"I am only human"

Back in October in the blog "The Story of a King" I told the parable of the landowner to illustrate a particular point about human nature. After telling the story I asked what the main point was, giving four options. Three of the options made reference to reward systems, assuming that most people would focus on some aspect of rewards as the point.

 This assumption is based on the study of human nature. It has been found that built into the human condition is the obsession with justice. At the core of justice is the reciprocity attached to action. We give something, we get something in return. We do something and we receive something back that is seen as equitable or deserving of what we gave or did.

However, there was one option that focused not on the reward system, but the reward giver. It is interesting that Scripture uses this and other stories like it to make this point. Life in the Kingdom of God is about the King, not the subjects' rewards. Why is this so interesting?

This would suggest that life in God's Kingdom requires that we think, feel, and act against our human nature. This poses questions that we may rarely consider, but are fundamental in how we make sense of almost everything.

Is life as a Christian requiring me to "not be human"?

Is being human and having a human nature the same thing?

John said Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us. Paul said Jesus emptied himself of the privilege to be God and took on the form of humans. Since Jesus' time, philosophers have tried to deny that Jesus could be both God (Spirit) and man (matter). Wars have been fought and heads have rolled over this issue. AND YET, we hardly think about it. We just casually reply, "I am only human" when we make a mistake.

Is this right? Are we only human? When God told Adam he 'would surely die', how did Adam die?What does "we are a new creation" mean? What does Paul mean when he says "in Christ we walk not according to the flesh (our human nature) but according to the Spirit (God's nature)"? Do we cease to be human when we are saved? It sure doesn't feel like it.

I'll leave it here for the time being because for you to ponder this is way more valuable to you than me telling you where my pondering has gotten me .....