravity and vindication. And they put meanings on those terms which often escape the man on the street. We will look at some of those perceptions in our study of this reality.

As normal human beings there are thoughts that enter our minds. We confront daily crises. A major concern is death. Science has given us no answer to that. Our ideas about death can be debilitating when they hit too close. My church members had lived ninety years until they lost their sister and still they were able to look at positive realities about their experience. Mostly they thought of relief for their delightful sister. But that didn’t begin at the funeral. That was a way of life for them as they accepted the realities of Jesus Christ all along the way.

The central notion of the Christian religion is called the gospel. That idea will enter into every chapter of this book. The gospel is at the midpoint of the recovery system Christ taught. The gospel has to do, not just with teachings and ideas. It introduces and emphasizes the good actions of God. God has not walked away from our need for recovery. He has acted constantly in what the scriptures called a righteous way.

When we finally accept that our recovery is deeply related to right actions we have begun to understand some of the elements involved in the reclamation of our souls. Much of today’s religion resides in thought. Religious thought is commonly considered a philosophy of life. Thought has its place, but in scripture religion is embedded in action.

Biblical reality grows out of observable divine action. The Hebrew scriptures are primarily a record of God’s good works on our behalf. To know God is to know what he does. To overlook that is to miss the meaning of a confirming message. Jesus taught but he wrote no messages. His disciples recorded his actions and shared his interpretations and meanings. When we talk about ‘imitating’ Christ we mean we study what he did in order to imbed his religion into our lives. That is Christian reality.

The New Testament demonstrates that love is shown by our acts. Sometimes the Bible writers refer to this as ‘right-doing’ or loving response. As we love we act. Our love finds its convincing expression in those good acts. And those acts attract equivalence from others. Such an idea does not remain in the idea realm. Educators call this the difference between cognition and affection.

Both the teachings and actions of Jesus are stressed throughout the New Testament. This is encouragement to us as well as helpful as an occasional example for us to follow.

This book is intended to be practical. It is designed to deal with the place of actions in relation to the rational materials of the gospel.

Edwin Zackrison, PhD, MBA

University of Phoenix, Retired

Chattanooga, TN

August 2019

Chapter One

The Price of Eternal Life

I had to set limits to knowledge in order to make place for faith.

—Immanuel Kant

MARK 10:17-31

¹⁷ And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ²⁰ And he said to him, Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth."

²¹ And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. ²² At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. ²³ And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"

²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, Then who can be saved? ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, Lo, we have left everything and followed you. ²⁹ Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many that are first will be last, and the last first.

GREAT REJOICING AND APPRECIATION

This is a difficult biblical passage. This is one of Jesus’ teachings that can bring us great rejoicing and appreciation if we grasp it. It can sound discouraging if we don’t. But this is one of the tough passages in the New Testament.

THE RICH YOUNG MAN

Here is the tough text: ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25).

You may say, Well, I’m not rich, so I’m safe. And as long as I stay poor, I’m okay. But this may only mean you have not grasped Jesus’ meaning. This teaching of Jesus impacts on all of us.

Taken literally this could suggest that no rich man can enter the kingdom of God because a camel could never get through the eye of a needle. This may be just a figure of speech. But what is the figure of speech supposed to illustrate? What is the point of saying such a thing?

Some later suggestions indicate that the eye of the needle could refer to the instrument used for threading ship cable. This was a needle with about a one-inch hole. Does that help us understand the text? What kind of camel is so small that it can go through a hole that is one inch in diameter or one inch long? Not much help.

Another attempt to understand this text says that this is really a restatement of an old Jewish saying, an elephant through the eye of a needle. Does that help? Is it easier to get an elephant through the eye of a needle than a camel? We seem to be going in the wrong direction with this explanation—maybe this refers to a baby elephant? In that case maybe a baby camel? Still not much help.

Another theory is the so-called eye of the needle gate in Jerusalem. This interpretation dates from around the 15th century. Jerusalem was a walled city. The gates were closed at night for the protection of the people who lived there. What if you arrived at the city late at night and the gates were already closed?

This hypothesis said that the late comer could enter the city by the eye of the needle gate. That was supposed to be a small door next to the regular gate where, after sundown when the big gates were closed, a person could still get into the city by crawling through this little gate and be protected from the evils of the night—bandits and the like.

You would remove all your belongings from your camel’s back and the creature would get down on its knees and crawl through the eye of the needle gate. That seemed to fit the lesson Jesus was teaching here. Various pictures emerge in the mind when visualizing this event.

