Sceva had seven sons, who were itinerant Jewish exorcists.
They apparently had been very impressed by the techniques Paul had used to cast
out demons and attempted to use them in their own exorcisms. However, things
went bad:
·
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists
undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits,
saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish
high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them,
“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was
the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so
that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. (Acts 19:13-16; ESV)
Techniques are not enough. I trust that these exorcists had
been trying to implement the exact technique of Paul, but to no avail. Why not?
The demon gave them the best explanation: “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize,
but who are you?”
They lacked a saving relationship with Jesus, and this made
all the difference.
When religion becomes a matter of technique and methodology
– visualizations, imaginations, meditations, or repetitions of words – there is
an expectation that, if done correctly, the practitioner will mechanically tap
into the blessings of God. The assumption is that God is passively and
mindlessly offering his blessings to all. We just have to hit the bull’s eye in
order to win the stuffed doll.
I was reminded of the distinction between technique and
relationship when listening to Marianne Williamson, the leading advocate for a Course in Miracles. She opened the
session by instructing her audience to imagine a golden light, a temple, a
garden, and a stream flowing through it. She then invoked the crucifixion and
the resurrection, admitting that she uses Christian terms in non-traditional
ways.
For her, the crucifixion is no more than a concept, which
represents a victim mentality, a place where you don’t want to be. Meanwhile,
the resurrection represents freedom from the victimization prison into the
reality of God, where all is love - no blame, guilt, or unforgiveness.
How do we get there? Not by believing in Jesus, confessing
our sins, and repenting, since these things aren’t real, at least not in God’s
world. Instead, it’s just a matter of making a decision and practicing a new
mentality – the realization that God (love) is in you.
Consequently, it is all up to you and your practice of a set
of techniques. It appeared to me that her god does not need to be satisfied,
since there is no sin and no necessary payment for sin. Her god seems to be
devoid of personally and moral character, an impersonal force, which anyone can
access with practice and patience.
Her god is love, but what does this love look like? Can we
understand love from our own relationships? Since we are created in the
likeness of God, I think that we can. In fact, Scripture assures us that our
marriages (among other relationships) serve as a shadow of our relationship
with God:
·
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and
mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” [Genesis
2:24]. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and
the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the
wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)
What is love, and how do we love our wives? There is a right
way and a wrong way. I cannot love my wife by abusing her or by forcing her to
do exactly what I want her to do. Nor do I love her by allowing her to have
relationships with other men. If she countered that love should just be a
glowing feeling for her in my heart, I would respond that love is more than a
feeling and passivity. Love can also be indignant, morally vigilant, protective,
and even possessive when the object of love is threatened.
What does it mean for God to love us? It is more than just a
warm feeling. It is a total engagement with His children, so total that He is
working everything for our good. We can therefore find rest in him.
Have you ever watched a hen around her chicks? She is
fearless. This once timid feathery creature will attack anything that threatens
her chicks. She will attack anything that threatens her chicks. I saw one
ascend into the air to intercept a hawk, talons poised to grab her chick. This
is the power of relationship.
This is the way my God is. I know that no one can hurt me
unless He allows this, but if He does, it is to teach me a valuable lesson.
What does it mean to love God? There is also a right way and
a wrong way. Since He is a righteous God who can be grieved, I must love Him by
acting in a way that pleases Him. In order to do this, He requires that we obey
His words.
In this manner, He calls us to stay close to him. When there
is danger lurking, the hen calls to her chicks who know well enough to flee to
safety under her wings. There, she makes room for all of them.
However, Williamson’s god seems to have no personality or
character. It is amorphous, distant, and uncaring about the moral realm and the
suffering, since it dwells in the steady glow of love.
Nevertheless, Williamson talks a lot about forgiveness. Why?
Not because her god requires this or anything else, but because we need to
forgive in order to escape the captivity of the crucifixion, the mentality of
victimization. It is merely a mental exercise unconnected to the concerns of
her god, who is just love and who lacks any connection to this world of pain.
In contrast, our God cares about every detail of our lives.
Therefore, Jesus encouraged us to not worry:
·
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not
one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And
even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are
worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)
Does Williamson’s god suffer as we suffer (Hebrews 4:15-16;
Romans 8:26)? Apparently not! Suffering doesn’t exist for it. Instead, her god
seems to be little more than gravity, which can be harnessed for our own
purposes.
How do we harness this god? Through our thought life!
Apparently, this is what the Course of Miracles
is all about.
My wife loves me and cares about all aspects of my life, not
only my thought life. She cares about my sleep, my diet, my joys, and my pains –
everything. Although I tease her about being a force-of-nature, she is even
more than that.
We have a relationship. If I hurt her, I must make up for
it. I must respect her and honor her, and she deserves it. Relationship is more
than just getting out of her what I want. It is also about giving and adoring.
Techniques are not enough. It is not enough to bring her
flowers and take her out for the evening because I want something from her. I
must also put her before all other women. My God also cares about this, as my
God should.
Relationship is as fundamental to love, as my eyes are to
sight. Without relationship, love is unthinkable. If I treat my wife wrongly,
God will turn His back on my prayers:
·
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you
live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as
heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your
prayers. (1 Peter 3:7)
Relationship is wholistic. It involves every aspect of our
lives, as it should. In comparison, techniques are superficial manipulations.
These have their place in chiropractic but fall short of what is necessary
between husband and wife, parent and child, and even God and His people.
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