WJDW: How do you know if you are a parrot?

Posted by Scott Zeller at Foolishblog

Piper begins What Jesus Demands from the World (WJDW) with the capstone verse of the book, Jesus’ command to “Make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). He then makes the following observation which I want to spend this post considering,

You can teach a parrot all of Jesus’ commandments. But you cannot teach a parrot to observe them. Parrots will not repent, and worship Jesus, and lay up treasures in heaven, and love their enemies, and go out like sheep in the midst of wolves to herald the kingdom of God. (p. 18)

This simple comment immediately made me ask a simple question of myself, “Am I a parrot?” I have been studying God’s word for years (in the middle of my sixth year in theological higher education), am I observing the commandments I know so well or do I simply parrot them back to those interested in hearing such things? “No, no Scott, you are a quite the observer,” is my minds immediate thought. “You go to church, you love people, you do plenty of commandmentish stuff!” But do I really? As someone who wants to be a missionary, am as I passionate about observing all Jesus commanded of me as I am about going and making disciples?

Not wanting to be a parrot - one who can repeat things back but not actually do them, I came up with a couple questions to ask myself to reveal the parrot inside that needs to be rejected:

1. When you receive God’s truth (for example in a sermon or in your own personal bible reading), how much time do you spend considering what action this truth is demanding in your life?

I need to actively combat my parrot-tendencies at the front lines by not letting truth enter my mind without asking whether or not that truth demands an action on my part. How many times have I heard a sermon on God’s love without taking the time to consider how I could better reflect that characteristic of in my own life?

2. Do I spend more time talking (teaching, preaching, blogging, conversating, counseling) then I do living?

Ezra 7:10 tells us of the Godly lifestyle of that man saying, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” That verse should haunt me every time I go to teach, every time I go to blog, every time I go to counsel someone else about their junk. If I do not first live it, if I do not first observe, then whatever teaching I do is parroting. It is not real or genuine, it is parrot talk.

3. Do I actively pursue the insights of my Christian friends on whether or not I am a parrot?

I don’t dare attempt to try and assess my own life in isolation (especially on this topic!). With planks of pride in my eyes, how can I go there alone? I need the honest perspectives of others into my life if I am going to adequately pursue not only knowing the commands of Jesus but also observing them in my daily life.

I’m sure there are many more and better questions to ask to guard against the tendency to be Jesus Parrots (if you’ve got some ideas, share them in the comments!). However, I think the principle is that we had better be aware that there is a big difference between knowing what Jesus says and living what he commands!

Piper closes the Introduction saying,

[Jesus’] aim is God-glorifying obedience to all that he commanded. The kind of obedience that glorifies God is free and joyful, not constrained and cowering. Even when the cost is supreme, the joy is triumphant, because the cause of Jesus cannot fail. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matt. 5:11-12). It is a costly mission, but a joyful one. (p. 27)

It is a costly mission, but a joyful one. Jesus equated the mission of observing his commands to taking up a cross… daily. But there is no more worthwhile pursuit in all of life. Let us press on to observe with all our strength and encourage that pursuit in each other.

Scott Zeller is a brother, a son, a friend, a future husband (accepting applications), a reader, an amateur musician, a film aficionado, a meat-eater, a blogger, a closet activist, a world traveler, and a coffee adict. He loves reading books that he doesn’t agree with, has tuberculosis, his idea of paradise is going without a shower for six weeks in darkest Africa, he is a terrible driver and a worse ping-pong player (but delights in both), and his life goal is to write the book for adolescents. But before all that Scott is a Christian, saved by grace through Christ Jesus from a miserable life lived in selfishness and eternity apart from God. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Theology from The Master’s College and is currently attending Dallas Theological Seminary pursuing an M.A. in Cross-Cultural Ministry. Scott is actively involved in foreign missions work, particularly with East African orphans and abandoned children. He attends and is actively involved in the ministry of Grace Bible Church. You may also be interested in Scott’s personal blog, which can be found at www.scottzeller.com.