Fire On Your Head

“…. Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…” 1 Cor. 1.23

The Greek mind is one of loftiness, strength, impressive appearance, political power, and everything that men long for in their most heightened covetousness. The Greek gods of the first century were formidable, musclebound figures who threw bolts of lightning and carried out orgies with multitudes of women and goddesses. They were towering images, gods that evoked the praise of the ancient world by their intimidating tales and legendary feats. They were revered in the minds of their adherers because of their largesse and authoritarian grandeur. That’s what makes up the Greek mind, and modern western culture, though it does not revere Zeus or any of the other Greek gods, is driven by the same spirit exactly.

It’s remarkable to me how the heavenly mind is of a totally different order. The One true God sent His Son, who took on the dust of the earth and was born in Bethlehem, a little Jewish baby. He did not come throwing lightning bolts, flexing huge muscles and frightening men into submission by His domineering right hand. He came as a vulnerable, soft-skinned, breast-feeding infant, and the wisdom of God was here displayed in a manner that the earth had not seen to that point.

The immeasurable might of the Living God was displayed through His Son in every way, but the Greek/Roman mind cannot fathom it. We are much more of that mind than we would care to admit.

We would not have expected the Son of God to take on Jewish flesh and to be born in a stable. We would not have expected that He would experience a mostly normal childhood, growing up in Nazareth, which was a first century ghetto of Israel. We would not have expected that for roughly 18 years He would work in a carpentry shop, promoting no ministry, preaching from no platform, writing no newsletter, holding no healing campaigns. We would not have expected that He would sink Himself into the mirky waters of the Jordan, where all of His kinsmen were repenting of their sins, and that He also would take part in the baptism of John. We would not have expected that He would spend the first half of His publicized ministry telling people that He had healed not to announce that He was the messiah. We would not have expected that He would forgive the woman caught in adultery. We would not have expected that He would bless little children. We would not have expected that He would stoop low to wash the feet of the disciples, men who were often asking the most ridiculous questions about who gets what reward and whose name will be most known. And we, like Peter and the others, would not have expected that this Royal One would be found, whipped bloody and beaten to a pulp, hanging from a cross at the young age of 33. None of this befits authority or power in our Greek-influenced minds.

Yet in the weakness of all these events in the life of the Son, the fullness of God Himself is permanently etched into the annals of eternity and history. The Greek gods, with all of their boasting, flexing and roaring, are only hollow fables and lifeless characters inspired by fallen angels. Their names and words will rot without memory in the age to come. But the One who displayed the fullness of the only powerful God, is the One who showed forth His strength in expressions of holy weakness. 

Are our lives and ministries expressions of His life, or are they dominated by the Greek mindset? Do we look always for what’s bigger, stronger, externally impressive, bringing glory to our names or movements? Are we content with expressions of weakness in hidden places, where no gratification comes to us other than the glory of communion with God? 

The One who expressed Himself through weakness will soon return with fire in His eyes, a sword on His side, and vengeance against all that runs contrary to the love and purity of His kingdom. The “Greek” mindset will be permanently overturned, and the way of righteousness and justice will be established once and for all. How will our lives and ministries stand in the day of His fire?