"To this end was I born"

Good morning friends,

I know it’s been too long since I’ve written, and I apologize for that. I didn’t plan this hiatus, but maybe the Lord did? Maybe he knew I needed to walk a path with him? 

Who knows? One way or the other, it’s been awhile. But I haven't forgotten about you nor my commitment to do my best to explain our Plain People’s expression of the Christian faith, so, I’m back.

I’ve thought long and hard about whether I should explain ‘the why behind’ my writing pause. There was one, but it feels pretty personal, so I don’t think I’ll explain more than to say this; In the intervening year, Dawn and I have soul-wrestled more with the definition of objective truth and more with our personal love of the truth, commitment to truth and the high cost of standing for truth than we ever have before.

I know that's a mouthful and likely raises more questions than answers, but let's just leave it at that. It’s been a year of stretching and growing and re-determining to follow God and his truth no-matter-what even when that choice has felt like stepping out onto the waves with Jesus.

But really, maybe the timing is just right… because this ‘truth commitment journey’ that God used to test us does tie in perfectly with my post from last March entitled “If you want to understand the Anabaptist”. And that piece was timely because this year is the 500th anniversary of those brave early believers.

Seriously, if you truly want to understand us ‘plain people’ and the anabaptists from which we spring, you will need to understand the plain people's history of allegiance to truth at all costs. It defines us.

If you prefer to learn in story form, "Fire in the Zurich Hills" is a book about the early anabaptists. And it’s written simply enough that even children can understand. This historically accurate book was extensively researched and written in 1972 by an intriguing Amish writer named Joseph Stoll.

The story Stoll tells is of the brave and tumultuous birth of a group of sincere firmly-devoted-to-truth Christian believers. They later were nicknamed Anabaptists, which means re-baptizers. With a fully-committed-to-stand-for-truth-at-all-costs faith, they became the forefathers of all ‘plain people’ today.

I realize that these scattered thoughts may seem a bit hard to connect. (It’s ok… sometimes I find me hard to follow too.) But hang in here. I assure you that I’m going somewhere. :)

The tie that binds all this together is yet another startling fact.

Jesus never told people to be Christians.

That’s right! Some of you may recognize this statement as the title of a past blog post.

What was true then is still true, so allow me to repeat... Jesus did not tell anyone to be Christians. What he did say from the very beginning was "repent and follow me." - Matthew 4:17-19 And it’s still Jesus’ full commitment command today. "Repent and Follow me."

I think we all understand that repent means to turn around — before we meet Jesus, we are naturally going in the wrong direction — but what does it really mean to ‘follow Jesus?’ What cause did Jesus stand for and for what purpose did he come? Why is it so important that we follow him?

The answer might surprise you. So I’ll just let Jesus tell you in some of his last words.

Jesus said:

"To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." - John 18:37

Jesus spoke these words to Pontius Pilate right before he was crucified. Pilate, with expected agnostic disdain, retorted with the question for which he became famous. "Pilate saith unto him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out..." *

Pilate’s cynical question begs sincere exploration:

What is truth? Can we know the truth? How can we be sure? What does it mean to bear witness of the truth? Whatever it is must be all important because Jesus states that this is the reason he was born and the cause for which he came into the world!

When Jesus says "follow me", is he calling us to follow truth and also bear witness of (speak) the truth like he does?

Jesus says; "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" - Matthew 16:24. Is Jesus saying by this that to follow him and speak the truth will be hard, we have to give up self, and it will bring suffering?

Will it bring shame? Will it bring misunderstandings? Maybe rejection, maybe loss of position, loss of reputation? Maybe persecution or even death? This was true for the Anabaptists 500 years ago. Many of them were drowned, beheaded or burned alive because they staunchly refused to support or endorse falsehood.

When Jesus said; "Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." - Luke 14:27 Does Jesus actually mean that? Is Jesus teaching that if we’re not willing to commit to the truth-cause that he’s committed to... to put truth absolutely 100% first in our lives, above all other allegiances, and be surrendered to suffer for it, that there is no way that we can truthfully be his disciples?

This is a hard saying!

These heart searching questions are exactly what the early anabaptists wrestled with 500 years ago. What does it really mean to follow Jesus? They desperately wanted to know!

They came to the convicting but disturbing conclusion that Jesus doesn’t care what we call ourselves. It’s not important to him what we profess. He does not go at all by who we say or claim we are.

The only thing he really cares about is; are we following Him? Are we bearing witness of the truth alongside him? Have we ‘received the love of the truth’, are we fully committed to it and do we ‘hate every false way?’ - 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Psalm 119:104, 128

The Truth is the cause of Jesus.

Remember, Jesus said, "To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."

Are we championing the cause of Jesus? Are we loving truth and standing for truth no matter what? Even unto death if it takes that? Or do we have our own agendas and other loyalties that, to us, seem more important and for sure more practical and sensible and safe?

These are the weighty questions which faced the sincere little flock of Christians on that cold winter night of January 21st, 1525. And it is the answers to those questions that still identifies if we are followers of Jesus today.

Remember, it’s not important to Jesus what we call ourselves. Neither is it important what others call us. But Jesus is watching and waiting to see if we will reverse course and bravely follow him.

Even if it means following him alone.

More later...

Your plain Mennonite Christian friend,

Edwin Shank

"Intensely striving to be... A follower of Jesus indeed... In whom there is no guile"

*I want to clarify that I'm in no way reflecting against Christians calling themselves Christians or being known as Christians. By emphasizing that Jesus did not tell us to call ourselves Christians I’m attempting to challenge us to thoughtful awareness of our authenticity and integrity. Are we actually who we say we are?

Calling ourselves Christians or saying that we are Christians or identifying as Christian means absolutely nothing if we are more loyal to our own ideas or ‘the way we’ve always done’ than to truly following Jesus and his Truth.

We sometimes feel righteous and safe admitting the Truth challenged us. But unless we submit to let the Truth change us, there can be no sanctifying.” - John 17:17

Note: The full story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection is told in St John 17-21