Tokens
In common usage, the term ‘token value’ describes something given to satisfy a requirement – to ‘tick a box’ you could say – without making any real, useful contribution. To make it look like something is being done or given, when actually nothing of real value is. ‘Token value’ means ‘little or no real value’ – a hollow gesture.
At least, that’s what it used to mean. The results of a quick google search now are swamped with references to cryptocurrency. The meaning of the word ‘token’ has been captured, in the online world at least, by crypto. So I suppose I am describing an antiquated meaning, probably an antiquated phrase.
Crypto and all modern currency aside, not all tokens are of little value, but they are generally worth less than what they represent. ‘A token of my appreciation’ could be a gift of great value, but when accompanied by those words, it is also given with the implication that my feelings are even much greater besides.
Tokens have an important place in the Bible. For me the idea of tokens is one of those things which, once it begins to appear, seems to be a part of almost everything I read in the Bible.
‘He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.’ (Matthew 10:40-42).
A prophet’s reward?
Let’s just take a moment to consider what some prophets went through. Which may be typical of all, but not all have their trials documented the same. And some trials are inner trials which are not seen. But consider Jonah for example.
Jonah spent three days and three nights inside a ‘great fish’ according to my Bible. It is clear from his prayer uttered from within the fish (or ‘whale’ as it is referred to in the New Testament) that he suffered greatly in that ordeal, as you might expect (Jonah 2). And his more general experience of life, from what we know, is that he was glad to be cast off a ship into the deep ocean in a storm rather than to fulfil his God-given mission to preach to Nineveh. But then ultimately he did preach, a solo messenger against the entire population of that great city which he hated, in response to which the city repented and was saved. These would seem to me great sufferings and great works. Yet, if you or I had but greeted the man and offered him a meal or lodgings, we would receive the same reward as the great Jonah?
John the Baptist lived his adult life mostly alone in the desert, without any worldly comforts such as that ancient world could provide. Following his imprisonment for preaching the truth, his suffering was so great that it appears he doubted even whether Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 11:2-3) despite that his life’s mission was to preach in preparation for the coming of Jesus, which was revealed to him directly by God. And Jesus himself described John as the greatest born of women (Matthew 11:11). What must John have suffered to bring so great a man to such a point of crisis? And not long after that, John was beheaded in prison for the sake of his truthful witness. Yet, had I but offered him a bed or a meal, I might have received the same reward as John the Baptist?
Or even a cup of water given by someone to a disciple of Jesus. Think what type of person might do such a thing. Any person, guilty of any great crimes one could imagine, might find it in their heart in one moment to give a cup of water to a professing Christian. And I expect some otherwise terrible persons have actually done so. And that act would outweigh and cancel their entire record of sin; otherwise how could they be rewarded by God – as must be the case if the reward is guaranteed as Jesus said – if they were still counted guilty?
These scenarios, which I find astonishing, are a clue that what I understand to be value is out of line with the true nature of value in the sight of God. My values are about cost, effort, and quantity – more is worth more. Kingdom values are about quality – about meaning. The value of works before God is not about personal credit, in other words, how much we have done. It is about intent, and faith.
Faith, because how else could anyone expect the rewards described above unless it is God who gives them? But if one were to receive a prophet, or give a cup of water to a believer, expecting no reward, and without any thought to the promises of God (which is most likely often the case) – then that person has given, expecting nothing in return. That is called love.
However we understand it, certain words and actions carry immense value in the kingdom of God because of what they mean – immeasurably more than the value of the words or actions themselves.
Tokens have great importance in our lives for the very reason they cost us little or nothing. That is not to say that things we do or give which cost us a lot have no value, indeed they can also be of great value (Matthew 19:28-30). But when the cost is little or nothing, our choice shows truly what we believe, because there is no reason to do or not do the thing other than our own free choice. Difficulties which complicate the issue in such cases are few. After all, which is easier, to be Jonah, or John the Baptist, or to give one of them a meal? Tokens, comparatively speaking, are easy.
