Being loyal to God and the truth
There are a number of places where Jesus gives his disciples some difficult teachings. The passage in Luke 14:25–33 is a good example. He’s talking about the cost of discipleship. “Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.” Then, in an even more confronting way, at the end of the passage he says, “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” I don’t use this particular translation of the Bible very often, but I quite like the stark nature of the translation for this sentence.
What on earth is Jesus talking about? Kiss goodbye to what’s dearest to you? Surely that is too difficult, even for the most dedicated Christian.
I was struggling with this passage myself, until I read the commentary on Luke’s Gospel, written by my former assistant priest in WA, Fr (Ian) David Mackay, originally from South Africa. He stood up against apartheid as part of his Christian faith. He writes that, “The Kingdom is absolutely ALL or absolutely NOTHING.” You’re either all in for what is good and right and just, or else don’t bother. When you think about the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, it makes perfect sense.
If you think about God as a metaphor for life, going “all in” for God and God’s kingdom is all about going “all in” for what is right in life. If you go “all in” for what is right in life, then that takes priority over everything else. You can’t just ignore what is wrong, not even when it’s something that your own team or your own family is doing. If you think about God as a metaphor for everything that is good, everything that is life-giving, then that becomes your chief loyalty.
Ian standing up to his own father against apartheid in South Africa is one example.
Let me give you a far less extreme example, but one which, nonetheless, illustrates exactly what I am talking about. It’s an example of divided loyalties, where someone had the opportunity to stand up for everything that was good and right, but just walked past the bad behaviour, because his first loyalty was to his team. This story is also set in South Africa, although the scenario is far less life-threatening than it was when Fr Ian was preaching against apartheid in South Africa. Nonetheless, it’s an example of the kind of temptation you will face, when you’re forced to choose between doing what is right, on the one hand, and what benefits your family or your team on the other.
In 2018 the Australian cricket team was making tough work of it against the South African team. They were struggling to bowl out their opponents on a flat pitch. So, one of the players had the idea to tamper with the ball, to use a bit of sandpaper on one side of it, to roughen it up so that the ball would swing. He suggested this to one of his teammates. The theory being that if they could get the ball to swing, they would be much more likely to take wickets and win the match. The captain, Steve Smith, walked past as this tactic was being discussed by the two players. He took the approach of, “I don’t want to know about it,” in other words, “Don’t involve me.”
The trouble is, if you’re a leader, the behaviour you walk past and ignore is actually the behaviour you’re allowing, the behaviour you’re permitting.
Inevitably, as is almost always the case with cheaters, the two players were found out and their behaviour exposed. One was banned for nine months, the other, whose idea it was, was banned for twelve months. The captain, whose only mistake had been to walk past and ignore the behaviour? He copped the full twelve months as well.
Sometimes, if you’re unlucky, you will have to choose between your teammates or your family and doing what is right. It’s a tough choice. Sometimes you’ll get it wrong.
But the good news, the great news actually, is that there is always forgiveness. There is always redemption. Even when we stuff up, in fact especially when we stuff up, there is always forgiveness and redemption. For Steve Smith the redemption came with topping the runs in a subsequent Ashes series against England and almost single-handedly holding up the batting. Sometimes redemption can be a beautiful thing!
The Reverend Dr Theo McCall
School Chaplain
