I wonder what God thinks about cultural considerations. Does he want us to have cultural awareness, competency, and humility? Modern Christianity says YES—we must recognize, respect, and adapt to the diverse values, beliefs, etc., of people. I wonder how that aligns with advancing the Kingdom of God. Certainly, too much cultural consideration leads to advancing another kingdom, which is not in sync with the Kingdom of God.
Recently, someone suggested to me that Jesus “intentionally invested in twelve male disciples and equipped them to carry forward His mission” because He was being culturally aware, competent, and humble. In other words, he argued that Jesus chose twelve men due to the “predominantly patriarchal Jewish culture” and challenged me to accept that His choice “should be understood primarily in that cultural context.”
WOW. Imagine a God who bows to cultural pressures. If Jesus were here today, and He was aligned with culture, who would he choose to be his disciples?
Certainly, Almighty God chose the best when He chose the 12 men for Jesus. In human and cultural terms, He could have done much better!
I say to the person who says Jesus chose guys in compliance with culture: Just as the Gospel is an offence to some people so is the message that men are important and should be prioritized when it comes to disciple-making. Also, I say to this person: This same “culturally appropriate Jesus” eagerly associated with tax collectors, sinners, and outcasts. In addition, He spoke with, taught, and included women among his followers. Certainly, His actions defied the social and religious boundaries of the Jewish culture of that time. He did what the Father told Him to do.
Young men are important to the Kingdom of God no matter the local culture. Jesus discipled men. We need to disciple men.
Gary
Are you interested in imitating Jesus—discipling young men? Email us at info@n20i.org.
Gary Wybenga
Network 20 Executive Director
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