Because token actions are not costly, we should be especially mindful to do them. Following is what I consider one of the scariest stories in the Bible.
‘And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.’
(Matthew 22:1-14)
The passage above is one of several in the New Testament which speaks about the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as a marriage between Jesus, the Son of God, and his people as his bride (e.g. John 3:29 is another example). I expect that in modern Christian understanding this would be taken to mean a call to ‘give your heart to Jesus’, and to be ‘born again’ into his kingdom by the Spirit of God, so that we shall ‘ever be with the Lord’. And that is at least one way in which I understand it. Praise be to God!
So we see that the man in the story of Matthew 22 was called to the wedding and he responded and came. And the king calls him ‘friend’. This man has ‘come to Jesus’ – he has become a Christian. To think of him then being ‘cast into outer darkness’ is so frightening, and is so much against what we as Christians believe, it is hard to think of anything more worrying. Still, rather than being worried, and remembering also that the story told by Jesus is just that, a story – it need not be fulfilled in practice in order for it to be true in principle (though we would be wise to consider that it may indeed occur just as Jesus has told it) – it is more helpful for us to consider what point Jesus is making, and what it means for us.
The guests ultimately invited to the wedding were ‘both bad and good’. There is no indication that only the ‘good’ people responded. I think it is reasonable to expect there were many bad people who responded and came, and there is nothing to suggest that any of them were then thrown out except this one without a wedding garment. And for that matter we don’t know whether this particular man was ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but either way, that was not the issue. It was his clothing – his lack of a wedding garment.
We see also that the man was given a chance to explain himself: ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ But he was ‘speechless’; he had no excuse. From this I understand that he could easily have obtained and worn the garment. Otherwise, being in such trouble with the king, I am sure he would have given the reason if there was one, why he was not wearing the garment.
To get to the point, my understanding of this parable is as follows. God has invited us to be joined to his Son, Jesus, as his blessed people, the ‘bride’ of his Son. This requires that we must be holy (Hebrews 12:14) which is entirely beyond our own ability to achieve. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s Son, God has provided for us to be made holy, cleansed from all our sins, and to receive the righteousness of God as a free gift (Romans 5:17-18). Praise the Lord!
Because righteousness is given by God to all who receive Jesus his Son, and it is not by our own achievement, there is no restriction on who can receive it. According to the Bible, all our own ‘righteounesses are as filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6). It is not easier for God to make some people righteous than others, for example, people who have tried harder themselves – it is simply impossible in every case except by God’s amazing grace. So – ‘both good and bad’ are invited to the wedding, because all can only be made truly good by God himself, and once made good, holy even, none is better or worse than any other; all are made perfect.
So we see that only God can clothe us with his righteousness. It is his gift to us, praise God, to all who receive Jesus his Son. How then can those who receive Jesus – who respond and come to the wedding – be found not wearing the garment?
I believe the answer to the above question is in the story – that although the wedding garment is provided by God, and God only, to wear it is something everyone who receives it is able to do, and must do. To ‘put on the garment’ is to do those things we can easily, reasonably do, which we know are pleasing to God. The wedding guest in the story could easily have worn the garment (he was speechless when asked why he didn’t, so it can’t have been hard to do). So we also must do those things we can easily do, and not imagine that because the righteousness of God is a gift, we can live godless and careless so far as our own conduct goes, and it makes no difference.
To ‘wear the wedding garment’ by following simple, good conduct is a token of our thankfulness to God for giving us his righteousness. Just as failing to wear the wedding garment was a token of disrespect by the man in the story who failed to wear it. And tokens can mean a lot. We have no righteousness of our own by the standards of God. Tokens are all we have, and God’s invitation to receive his unspeakable gift.
May we find grace to receive the gift of God’s righteousness, and to be made holy, and to live as you would expect those to live who have received such gifts which are beyond price or measure, so far as we find grace and opportunity to do.
Amen.
wilderness99 