In American culture, the stories shaping people’s lives have significantly changed. That is, the chapter of Modernism is turning to the chapter of Postmodernism. In addition, a Christian story is giving way to Post-Christian stories.
These cultural revolutions force us back to the practices of Jesus, which in turn call for at least five revolutions in Christian ministry and preaching. Matt. 5-10 may be the most important season of Jesus’ ministry to explore in order to navigate these cultural revolutions.
These six chapters begin with a vision—in Matt. 5 Jesus imagines us being salt and light. The section ends with a commission—in Matt. 10 Jesus sends us to be salt and light. But how do we move from that vision to that commission, from that possibility to that reality—especially given the cultural changes of our contemporary context?
Matt. 5-9 answers that question. For example, in Matt. 5-7 Jesus gives us instruction. He instructs in the lifestyle and character we must have in order to be salt and light. In Matt. 8-9 Jesus gives us demonstration. He demonstrates what it looks like to be salt and light.
But the key to his demonstration is a speech about wineskins he gives in Matt. 8-9. Ultimately the speech points to Jesus’ practice of contextualization. In Jesus’ day, Jesus’ new way of being salt and light required new expressions, forms and practices (which the religious leaders critiqued). This reality challenges us to reconsider our “wineskins”—the external expressions of our ministries. Many of our congregations have developed wineskins that fit a Modern and Christian culture but that are not fruitful in a Postmodern and non Christian culture. Jesus’ ministry in Matt. 8-9 calls us to once again be open to new ways of ministry and outreach. It calls us to move from our customary ways of doing ministry to a more contextual way that takes into account cultural changes.
