The Via Media
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
Eternity-Inspiration for Monday 1st December 1997
The Via Media
(Ecclesiastes 7:13-18 NIV) Consider what God has done: Who can
straighten what he has made crooked? {14} When times are good, be
happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well
as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his
future. {15} In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of
these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked
man living long in his wickedness. {16} Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise-- why destroy yourself? {17} Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool-- why die before your time? {18} It is good to
grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will
avoid all extremes.
Cardinal Newman rebelled at the overly great love of moderation of
the Anglican Church and became a Catholic. In one of his criticisms
he said: "This is what the Church is said to want, not party men,
but sensible, temperate, sober, well-judging persons, to guide it
through the channels of no-meaning....." In other words the Anglican
Church as he perceived it was rudderless and compromised. He wanted
a religion with a definite structure and belief which said "Yes" or
"No". (This not intended as a criticism of either the Anglican or
Catholic churches). This is just one example of the debate that has
raged perpetually. Is Truth at one extreme or is it "in the middle"?
Well its both! Absolute Truth often appears to be radical and
extreme - for instance Jesus' call to discipleship is extreme and
penetrating. On the other hand Truth may occupy a middle ground.
Between say miserliness and irresponsible profligacy lies the good
and generous steward. In the West we are almost persuaded that Truth
is always in the middle and negotiable. The Via Media has become the
Only Solution and we are afraid of the demands of absolute holiness
and radical love. When Christ calls us to be immoderate and
passionate about our faith we back away and often become very wary
indeed. ("Via Media" is Latin for "the middle way/path")
Solomon argues that: " The man who fears God will avoid all
extremes." In the Hebrew the word extremes is not there but it is
implied by the argument. Alternative literal translations are:
"(Ecclesiastes 7:18 NKJV) It is good that you grasp this, And also
not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will
escape them all." and "(Ecclesiastes 7:18 NRSV) It is good that you
should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the
one who fears God shall succeed with both." Its quite a puzzle. But
central to the argument is the concept of "its not either/or but both
and.." The wise person grasps both parts and holds them strongly and
wrestles them into a synthesis that works and which brings success.
For instance there are fundamentalists who are angry at everyone and
who emphasize holiness and there are liberals who emphasize peace
but jettison basic Christian beliefs. It is possible to hold onto
both a biblical holy and loving lifestyle where we are at peace with
all men as far as it is possible with us without compromising the
core truths. This seems a much wiser way forward.
These verses also say "who can straighten what God has made crooked"
and imply that God makes the bad times as well as the good times.
"{14} When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad,
consider: God has made the one as well as the other." This is not to
say that god is evil or the author of evil. "Bad times" may be the
result of God's judgement and that is not evil. Or they be His
testing as in Job. Believe it or not God probably has a few bad times
planned for your life to strengthen your faith. However when such
times are from God they are a) relatively brief b) they result in the
growth of our faith. Bad times from Satan are filled with
unending despair and hopelessness and have a sharp cruelty to them.
Finally there is Solomon's perplexing exhortation to not be "overly
righteous" with the clear implication that such people destroy
themselves. "(Ecclesiastes 7:16 NKJV) Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?" Solomon has
perceptively seen that there is concern with meritoriousness which
distorts ones ability to relate to others and to function in life.
Many of those who join the more legalistic "bible cults" such as
International (Boston) Church of Christ have this character flaw.
Everything the person does is concerned with gaining religious merit
and they become wooden, lifeless and "dead" within themselves and
have no personality of their own. They become enslaved to a neurotic
need to have merit and be holy and full of religious knowledge. I
was caught up in that sort of mindset for years. Certainly I learned
a lot of Scripture but I was not a real person and had little warmth
and no ability to relate to others. Gradually I came free. Life
after legalism is much better! What seems to be so logical and so
worthy is in fact a destructive trap. When you leave legalism behind
you are not compromising but growing. I still love the Scriptures
but now I have contentment, joy and peace. I still love holiness but
I let God's grace work it naturally into my life. The spiritual life
is like the trees in a forest - they aren't laid out neatly in rows.
When they are you suspect you are in a man-made plantation.
Manufactured holiness is like the plantation, real holiness is messy
but beautiful like the forest.
Prayer:
Lord teach us where Truth lies, whether it is here in the middle or
there at the extreme. Grant us wisdom in all things and in especially
how to live the Christian life by Your grace and Your grace alone.
Amen.
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