How did Jesus compare the tension between our physical and spiritual needs?

3/19/12       Sachin, Chanakya          early 20's

Sachin and Chanakya, two students from India, were out in front of the IIT student center for a smoke. Although Chanakya is from a Catholic family and Sachin is from a Hindu family, they have both reached the conclusion that truths about life after death are unknowable while we are alive and therefore not worth worrying about. However, just in case, they try to be good (on their own terms) and feel it is safe to assume that if they are to be judged by God, they would be found to be good people and worthy of heaven.

Both seemed to be turned off to the idea of organized religion by association with the 9/11 terrorists and other unreasonable fanatics, including Christian ministries they've seen on TV. It was tempting to get defensive by their criticisms at times, but our active listening and reasonable responses to their doubts and complaints about religion helped assure them that we were safe to talk to and would honestly try to answer their questions.

Chanakya did most of the talking, but when he had to leave early Sachin took over with many more questions. He had a certain self-righteousness that regarded social justice issues in this present life as being far more important than our eternal fate in the life to come, portraying himself as being of better moral character than those who are intentionally religious. He even declared he would judge God for allowing evil in the world.

Chanakya also asked why we Christians always want to change others to our beliefs and way of life. I acknowledged that cultural imperialism does get mixed in with Christian witnessing at times, but helped him to understand my position as a believer by comparing it to someone who has the cure for cancer. "Who would I be if I had the cure - or even if I sincerely thought I had it but didn't - but didn't share it with anyone?" Jesus is the cure for the cancer of sin in our lives, and people need to hear the bad news that they have the sickness before they will receive the good news that there is a cure.

So how did Jesus respond to the tension between the physical needs of the present and the spiritual needs of eternity? Think about his answer to the Samartan woman at the well in John 4: Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

There are many opinions on how best to provide water and other physical needs of people, and Christian missionaries have often gotten caught up in the inevitable political struggles as a result. Many are indeed guilty of being involved in cultural imperialism, intentionally or not. But when it comes to Jesus, He is the one spring of living water that can well up to eternal life, and
I believe our conversation did much to help Sachin and Chanakya understand their standing before God and need for the Savior.