COMMANDED OR ENABLED
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom. 13:10, R.S.V.
The military model of obedience seems so promising! If a drill sergeant can bark, "Flank, left!" to his squad and they immediately pivot in unison, then why can't a father yell, "Chew with your mouth closed!" to his kids and never again have to hear them slosh their vegetables? If a colonel can shout, "Over that hill!" and see his troops charge, why can't Mom say, "Wash those dishes!" and see the suds fly?
The military model contains all the ingredients assumed necessary to make obedience happen: a person in charge, a clear command, and submissive people ready to follow orders. What else does one need? If the children aren't ready to follow orders, the parents only have to increase the threat of pain.
If the military model is so popular, then why can't a preacher accomplish marvelous results when he stands in the pulpit and essentially commands his congregation to stop sinning? We may question whether the preacher and the military commander have much in common, since the insubordinate soldier can be court-martialed--a recourse denied to preachers (at least in this modern age). But if you look closely, you will see that the preacher can "pull rank" on even a five-star general, for he can quote Scripture. And we all know what Ultimate Authority is behind Scripture!
But does God Himself use the military model in solving the sin problem? Is the command "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" just the same as the command "Column, left!"? Doesn't instant, unquestioning obedience represent the ideal for a Christian soldier?
The military model breaks down when we encounter today's text. We know that it is possible to command a certain outward behavior. But God promises more for us than mere outward compliance; He intends that we might be deeply and inwardly changed. He wants His people not to be nervously jumping at the commands of a divine drill sergeant. He wants us acting out--with the highest sense of freedom--the gald promptings of our own loving hearts.
And a loving heart is not commanded; it is enabled. It is not ordered into action; it is loved into wholeness. I do not see our Father shouting, "Stop your lying!" I see Him, with warm heart and tender smile, loving my wounded heart into wholeness, making me so secure in His love that I no longer need to lie.
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom. 13:10, R.S.V.
The military model of obedience seems so promising! If a drill sergeant can bark, "Flank, left!" to his squad and they immediately pivot in unison, then why can't a father yell, "Chew with your mouth closed!" to his kids and never again have to hear them slosh their vegetables? If a colonel can shout, "Over that hill!" and see his troops charge, why can't Mom say, "Wash those dishes!" and see the suds fly?
The military model contains all the ingredients assumed necessary to make obedience happen: a person in charge, a clear command, and submissive people ready to follow orders. What else does one need? If the children aren't ready to follow orders, the parents only have to increase the threat of pain.
If the military model is so popular, then why can't a preacher accomplish marvelous results when he stands in the pulpit and essentially commands his congregation to stop sinning? We may question whether the preacher and the military commander have much in common, since the insubordinate soldier can be court-martialed--a recourse denied to preachers (at least in this modern age). But if you look closely, you will see that the preacher can "pull rank" on even a five-star general, for he can quote Scripture. And we all know what Ultimate Authority is behind Scripture!
But does God Himself use the military model in solving the sin problem? Is the command "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" just the same as the command "Column, left!"? Doesn't instant, unquestioning obedience represent the ideal for a Christian soldier?
The military model breaks down when we encounter today's text. We know that it is possible to command a certain outward behavior. But God promises more for us than mere outward compliance; He intends that we might be deeply and inwardly changed. He wants His people not to be nervously jumping at the commands of a divine drill sergeant. He wants us acting out--with the highest sense of freedom--the gald promptings of our own loving hearts.
And a loving heart is not commanded; it is enabled. It is not ordered into action; it is loved into wholeness. I do not see our Father shouting, "Stop your lying!" I see Him, with warm heart and tender smile, loving my wounded heart into wholeness, making me so secure in His love that I no longer need to lie.
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