"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1).
Christ and the New Testament apostles speak of mystery, not practicality. This is a concept that has challenged me for many months now. How can we be stewards of a mystery? Could it be that, rather than needing to figure everything out, we best steward the astonishing mysteries of God by leaving room for them?
"The first response must be astonishment and stunned silence. The gospel properly proclaimed and properly heard is a mystery evoking awe -- not a prospectus eliciting calculation. Without astonishment as our initial response, we meet Christianity in a wrong way -- or more properly, we meet Christ in a wrong way." (2)
Do I lessen the value of the gospel by working tirelessly to make it logical and explainable? There must be a place for sense and reason. Yet, there must also be a place for intrigue and enigma. The Gospel is not something that can be explained in a three-point essay -- there is mystery. By leaving room for the mystery within the Gospel, we steward the mystery and recognize that there is beauty in the mystery.
Like the other three Gospels, Mark recounts the visit of Mary Magdalene and her companions to the tomb of Jesus early Sunday morning. Upon arriving they find the blocking stone at the entrance of the tomb removed and a young man–notice–not an angel–tells them:
“'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing." (3). An encounter with something of mystery and sacred beauty is overwhelmingly astonishing! The Gospel is not about practicality, but about astonishment. The God of the Universe gave Himself so that I can be reconciled to Him! If this thought doesn't drive me to a state of utter amazement and complete astonishment, I don't know what would! Christianity has become dry! Why doesn't this mystery stir us to silence? The grandeur of the knowledge of Christ should move people to awe and wonder! It should awaken me, cause me to stand seized by an authentic astonishment.
1. 1 Corinthians 4:1, NKJV.
2. Zahnd, Brian. 2012. Beauty Will Save the World: Rediscovering the Allure & Mystery of Christianity. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 159.
2. Mark 16:6-8, NKJV.
