The Death of Aristocracy

05/31/16

Romans 12.1-2 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – St. Paul

This is pretty straightforward; not a bunch of deep theological terms; just offer yourselves to God as a living sacrifice because that is true worship and it is the proper thing to do. And renew your mind. This entails thinking differently. It entails reading the Word of God in order to think differently. Simple.

But there is one glaring truth that isn’t explicitly (or implicitly) offered: these verses are not offered to aristocracy. One cannot be a king in his own mind and offer himself as a living sacrifice to Jesus.

I have long held that the Church in America in many respects, is confused as to who she really is. Are we in the church patriots to the American Way? Are we republicans or democrats? Are we pro-life or pro-choice? Are we for gun-ownership or not? Ask 20 different Christians about these things and you’ll get twenty different answers. If we spend our time thinking about these things, we’re probably not too concerned about the Kingdom. Who are we in Christ?

I heard a man speak on Sunday and he put into words what I have long held: we don’t want much to do with God because we’re deep-down-afraid of what God is going to do to us, or what God wants from us. We’d rather be the royalty than the peasantry. Royalty rules, peasants serve. Get what You need from someone else, Lord.

Funny though, the Lord Jesus Himself came as a King to serve. I’m not sure how we square that with the whole aristocracy thing. How does an aristocrat offer him/her self as a living sacrifice? What does that mean in regard to my time, talents, and treasures? And if we’re aristocracy, who then is the peasantry? I think these are hard questions for the modern church to answer.

I had to ask me these questions. I thought, well, I’ll just get busier in my job. I thought, well, I’ll just get busier in my church (We are right, aren’t we?). And then the speaker nailed me: He asked how often I started my day in prayer seeking, not trinkets from Jesus, but direction. I think I frowned. And then he said the only way to be with Jesus is to own my discipleship (because it is no one else’s but mine) and to be yielded to whatever Jesus tells me to do, or wherever Jesus tells me to go, or…

Aristocrats aren’t used to checking in with anybody. Aristocrats are more used to asking to have their needs met; not asking for marching orders. Aristocrats are their own kings and do what they want to do above all else. Nailed.

Jesus, You know my heart and You know how I’m thinking today. You know I want to boast of a quick fix and wow my friends with some perfect plan. You know I’ve carried myself as an aristocrat for years and it has gotten me nowhere. Here’s what I need to say: Jesus tell me where to go, what to say, and what to do today – I am a living sacrifice and I’ve forgotten that. Use me differently today and may I be in a mode of being only yielded, only to You. Amen.