Bar-Code Faith

I was in line at the grocery store Saturday and was watching the lady scan item after item. With the exception of a few pieces of fruit and some vegetables, not one item was picked up and looked at…just passed on to the person bagging them.

Dallas Willard spoke of Bar-Code Faith in his book The Divine Conspiracy. He said,

“Think of the bar codes now used on goods in most stores. The scanner responds only to the bar code. It makes no difference what is in the bottle or package that bears it, or whether the sticker is on the ‘right’ one or not. The calculator responds through its electronic eye to the bar code and totally disregards everything else. If the ice cream sticker is on the dog food, the dog food is ice cream, so far as the scanner knows or cares.”

It seems like many folks think God operates like the scanner. Salvation does not require a change in behavior or thinking—it just needs to have the right sticker. Christians need the Jesus sticker, Muslims need the Mohammed sticker, and so on. According to Gallup, 94% of Americans believe in God and 74% claim to have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. 34% confess a ‘new birth’ experience. What is shocking is that of all those claiming to have experienced this ‘new birth,’ according to the same statistics show little to no difference in terms of unethical behavior, crime, mental distress and disorder—family disorder, addictions, financial mis-dealings, etc. All of this begs the question--Is this the life Jesus died to provide?

When you read the words of Jesus you soon see change is expected. The Sermon on the Mount starts with a group of statements we know of as the Beatitudes. Jesus said,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are those who are persecuted…”

He takes all that we value and turns it upside down, but He doesn’t stop there. Jesus takes our expectations of morality and goodness and crushes them—we say—it is enough that you don’t kill, but Jesus says you are just as guilty in His eyes if you are angry. We say it is enough that you don’t commit adultery, but Jesus says you’re just as guilty if you lust. We say if you’re going to end a marriage—do it legally, but Jesus says, don’t do it except for adultery. Jesus chips at our system of thinking to the point that we are left with nothing and then He moves into our idea of personal rights. Forget the retaliation principles of eye for eye and tooth for tooth—don’t’ even resist an evil person, turn the other cheek when someone hits you, give them your shirt if they sue you for your coat, and if someone asks you for something that you have—give it to them.

Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you—be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect! Give, pray, and fast—yes do those things, but don’t do them to be seen by men—do them to be seen by your Father—that removes any chance of pride or human glory. Speaking of human glory and treasures, don’t seek it. Store up treasures in heaven where it will last because you cannot serve two gods. Don’t worry about your life—don’t act like everyone else, trust God and seek His Kingdom! Luke goes on to add, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Was Jesus serious? Did He mean these things? More radical words have never been spoken than the words of the Sermon on the Mount, but one thing is clear…a follower of Jesus is expected to become more and more like Jesus. We are expected to seek first His kingdom and His righteouosness.