A Vision of the Good Life

"A good job, a wife, two kids, a big house, a white picket fence, and a dog. That is the modern idea of 'the good life'. A life of ease, where you are surrounded by all the cultural markers of a person who has made it in society, who has established himself in the American kingdom. This is the life that many of us desire for ourselves, but is this really the good life?

In the second century, there was a scribe and sage named Ben Sira, in Jerusalem, who wrote the book Wisdom of Ben Sira. This is the longest book of wisdom which has survived from antiquity. In the book, Ben Sira gives his own description of the good life, which goes as follows:

Wisdom of Ben Sira 25:7-9 I can think of nine whom I would call blessed, and a tenth whom my tongue proclaims: blessed is the man who delights in his children, and the one who lives to see the downfall of his enemies; blessed is the one who lives with a sensible wife and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together; blessed is the one who does not sin with the tongue and the one who does not serve an inferior; blessed is the one who finds a friend and the one who speaks to an attentive audience. (NCB)

This we can see in this picture, the Jewish scribes' vision of a person whose life is blessed by God. They are of a high and respectable social standing; they have a family and domestic situation that makes them happy; and they have power over other people. This picture is not far off from the ideal that our culture holds today. But how does it compare with the vision of Jesus and the kingdom which he desires to establish here on earth? In his sermon on the mount, Jesus paints his own picture of what the good life looks like.

Matthew 5:2–10 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (ESV)

This vision of a life that is blessed by God is in direct contrast to the vision of Ben Sira. One vision displays a person whose relationships fulfill their desires. The other, a person who is without but longs for good and equitable relationships between themselves and others. One shows a person who never has to stoop to a lower social position. The other, a person who has no social position. One shows a person who concurs and sees others fall. The other, a person who makes peace even at the cost of their own persecution.

These two visions have diametric goals and desired outcomes. One desires to be at the top of the social pecking order while the other seeks to remove it. When Jesus announced that he was the one that had been prophesied by the prophets of old, he made a very intentional announcement. He went right for the synagogue and pulled his announcement right out of the prophet's mouth.

Luke 4:17–20 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. (ESV)

We often see blessing as having what others do not have or having something in greater abundance than others do. Jesus came to invite those who were 'the least of these' into his kingdom. He tells the mighty and learned that they must humble themselves to enter his kingdom, while also telling those who have been humbled in this world that they have a seat at the table.

The vision of Jesus speaks to us in several ways. Firstly, by tearing down the priorities that our culture has given us. Secondly, by providing a new matrix through which we see the world and those around us. We are not called to craft a life that is only good for ourselves; we are called to follow the example of Christ. After all, Jesus never stayed in a penthouse. He stayed in tents, with friends, with sinners, with the poor. In our call to live like Jesus, we are not supposed to seek after status or the cultural markers of success. We are called to weep with those who weep, to provide for the poor, to welcome the immigrant, to love the orphan, and to care for the widow. Jesus has called us to have eyes that see the needs of those around us, ears to hear the cries of the oppressed, and hands that work to redeem this world.

The kingdom of God, like the Garden of Eden, is supposed to spread over the whole earth by means of us. So look around you, in your city, your neighborhood, your family. Look and see those areas that need redeeming, and start living the good life. A life spent mourning over the wrongs done; enduring hardship with gentleness and without resentment; working to create good and equitable relationships between people; and doing it all with good and humble motives. May we seek to live the good life that Jesus displayed for us."

Previous
Previous

God of the Poor

Next
Next

Settling In!