Doing Eternal Pragmatism - Part 1

I will start this post off by saying I am being really really really hypocritical here. I haven't started really laying out my points (this is generally stream of consciousness for the most part), but I know that I do almost none of what I'm going to say we should be doing.

I already discussed eternal pragmatism saying that knowing how the world works we can be better at it. So this is a bit of a continuation of that. Laying out some of the things that G-d promises us and tells us to do. There are a bunch of course, so for today I am going to pick three.

1. The great commission. This is the most famous and presumably the most important so I'll start with it. Jesus says four things here. First, that all authority has been given to him. This is the context for the command. He has ALL authority so when He commands something we should probably do it.

Next he says "make disciples of all nations", baptize them, and teach them do obey what he taught us. I'm not going to go into a deep discussion on any of these. Smarter people then me have. However, answer this. What are you doing to disciple the people around you? What are you doing to disciple "all nations"? Are you baptizing anyone, or at least leading people to be baptized? Are you teaching the people around you to obey Jesus' teachings?

2. "Greater things than these".  Even a quick glance through the gospels will show that Jesus did some pretty crazy miracles during His short tenure here. So when He says we will do greater things than He did that is not a statement to be taken lightly. Now, I haven't healed the sick, made lame people walk, make blind people see or anything let alone "greater things". So what's the deal? It isn't a command, it is a stated fact. So we don't have to feel condemned for not doing it. However, why aren't you? Have you tried? Sure healing is only one gifting of many, but just because you haven't done it doesn't mean you aren't supposed to. He said we would so we should be trying at least until we feel like He is saying stop.

Why on earth would you want to leave that kind of power on the table? "I don't feel like completely transforming this persons life because... I might be uncomfortable." Really?

3. Worry and the birds of the air. He says, don't worry about food, clothes, and housing. He says He will provide those things. We don't have to chase after them or worry. Sooooo... the deep theological truth buried here that you have to practically have a masters in divinity to understand is don't worry about that stuff. We are bad at this. Worry for a lot of people is a full hobby bordering on vocation. It isn't healthy and He says we don't need to chase after it. So STOP.

Thus ends my hypocritical tirade. For today.