Why I don't like John Piper

Before you read my title and call me a heretic just hold your horses. I don't dislike Saint Piper. I just don't like to read his books, listen to his sermons, or watch him on youtube. That's right John Piper is all over youtube. I was looking for some videos of Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel) today and somehow a bunch of JP's videos came up too. I watched one. and another. And then I remembered why I don't like John Piper. He talks about Jesus too much. He doesn't talk about me or humanity. Just Jesus really. How I should make much of Jesus. How I need to stop wasting my life and give whatever I have to Jesus. Make him known to the nations. To my neighbor. 

I don't like John Piper because he reminds me that I don't love Jesus; I love me. 

Extravagant Giving

This month I get to be roommates with one of my best friends, Liz. Liz and my other new roommate, her husband Matt, have graciously rented me their extra bedroom while I finish up here at Martin. Matt works evenings, so Liz and I spend a lot of time down-time watching TV together. She's into reality TV. Not MTV trash but tear-jerking home-makeover type stuff. I don't like to watch sappy shows, but I like Liz a lot so I suffer through the stuff.

Tonight we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition. The crew gave a family an entirely new home, all-expense paid vacation once a year for FOUR years, and remodeled their disabled son's college band's practice field. One of the younger sons really likes guitars and 70's rock music, so one of the crew flew all the way to Nashville to build guitars for his room.

I couldn't believe all the things they were doing the this family. To be honest, it was a little over the top. It was, well, extravagant. The kind of extravagance that makes me uncomfortable. I understand that this particular family had a hard life and dealt with some major obstacles, but is that really reason enough to be impractical and just plain frivolous when building them a new home? Build them a beautiful house. Fine. But take the money that's being wasted and give it to African refugees or the urban poor.

Some of my readers (few as you may be) probably think I was being a "scrooge." And I would disagree. I think I was being more like Jesus' disciples than Ol' Ebenezer.

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

Jesus advocates extravagance. As I sat in Liz's living room floor I was overwhelmed by the truth that I have been the recipient of such an extravagant gift. To give a weak, sinful, damaged, beggar like me grace so costly that not only redeems the depraved but also entreats her to dine His table...unthinkable. For a Jew like Jesus, to share a meal was not only an invitation to eat but an invitation to friendship. How extravagant.