Some problems with this view: first, you would have to get a camel to crawl. Next you would discover that the door is still not big enough for a camel to get through. And finally, you would discover that it makes no difference because, according to camel experts, you can’t get a camel to crawl on all four legs! I’m no behavior evaluator of a camel so you might want to check with an expert whether this could happen outside perhaps the Clyde Beatty circus.

So, the text stays with us: ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25).

NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID, WHAT DID JESUS MEAN?

Jesus is speaking here about what appears to be an impossibility. Jesus is using an attention getting device to make sure we get the point. We call this figure of speech hyperbole—exaggeration or overstatement. If we shed our inhibitions here we could see this as humorous—a camel straining to get through the eye of a needle only to fail!

Maybe Jesus is speaking about spiritual realities. We can rephrase what he is saying in contemporary lines:

It would be easier for a two-year-old girl to pitch a perfect game in the World Series than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

It would be more likely that the Pope would become a Lutheran than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

It would be easier for the castle guard of the kingdom of Lichtenstein to overrun the United States Armed Forces and defeat them than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Is Jesus talking impossibilities?

You can live out your threescore and ten and whatever else God gives you—and you are not going to see the Pope become a Lutheran (so don’t get excited). You don’t need to stay awake at night worrying about Lichtenstein, that little city-state kingdom in Europe. You will never see a two-year-old girl pitch a perfect game in the World Series (or even the Little League World Series).

Impossibilities here? These are not developments that are going to happen. Jesus is talking what appear to be impossibilities! Jesus is not saying a rich man might make it. Jesus is saying a rich man won’t make it. You don’t believe it? Then bring your camel to church next week or try in the privacy of your home even to get your cat through the eye of a needle.

JESUS’ MEANING

Now that Jesus has our attention, what is he trying to teach us? We must always look at the context of any story.

Note the characteristics of the man who asks Jesus the question to which this hard saying is the answer.

Here is a passionate man. This man runs to Jesus. He throws himself at Jesus’ feet—he is needy. He is different from the young prostitute who was flung at the feet of Jesus (John 8:1-11). His is a voluntary event. Here is the picture of recognized neediness. It represents those moments in our lives when we realize our need. He is passionate about it.

Here is a religious man. He kneels before Jesus. Jews didn’t kneel before people—they only knelt before God. He wants to know where he is going. He is worried. When men are worried they often become religious. He knows the difference between good and bad. This is a religious encounter with Jesus.

Here is a righteous man. He says he has kept all the commandments from his birth. He was born in the fellowship. He makes it clear that he considers himself respectable and ethical. Those who kept the commandments in Jesus’ day were reconciled as respectable people. He is considered a respectable, righteous man.

He is a rich man. The rich in Jesus’ day were considered blessed by God. They had done something good, and righteous, to have been blessed with such great riches. Mark relates here that he has great possessions. He was wealthy and enjoyed the privileges that went with it. I remember Max in the Broadway musical The Sound of Music. He honestly admitted, I like rich people; I like the way rich people live; I like the way I live when I’m with rich people!¹ This was typical of a rich man.

It is ironic that a man who was passionate, religious, righteous, respectable and rich should ask Jesus such a question, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Everyone within listening distance thought that was already settled for this guy. The good life he had would simply be extended to the good life in eternity. That makes this story all the more interesting and curious.

JESUS’ INITIAL RESPONSE IS PREDICTABLE FOR A JEWISH RABBI

Jesus asks him: Why do you call me good? For the Jews, only God was good. Jesus was testing to see how loosely this man was using the term. Is he just flattering? Or does he mean it?

Jesus is saying, no flattery, young man! Don’t try to impress me with your passion and righteousness and respectability. You know the commandments.

Jesus lists the commandments. He doesn’t tell him to keep them. He doesn’t suggest that a person earns his way to heaven by keeping them. ¹⁹ "You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’" (Mark 10:19).

Jesus is quoting the ten commandments—the decalogue. He is quoting from the second half of the decalogue—the part that distinctly impacts human relationships. These are the commandments that are the extension of Jesus’ own teaching that is often called the golden rule. Treat others like you would like them to treat you.

The man is happy. He has done all this. He believes he has kept all these commandments. Maybe this means he has eternal life. Maybe he is a righteous man and Jesus hasn’t removed all doubt. But then there is a nasty turn in the conversation because now he must deal with the fact that camels can’t go through the eyes of needles; and that rich men perhaps can’t get into the kingdom of God.

Jesus is not saying poor people have a better chance at the kingdom than rich people. I have known people who