Mere Human Concerns

04.29.14

Matthew 16.23 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (NIV)

Can you imagine the look on Peter’s face? I’m thinking open mouth, big eyes, and very red – what’d You call me!? This is day Two in my observation of Jesus’ second comment: merely human. (I didn’t know it was day Two until I read this morning’s reading. Yesterday, Jesus accused the Pharisees and Sadducees of following mere human rules (Matthew 15), and now in this morning’s word (Matthew 16), Jesus accused Peter of harboring mere human concerns.)

And Jesus said there are really only two concerns: those of God and those of men.

The stumbling block (which Jesus also accused Saint Pete of) is that one, or those ones, who cannot concern him/themselves with God’s concerns or they relegate them to a place somewhere behind human concerns. There has been an argument for decades as to which the Church should follow: the Gospel, or the Social Gospel. Making that choice can be tricky.

From my perspective, the Gospel and the Social Gospel are very close to the same thing – they both have concerns for mankind. Merely human concerns – or concerns? We need to make the choice but to do so carefully.

The Gospel is all about God’s treatment of man; His offer of salvation and the atoning work of Christ on the cross, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3.16 KJV) The Social Gospel is all about man’s treatment of man: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (Matthew 7.12 KJV) We cannot truly love God without loving people.

So, what do we do about human concerns? How are those played out in the Church? What are the merely human concerns which are a stumbling block to the Gospel? Is there any harmony between the Gospel and the Social Gospel? Is it better to study theology, or serve soup and clothe the poor? Is homosexuality in the Church merely a human concern? In missions are we trying to replicate Americanism or are we making disciples? What are merely human concerns? Is it building a church or building authentic Biblical community? (See Acts 2)

Whenever the Gospel is relegated to a place behind: be it politics, policies, preferences, perspectives, or personalities; those things, then, become stumbling blocks to the Gospel. Peter’s words to Jesus were not about advancing the Kingdom of God but about saving face; Peter didn’t want to be on what he saw as a losing team. C’mon Jesus, what’s all this dying crap!?

We can share the Gospel, and serve the Lord by socially serving men. We’re called to do that. But it is always about building (or, if you will) or partnering with God in building the Kingdom. If it’s other than that, it may fall under the Lord’s rebuke of merely human concerns… Father, Your concerns are for the salvation and redemption of mankind – all of us. Help me to partner with You and be free of my own slant of merely humans concerns… There’s much to be done.