Boasting

Psalm 66                     Galatians 6:7-18                        Luke 10:1-4, 16-20

Boasting

One online dictionary defines the word boasting as “excessively proud and self-satisfied talk about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities”. In so many ways, boasting is a strange phenomenon. We all engage in it at some time in our lives. When we are younger, we may boast about our bigger brother (my brother can beat up your brother any day), our dads (my dad is smarter than your dad), our mums (my mum is prettier than your mum), or our homes (my house is bigger than your house). But as we get older, the focus of our boasting begins to get more personal. I am stronger, I am smarter, I am prettier, I live in a bigger house…I have more money than you (or more debt than you, my mortgage is bigger than your mortgage). Boasting can also focus in on our children…just go to any children’s sports event and watch the parents!

Boasting is generally frowned upon because of its effect on others. Flaunting one’s wealth, status, power, position, expertise, skills, abilities, beauty, possessions and so on may elevate the one boasting, but the effect it has on others is more often than not quite negative. It can make the listener jealous, envious, covetous, or angry…or it can crush them, humiliate them, debilitate them, or even disable them for life.

Unfortunately, believers are not exempt from boasting. But in the Church, boasting typically takes on a more subtle tone. While talk of wealth, buildings, or congregational size can pollute our ranks, “sanctified” boasting usually manifests itself in an over emphasis on moral or ethical or religious conduct. There are many biblical examples like the Pharisees who liked to parade their superiority publicly, but there are many modern-day examples as well. Like splashing photographs all over social media of yourself helping the poor and destitute. Or like misrepresenting and then “dismantling” or “defeating” the theological position of another believer in a dismissive or mocking tone. Or like demanding that all believers possess certain types of spiritual gifts, giving them the impression that if they don’t do this or that or the next thing, they are somehow deficient or dysfunctional. While this kind of boasting might seem innocent or harmless on the surface, these things smell of sulphur.

There has been quite a bit of a debate about the identity and intension of the Jewish-Christian rivals of Paul in Galatia. The more traditional view is that they were religious legalists who sincerely believed salvation had to be earned or merited through conformance to the ritual laws of Judaism. This is not too far removed from modern day legalists who believe one must do or have something or somethings to be acceptable to God…wear certain clothes, manifest certain spiritual gifts, sing certain hymns, or only read certain Bible versions, to name a few. 

More recently, some scholars have argued that Paul’s opponents were not inherently legalistic as, they argue, faithful Jews believed that God had chosen them to be his own for no other reason but that he loved them…and because they were so chosen, they had to express and preserve their identity by upholding a certain standard of living. 

While this certainly softens the more traditional view of Paul’s challengers, it does not appear to fit with what we read about these people in the biblical accounts as well as in the extra-biblical accounts (such as the writings of the 1st century Jewish historian, Josephus). In these reports, those who challenged Jesus and his followers certainly believed that strict conformity to the expanded rules and regulations of biblical law was not optional. Their response to those who did not accept their so-called “standard of living” was certainly anything but soft. They crucified Jesus, stoned Stephen, imprisoned Peter, and persistently undermined Paul’s ministry, often resorting to violence. While it is true that there was a more lenient school of thought among some first century Jewish scholars and leaders, the majority believed that any violation of the law would imperil the state of the individual’s identity as a member of God’s people. 

But this conviction more often than not led to a zeal that bordered on mania. Remember Paul’s comment that what drove him to keep the law so meticulously was so that he would be better than all his contemporaries? But striving after self-elevation can only lead to contention and jealous envy and unhealthy competitiveness…and sowing contention, envy and competition can and will reap sinful thoughts and behaviours.

Paul certainly believed that those who were confusing the baby believers in Galatia were self-seeking opportunists. Bear in mind that Jewish believers in Jesus were often persecuted by their unbelieving Jewish brethren. So, in an attempt to avoid this, they made a show of compliance by compelling Gentile converts to conform to Jewish rules, regulations, and rituals. When such a convert capitulated to their demands, they would use them as evidence that, even though they believed Jesus to be the Messiah, they were still adhering to the traditions of the elders. 

But this idea would render the cross of Christ meaningless. If one had to earn God’s favour, what was the point of the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus? I do not for one moment believe that Paul was saying the law of God ought to be discarded. He makes that very clear in his letter to the church in Rome. The law of God is holy, good, and true. But this holy, good, and true law had been misinterpreted and misapplied by people who did not understand the nature of God’s salvific work. The law was never intended to be a way to salvation. The law was always meant to be an ethical expression of a nation already saved by a gracious and merciful and forgiving God. In fact, salvation by merit detracts from the perfect loving character of God and thus dishonours him. The focus then is on my goodness, not his.

