There are many students who aspire to simply pass their exams or degrees. Anything above 50% is a waste of time and effort – in fact I have heard people say anything over 50% and I have worked too hard!
Sadly, there are many people who do the bare minimum. We see this daily in the poor service delivery we get – both in the public and private sector. Sometimes I wonder if we do not live in a culture of minimalism.
There are also many Christians who only do the bare minimum. This means that they may simply just attend Church on Sundays. They are never challenged and never leave their comfort zones. They do the bare minimum “to be saved”. The practice of their faith is often restricted to the Sunday observance. Following the rules, and only the rules, can be our form of
Christian minimalism.
In this week’s Gospel Jesus encounters a lawyer who followed all the rules with great attention. He has done what is required – the minimum.
Notice what happens. The expert in the law tells Jesus, confidently, that he has done all that is required by the law. Jesus listens to him. But he pushes Jesus a bit further, something must have been niggling him. His question leads Jesus to tell him a story in which he shows him that something is lacking in his approach. He poses a challenge to the
man.
Doing what the law says is not enough. Jesus is not satisfied with a bare minimum. Jesus wants us to do more. He wants us to embrace a Christian maximalism that takes us beyond the requirements of the law. Jesus, when asked what must be done to inherit eternal life, tells the man, simply to love more. Eternal life means loving God and neighbour and being willing
to go out of our comfort zones to do so. Jesus is advocating the supremacy of love over legalism. Love is all inclusive, legalism can be exclusive.
Reflect on the practice of your own faith today. In what ways might you be a minimalist? Do you do simply what the law requires? What is Jesus’ invitation to you today? How might he be asking you to live a Christian maximalism? Before all else, do you live a love that is supreme?
