Crowns for the Saints

It is time to start tying everything together. Few are Called to be Christians, so I have shown through multiple passages of scripture over the course of this series. However, those not Called will be judged to lower standards on the Day of Judgment. Faith has a price. Predestination is not a free pass to Paradise.

Why?

Why create a world in which few believe correctly? Why allow Christians to suffer at the hands of unbelievers? Why subject those who Believe to a higher standard of morality? Why require faith?

I can but speculate, but here follows a reason that makes sense to me:

A Training Ground for Kings

We who walk the Christian Way are preparing to be kings and priests, to rule with Jesus for a millennium, and perhaps beyond. If we were preparing to live forever in an eternal country club, trials of this life would be almost pointless, on the order of fraternity hazing. But kingship is another matter entirely! An unqualified or uncaring king can do great damage, especially over a thousand year reign. And it is one thing to reign poorly in your own name, quite another to rule poorly in Jesus’ name. Training and testing is quite appropriate.

The stakes are high. In several places the Bible promises that some will be made children of God [Matthew 5:9, John 1:12]. Jesus reinforced the point when he said we should pray to “Our Father.” Suppose we take this promise at face value. Animals bear children of their own kind. Trees bear fruit of their kind. Should the pattern hold, those who are chosen are to become of the same kind as God, to become like gods! Such power should not be granted lightly.

What are the qualifications for such power? Consider these qualities for kingship:

1. Willingness to follow orders. Jesus is to be High King; we hope for a role underneath.
2. Understanding and appreciation of those orders. An underling who just robotically follows order to the letter can be harmful to an organization.
3. Understanding of those to be governed.
4. Love of those to be governed.
5. Proven willingness to exercise the above without supervision.
6. Leadership ability.
7. Experience in governance.

Make sense? Now how might you train people to have these qualities? Moreover, how to you test? How can you test for love? How can you test for willingness to obey without supervision? How do you train people for leadership before you grant them high office? Consider these questions in light of the following Biblical patterns:

1. The importance of following orders is one of the very first lessons in the Bible. Adam and Eve were given a very simple rule: don’t eat the fruit of a particular tree. They allowed themselves to be convinced the order was unimportant – with dire consequences. This lesson is repeated throughout the Bible.
2. Of course, most of the orders given are more than mere tests of obedience. The Law offers us a great body of wisdom if we study, practice and meditate upon it. True appreciation requires following the Law side by side with societies which do not. Ancient Israel was surrounded by heathen nations. Christians are tasked to practice their faith surrounded by non-Christians. Under such conditions we get to see the benefits of living God’s way and the consequences of living other ways.
3. A king who was once a peasant will view peasants rather differently than a king who grew up in a palace. Perhaps this is why Jesus said that few of the rich and powerful will be allowed in the Kingdom, why the least will become the great.
4. We live in a world with consequences. How else could love be exercised? Love often carries a price. How else could it be tested?
5. We live under very light divine supervision. Indeed, we must take it on faith that our works will be rewarded. Our true character gets thus exposed. Do we behave well; do we love, purely in the hope of future reward? If so, we are selfish beings unworthy of the gifts to be granted. With doubt, we must have love and true appreciation of God’s laws to complete our assigned tasks.
6. One of the great features of democratic government is that our leaders must campaign to achieve high office. They must learn to persuade before they can rule with power. Electoral campaigns are thus good leadership training. Likewise, evangelism is leadership training for Christians. If all were Called, evangelism would be too easy, and opportunities to evangelize too few.
7. How are the poor and the weak to learn how to govern? One answer is within the family. Another is within the Church. Spiritual gifts are divided up so that few if any have them all. This provides opportunity for all to actively participate. And church participation once meant far more than singing in the choir or organizing potlucks; Paul called for Christians to govern themselves.

Treasure in Heaven vs. Unearned Grace

Now we return to a central mystery of the New Testament: grace vs. works. Paul wrote extensively on faith and grace vs. works and the Law. Jesus spoke of earning treasure in Heaven and people being judged according to their works. How do we resolve this apparent conflict?

Some would say that we live under a new dispensation, that works and following the Law were required in the past, but now we live under new rules. This idea bothers me greatly, as it renders 90% of the Bible moot, a bad joke even. The idea also contradicts the writings of the other apostles, writings done after the Crucifixion, after the new dispensation was supposed to go into effect. Even some of Paul’s writings go against this interpretation. Taking Paul out of context is a dangerous game, as he employed lengthy complex arguments.

This passage inspires a cleaner interpretation, one more in tune with the rest of the Bible:

Here, Jesus affirmed the Law, including the least bits. But he also offered hope for the many future Christians who would teach/act otherwise: many of them will also be in the Kingdom; however, they will be called least in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Heaven will not be a democracy, nor will it be a communist utopia. It will be hierarchical. Jesus will be at the top, the King of Kings. Twelve apostles will be kings over the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Some will rule over a single city, some over multiple cities. Keep in mind that the term “king” in the Bible can refer to rather petty rulers, barely over the rank of small town mayor; note the number of kings in Canaan alone during the days of Abraham.

Some will be priests. And like kings, priests range from high priests down to minor priests. In the days of the Levites, few served in the innermost parts of the Temple. Somebody had to polish the silverware.

Getting into the Kingdom is more important than rank within the Kingdom. Love and charity might be more important than obeying the lesser commandments correctly. Jesus declared charity to be a salvation issue [Matthew 25:31-46]. Perhaps this is why Paul emphasized love and charity over the Law. To legalistically follow the Law without love can lead to being a bitter nit-picker, unworthy of leadership, or possibly any position, in the Kingdom.

But why settle for being least in the Kingdom? A thousand years is a rather long time to polish silver or rule over a small remote village. Rank in the Kingdom is valuable. Jesus said so. He said it was a hundred times more valuable than keeping one’s earthly possessions. It’s more valuable than retaining important body parts.

At least, that is how I read these passages today. Please meditate on these scriptures yourself, including those below, and come to your own conclusion. Get a modern literal translation for those passages where the King James is unclear.

And when you are done, I invite you to continue on to the next article, where we will explore the Kingdom as it relates to the world today, before the Second Coming. Though the Christian Way is a narrow path, we can still have a taste of the Kingdom now, if we follow Jesus’ call to be salt of the earth.