That is why Paul said that he would not boast in anything save the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Boasting in anything else, especially our own abilities and strengths, would be like worshipping a foreign god. Religious rituals and legal regulations are poor substitutes for a living and vibrant relationship with a loving and kind and compassionate God.

Now, we can discuss theoretical elements of legalism until the cows come home, and we can shake our heads and cluck our tongues as we think about the error of Paul’s opponents. But even though most of us would agree that salvation depends on God’s choice to love us even while we were sinners, our behaviour often betrays us. For instance, a judgemental or critical spirit exposes a conviction that somehow, we are better than other people. Haughtiness and arrogance and pride are opposed to the mind of Christ that centres on humility. 

Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ dumped a bucket of cold water over the heads of the rejoicing seventy-two returning evangelists in our Gospel lesson for today? Luke reported that they returned with joy because even demonic powers submitted to them in the name of Jesus. But instead of giving them the proverbial pat on the back and saying, “Good job”, Jesus delivers what could be construed as a bit of a downer. “Don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” What’s going on here? Was Jesus a major killjoy? 

I think that perhaps Jesus was addressing the all-too-human tendency towards boasting. Notice their report. Even the demons submit to us…in your name. It is a derived authority…they had the ability to cast out demons because Jesus gave them that power. They could do what they did because Jesus had done what he had done. It may seem to be a subtle shift in focus, but when you examine it more closely, you will see that this is a major correction in theological thinking. Without their names being written in heaven, they would have no authority at all. The boasting ought to be directed towards Jesus, not their successful mission. 

So, how does one avoid sliding into misguided boasting? I think our Psalm for today gives us a few good pointers. For starters, know the God in whom you believe. Our God is the God of all the earth. There’s no wiggle room here. Either he is or he isn’t. Then, having established the identity of the God the Psalmist is commanding us to praise (in other words who God is), the Psalmist then invites us to evaluate what this God does. “Come and see,” he said, “what God has done!” And then he goes on to list several things God had done in the past for his people. Now, we have quite a lot of research material when it comes to both these subjects. Keep your eyes fixed on these two truths (Who God is and what God has done and is still doing) and your feet will not slip.

This past week, Louise and I were exhorted to reflect on the position of Mary of Bethany in three accounts of her meeting with Jesus. The most well-known is where she sat at Jesus’ feet while her sister, Martha, was fretting with dinner prep. The second account was when she fell down at his feet after the death of her brother, Lazarus. The third account was when she anointed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume shortly before he was murdered. In all three instances, this remarkable woman is at her Lord’s feet. She did not seek to be his equal nor did she seek to be his superior. No, her position was one of humble submission and adoration. Her practice demonstrated her theology.

Paul ended his letter to the Galatians with a rather odd statement that has invited quite a lot of debate over the centuries. “I bear on my body,” Paul wrote, “the marks of Christ.” Of course, he meant to contrast his marks with the mark of circumcision, but what exactly were these marks of Jesus? Scholarly guesses have ranged from some form of stigmata, like that allegedly experienced by St Francis and other mystics, to the scars of his various beatings. But knowing Paul, I believe he was referencing the permanent mark placed on a Hebrew slave who had freely elected to remain with his Hebrew master. In Deuteronomy 15 God told Israel that if a slave said to his master, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loved his master and his household, then his master was to take an awl and pierce it through his slave’s ear into the door, and then the slave would become his servant for life. The indelible mark on the slave’s ear would serve as a permanent reminder of his identity as a slave of his master.

This was also a common practice in the Greco-Roman world…slaves were often branded like animals to prove ownership. Now as abhorrent as that may sound to our 21st century ears, I believe that what Paul was trying to tell his readers was that his identity was eternally wrapped up in the person of his master. Paul was a slave of Jesus and, like Mary sitting or prostrating herself at the feet of Jesus, this position kept his vision firmly fixed on the one who alone deserves our boasting…our praise, our worship, our adoration…the one who is God of all the earth…the one who alone reigns over all things. 

So, do you want to do whatever it takes to prevent you from boasting in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ? Let his mark of ownership be visible to all. Stay at his feet.

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl June 2022