Christian Living

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CHRISTIANS AND/OR NICE PEOPLE


C. S. Lewis admonished, “Pray that nice people become Christians, and that Christians become nice.” Initially, we are reminded that all are works in progress. There is always considerable room for improvement. Which recalls one of my mother’s sage observations, “If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”
In brief, nice people are considerate and civil. “Teacher,” an expert in the law inquired of Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). He likely meant to determine whether Jesus’ teaching conformed to tradition.
“What is written in the Law?” Jesus asked by way of reply. “How do you read it?” Incidently, it was common practice to inquire concerning the opinion of the person raising the question.
Whereupon, he answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Accordingly, the first four commandments in the decalogue are associated with our relationship with God, and the remaining six concerning our relationship with others.
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus assured him. “Do this and you shall live.” While setting a standard that one can only approximate.
But he, wanting to justify himself, asked Jesus who qualified as his neighbor. In response, Jesus told a parable concerning a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of thieves. They beat him, and left him critically injured. A priest came along, but passed by on the other side of the road. Then a Levite, who did the same. Whereas one might have expected help from these religiously observant persons.
“But a Samaritan (such as were held in contempt), as he traveled, came where the man was and when he saw him, he took pity on him.” Consequently, he bound up his wounds, put him on his donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he gave the inn keeper two silver coins, along with the promise to reimburse him for any extra expense he might encounter.
Jesus then inquired as to which of these was a neighbor to the person in critical need. At which, the inquirer replied: “The one who had mercy on him.” Accordingly, Jesus admonished him to emulate the good Samaritan. Thus are we alerted to the fact that our neighbor is not the person who reaches out to us, but to whom we reach out.
As touched on above, religiously observant people are not necessarily nice, and Christians are not an exception. This recalls a man who delighted in controversy. So much so that persons avoided him, rather than tolerate his argumentative inclination. While his son was quite the reverse.
This is not to suggest that nice people are not without their faults. “There is no difference,” the apostle Paul assures us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-24). In an attempt at humor, I have said on occasion that I am too busy to sin. Not that this is actually the case. Especially in light of the sins of omission, which often appear to be more grievous. For instance, John Calvin observed that if one could save a life, and failed to do so, he or she is guilty of murder.
Bad news thus proceeds good news, in that there is redemption available in Christ. This brings to mind a time when the highly regarded Roman Catholic New Testament scholar Ben Viviano was visiting with me. He was citing some of the things in his denomination that he found objectionable, while I chose not to comment. After which, he touched on what Dietrich Bonhoeffer refers to as cheap grace in context of the Protestant alternative.
“It is not a matter of grace or works,” I replied. “But a grace that works.” As identified by Bonhoeffer, costly grace. Costly in terms of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice, and costly for those who choose to follow him.
“Precisely!” Viviano exclaimed. Shortly thereafter, he took his leave, having reached a place of mutual agreement. Accordingly, the apostle Paul declares: “For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” that he was resurrected from the dead, and witnessed by many (1 Cor. 15:1-8). So that good news follows on the heels of bad news. Consequently, it bears repeating: “Pray that nice people will become Christians, and Christians will become nice.”

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