What Is Incumbent?

 

A month or two ago I shared some thoughts under the title, Not Incumbent. In response, a long-time acquaintance, Dr. Louis Williams, a faithful minister in the Richmond, VA area, responded with some insights. I suppose I first met Louis about thirty years ago, and while we’ve never spent much time together, I have admired his testimony and his walk with Christ. One thing I will never forget, that once when I needed someone to help and encourage a church I was serving, Louis responded when others didn’t (another dear brother, Steve Allsbrook also responded). Louis may not even recall his visit to our church years ago, but I will never forget it.

 

During WWII allied planes dropped strips of tinfoil out of planes to confuse enemy radar, it was called “chaff.” There is a lot of chaff that can confuse us and divert our hearts, including “Christian chaff.” It has fooled me before in its well-meaning guise.

 

I think it’s time to share what Louis Williams has to say. Below are Louis’s thoughts, after which I’ve included my original piece in case you want to read it.

 

Thank you brother Louis Williams.

 

Much love,

 

Bob

 

What Is Incumbent?

Dr. Louis Williams

 

Beautifully spoken. Much wisdom in what you write. So my next thought after reading your email was, “What is incumbent upon the thoughts or opinions of Jesus followers?”  My thoughts went immediately to Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and Scribes in Luke 15. Because this is the only record in the gospels where Jesus responds to the religious leaders with 3 parables making the same point 3 times (so there is no misunderstanding) that the Father sent the Son to seek and save the lost. Again, in Luke 5, Jesus told the religious leaders that He came to call the sinners to repentance, not the righteous. So, I think that what is incumbent on me as a Jesus follower is for my heart to break for the things that breaks the heart of the Father - the lost, the sinner and the poor. 

 

Your words are aptly spoken like apples of gold in settings of silver. Thanks. 

 

PS Your words rang so clear to me this morning that I felt the need to reply and thank you with encouragement.  The increasing polarization of our culture over the last few decades has diverted the focus of too many followers of Jesus away from loving and worshiping God, loving our neighbor and making disciples. Reminds me of one of the demon's strategies in the Screwtape Letters. Instead, too many Jesus followers are focused toward the false notion that believers are called to judge all things and transform all things - as you said. Jesus never did this.  He was not interested in throwing out the Roman oppressors and "Make Israel Great Again". (Wouldn't that look wonderful on a Yarmulke?)

 

Louis Williams

 

My original post:

 

Not Incumbent

 

 

It strikes me that it is not incumbent upon the follower of Jesus Christ to have an opinion about everything, nor are we called to judge all things – we have better and higher things to do. While Martha runs here and there, with her attention like a shotgun blast with pellets everywhere, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus with her heart, eyes, and ears fixed on Him. Martha moves to a cacophony, Mary responds to the sweet voice of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:38).

 

 

This is not to say that we, as a people, cannot judge all things if needed (1 Cor.2:15), but it is to say that we have better and higher things to do, living lives fixed on Jesus Christ and in service to others.

 

 

The notion that we can transform the world and culture, when the world system and its culture is under judgment, is a notion that distracts us and dissipates our strength (John 12:31; Gal. 6:14; 1 John 2:15). Yes, we are called to be salt and light, mitigating the evil and darkness of the world and leading others to Jesus Christ, but this is not the same as thinking that somehow we are going to make what is inherently evil and opposed to God into something righteous – see Psalm 2 and Daniel 2.

 

 

One benefit of realizing that it is not incumbent on us to have an opinion about everything is that we can model hearts and lives which are devoted to Jesus Christ, we can model what it is to sit at the feet of Jesus. This is the Light that others need, this is the City which does not need lesser lights, for it has the Light of the Father and the Son (Rev. 21:23; 22:5). How foolish to carry a flashlight when the sun is brightly shining, how nonsensical to eat food dead by the roadside when the Master has a seat for us at His Eucharistic Table.

 

 

However, it is not just that it is not incumbent upon us to have an opinion about everything in the world, it is also not incumbent upon us to have an opinion about everything in the Kingdom – indeed, it can be dangerous. Paul asks, “Who are you to judge another man’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Rom. 14:4) Then, “Judge nothing until the time comes…and then shall everyone have praise from God (see 1 Cor. 4:5). (Writing this is not without irony!)

 

 

When Peter wanted to know about the trajectory of John, Jesus says, “What is that to you? You follow me.” (John 21:21ff).

 

 

When we should be relieved that we are not called to know everything, to judge everything, to meddle in everything, we insist on being mental and emotional busy bodies…and we call this wisdom and understanding? What’s worse, we model this scattered way of life for others and make it normative.

 

 

The ways of the world are not to be our ways, it is not incumbent on us to know everything, to understand everything, to have an opinion on everything, to judge everything. It is, however, commanded that we love God with all that we have and all that we are, and that we love our neighbors as ourselves and our brethren as Jesus loves them. It is incumbent on us to lay our lives down for others, with our eyes looking unto Jesus (Heb. 12:2).

 

 

If we desire to demonstrate the relevancy of the Gospel, it is not by responding to every headline in the news that we will accomplish this; but rather by living in Christ, as Christ, declaring the Good News that there is an everlasting Kingdom and an eternal Way – the Way of Light and Life, the Way of Jesus Christ.