Importance of Being Foolish : How to Think Like Jesus

by Brennan Manning

• ISBN13: 9780060751654
• ISBN10: 0060751657
• Format: Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

In the eyes of the world, Jesus was a fool. He did not abide by the rules of his day; the people he associated with were shunned by society; his Sermon on the Mount reads likea primer on being left behind, stepped on, and ignored. In order for us to truly be the people Jesus wants us to be, we too must learn to become "foolish." Becoming a Christian is not a magical enterprise by which we are automatically transformed into better people. We must train to become who God intends us to be. In The Importance of Being Foolish, bestselling Christian author Brennan Manning teaches us how to think like Jesus. By reorienting our lives according to the gospel we may appear to be fools in the eyes of the world, but Manning reveals that this is exactly what Jesus wants. In a powerful exploration of the mind of Christ, Manning reveals how our obsession with security, pleasure, and power prevents us from living rich and meaningful lives. Our endless struggle to acquire money, good feelings, and prestige yields a rich harvest of worry, frustration, and resentment. Manning explores what Christ's mind was truly focused on: finding the Father, compassion for others, a heart of forgiveness, and the work of the kingdom. Coming from the gentle yet compelling voice of Brennan Manning, The Importance of Being Foolish is a refreshing reminder of the radical call of Jesus and the transforming love of God.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	v
Introduction	vii
Part One: The Way We Live
1. Truth	3	(34)
2. Transparency	37	(20)
3. Diversions	57	(26)
Part Two: The Mind of Christ
4. Finding the Father	83	(14)
5. A Heart of Forgiveness	97	(20)
6. The Work of the Kingdom	117	(34)
Part Three: The Power of the Cross
7. Resurrection Wisdom	151	(24)
Epilogue: The Revolution	175

Excerpts

The Importance of Being Foolish
How to Think Like Jesus

Chapter One

Truth

The gospel narrative of the cleansing of the temple is a disconcerting scene (John 2:13–22). It presents us with the portrait of an angrySavior. The meek Lamb of God who said, "Take myyoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle andhumble of heart" (Matthew 11:29), has fashioned ahomemade whip and begun tearing through the temple,overturning stalls and showcases, thrashing the merchantsand roaring, "Get out of here! This isn't Wal-Mart. You will not turn sacred space into a shoppingexcursion! You liars! To visit the temple is a sign ofreverence for my Father. Get out of here!"

What is even more disconcerting is Jesus's relentlesspassion for the truth. In our society, where money,power, and pleasure are the name of the game, the bodyof truth is bleeding from a thousand wounds. Many ofus have been lying to ourselves for so long that our comfortingillusions and rationalizations have assumed apatina of truth; we clutch them to our hearts the way achild clutches a favorite teddy bear. Not convinced?Consider the man on his third luncheon martini quotingthe Apostle Paul about a little wine being good for thestomach; or the "liberated" Christian's vehementdefense of the nudity in The Last Tango in Paris, the violencein Pulp Fiction, or the oral sex scene in My PrivateIdaho, because they are "integral to the plot and tastefullydone"; or the upstanding church deacon who overlookscheating and manipulation in his business dealingsbecause "it's the only way to be competitive"; or wholechurches in which the delirium of guiltlessness is reality,the mastery of biblical exegesis is holiness, the size ofthe congregation is proof of its authenticity, and on andon. There is no limit to the defenses we contrive againstthe inbreak of truth into our lives.

The painful question we face in the church today iswhether the love of God can be purchased so cheaply.The first step in the pursuit of truth is not the moral resolutionto avoid the habit of petty lying—howeverunattractive a character disfigurement that may be. It isnot the decision to stop deceiving others. It is the decision to stop deceiving ourselves. Unless we have thesame relentless passion for the truth that Jesus exhibitedin the temple, we are undermining our faith, betrayingthe Lord, and deceiving ourselves. Self-deception is theenemy of wholeness because it prevents us from seeingourselves as we really are. It covers up our lack ofgrowth in the Spirit of the truthful One and keeps usfrom coming to terms with our real personalities.

Many years ago I witnessed the power of selfdeceptiondramatically reenacted in the alcoholic rehabilitationcenter of a small American town. The scene(which is excerpted from my earlier work The RagamuffinGospel ): A large, split-level living room set onthe brow of a hill overlooking an artificial lake.Twenty-five men, all chemically dependent on alcoholor drugs, have gathered. Croesus O'Connor, a recoveringalcoholic, is the head honcho—a trained counselor,skilled therapist, and senior member of the staff.He summons Max, a small, diminutive man, to sit alonein the center of the U-shaped group. Max is a nominalChristian, married with five children, owner and presidentof his own company, wealthy and affable, giftedwith a remarkable poise. O'Connor begins the interrogation:

"How long you been drinking like a pig, Max?"

Max winces. "That's not quite fair."

"We'll see. Let's get into your drinking history. Howmuch per day?"

"Well, I have two Marys with the men before lunchand two Martins when the office closes at five. Then. . . ."

"What in God's name are Marys and Martins?"Croesus interrupts.

"Bloody Marys—vodka, tomato juice, a dash ofWorcestershire—and Martinis—extra dry, straight up,ice cold, with an olive and lemon twist."

"Thank you, Mary Martin. Go on."

"The wife likes a drink before dinner. Got herhooked on Martins years back." Max smiles. "Youunderstand that, right, guys?" No one responds. "Wehave two then and two before bed."

"Eight drinks a day, Max?" Croesus inquires.

"That's right. Not a drop more, not a drop less."

"You're a liar!"

Max is not ruffled. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that.Been in business twenty-eight years. People know myword is my bond. Built my reputation on veracity, notmendacity."

"Ever hide a bottle in your house?" asks Benjamin, aNative American from New Mexico.

"Don't be ridiculous. Got a bar in my living room asbig as a horse 's ass. Nothing personal, Mr. O'Connor."Mary Martin is smiling again.

The Importance of Being Foolish
How to Think Like Jesus. Copyright © by Brennan Manning. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from The Importance of Being Foolish: How to Think Like Jesus by Brennan Manning
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