Living within a Story

Many people today are looking for a story that can give their life meaning. This story gives people a context for the way they live their lives. The everyday things people do must have meaning within a bigger story. Even the big things, whether tragic or good, which happen to them must have some meaning within a bigger story. Whether they realize it or not, they are looking to continue or live within a story that began long before they were even born and will continue when they pass on. There are many stories that one could think of and this blog will touch on five. The first is the story of the independence of the United States and how this story has shaped the actions of the country ever since. The second is the story of Santa Claus and how this story has shaped the actions of children and adults. The third is the story of the Great Depression and how this has shaped the actions of subsequent generations. The fourth is the story the Apostle Paul lived within and how this story shaped how he interpreted the Old Testament and how he lived his life. The fifth story is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and how Matthew, who wrote the Gospel of according to Matthew, believed Jesus lived within the ancient story of Israel. This will be a very brief survey but it will illustrate how stories young and old give people meaning and a context for how they live their lives. Finally, this blog will concluded that God’s people live within a story of redemption and restoration. This story is not to be merely enjoyed by its benefactors, but embodied by the people it has called to be God’s bringers of redemption and restoration. God’s people doing God’s work is the next chapter of God’s great story of redemption.

The story of independence of the United States has given Americans meaning for generations. Many people fought and died for this country’s independence. This is not just any country but it is a country that values freedom. People are free to worship and free to speak their mind. When these freedoms are threatened in anyway, many Americans will not stand for threats on their freedom. They fight for and stand up for their freedom because of the story that they are living within. They are living within the story of the United States of America. The story is yet completed, but many Americans want to make sure it continues well past their death. For Americans the story is not merely to enjoy but to participate in story of the country of the United States and the things it stands for.

The story of Santa Claus and how he lives at the North Pole and delivers gifts to children in a sleigh pulled by reindeer has for generations given children meaning in their lives. Seeing children light up when they see Santa is a special thing to witness, if they are not scared of him. There may be some debate on the kind of actions the story of Santa invokes but the story itself is to invoke positive actions of children. Santa brings gifts to children that are good. Santa knows if you’ve been bad or good, so goes the song, so be good for goodness sake. Also the story is to invoke Christmas cheer and the spirit of giving. This is not always the case, but that is the hope of this story.

The story of the Great Depression has shaped the actions of subsequent generations. The parents who lived through this era would tell their children, “We had it hard and survived by the grace of God and hard work.”[1] This would lead them to say, “You need to work hard to overcome obstacles too instead of spending your time complaining about your hard luck.”[2] The story taught them about how they were to live when faced with adversity. Stassen and Gushee conclude that “Narratives teach Morality.”[3] This story helped shaped those who followed it.

The apostle Paul lived within the story of the redemption of Israel and this shaped how he lived and taught. In the seven undisputed Pauline letters (some scholars are unsure if Paul wrote all of the letters usually ascribed to him), Isaiah is mentioned 31 times.[4] There are also 50 allusions, according to the 27^th Edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, to Isaiah in the seven undisputed letters. Also 21 of them are in Isaiah 49-55.[5] Richard Hays notes, “Isaiah, more clearly than any other Old Testament book, links the promise of redemption and restoration of Israel to the hope that Israel’s God will also reveal his mercy to the Gentiles and establish sovereignty over the whole earth.”[6] I wrote a whole paper on how Isaiah and specifically Isaiah 40-55 shaped Paul’s thinking when he wrote 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2. I will not bore you any longer with the details of that paper. To very simply put it, God is moving to redeem and restore both Israel and the other nations and this is seen in Isaiah 40-55 and the dramatic narrative reaches its height in chapter 49. God’s original plan to redeem and restore Israel and the nations will still be accomplished in spite of a rebellious people. God would do this through his Servant. Paul lived this story and understood Jesus as the coming of the Servant and the one who will bring about God’s salvation to the world. “Thus says the Lord: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you; I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people” (Isaiah 49:8). Paul lived, believed and taught that the day of salvation had come.

The next story is the story of birth of Jesus Christ and how Matthew, who wrote the Gospel of according to Matthew, believed Jesus lived within and fulfilled the ancient story of Israel. The prophet Hosea says, "Out of Eygpt I've called my son." What was Matthew thinking when quoting this in his gospel? Was he just grabbing scripture out of context and proving that Jesus is fulfilling scripture in some weird way? No. God called Abraham's family out of Egypt but they failed in their task to be a light and a blessing. They were God’s “son” called out to be a blessing. So their Representative, the Messiah, became what they were unable to be, that is, God’s son. Jesus was called out of Egypt to be God's son. He was to be a true Israelite. Jesus lived within the story of Israel and actually fulfilled it. This is a nice story of what Christ has done be doing what we are unable to do, but there is more. Jesus paved the way of being God’s son so that we can finally begin to be God’s children and do God’s will.

So with these stories we can see how people live within a story of some sort. Some stories mean more than others. Some stories can be fun. Some can be destructive. This blog has illustrated how stories young and old give people meaning and a context for how they live their lives. God’s people live within a story of redemption and restoration. Paul lived within a story of God redeeming and restoring Israel and all nations. Paul saw Jesus and his ministry as embodying God’s restoring love to the world. Jesus also lived within the story of Israel not being capable to truly be God’s son. Jesus was the one who brought the story to completion only to give his followers the next chapter. God’s story is not to be merely enjoyed by its benefactors, but embodied by the people it has called to be God’s bringers of redemption and restoration.

A Few More Thoughts

I was at a prayer meeting the other evening to pray for a dear family, who are going through some real hardships at the moment. In reflecting on that evening, I realized, among other things, that we are living within the story of God’s family. This is the “next chapter” that Jesus made for those who are empowered by God’s Spirit. As those in the book of the Acts of the Apostle prayed for one another and comforted one another, so we too continue in prayer and comfort of one another. We are living in God’s great story of redemption and restoration. We live it every day as we grow together as God’s family.

Thanks for reading,

Marcelino

---

[1] Glen H.; Gushee Stassen, David P., Kingdom Ethics: Following Jesus in Contemporary Context(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 117.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Richard B. Hays, Conversion of the Imagination: Paul as Interpreter of Israel's Scripture(Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005), 25.

[5] Ibid., 26.

[6] Ibid.