Title and
Other images courtesy of Pixabay.com
In the early
days of the church, leaders like Peter and Paul were busy finding out who
they would be, and what they would preach and teach. There were problems. One preacher brought the issue to light this
way:
Paul had the
intestinal fortitude to stand up to the big fisherman; he got in Peter’s face
and bellowed, “Shame on ya’, big fellow!” Paul could do that because when it came
to pedigree, he had it all. Paul was
Jewish born, an educated man with powerful connections in high places. Peter was a nobody – just a stinky fisherman
who could probably barely read. He had a
lousy track record; he followed Jesus, or denied he knew him, depending on the
circumstances. Paul told Peter he was
being a hypocrite. It stung, but it was
the truth!
Separation,
arguments, prejudice, unfairness – what a tangled existence we human beings
create for each other.
1. Race – that’s always a big one these days.
2.
3. Language – Can we all say: Press one to continue in English?
4. Region – I am one of the few “Yankee”
preachers to ever have an ordination certificate signed by Jefferson Davis!
5. Age – the young person complains the
adults have it made, while the aged shake their heads in disdain over the way
youth is wasted on the young.
6. Economics – the poor and rich seldom rub
elbows.
7. Religion – Our creeds have created more kinds
of separation and distrust than 9/11 and the same-sex debate in the Methodist
tribe combined.
8. Health – those in poor health are pitied and
despised by those watching healthcare costs rising and parking spots close to
the mall entrance shrinking. The
health-challenged are envious of those able to jog!
9. Gender – there is a whole war going on to
determine who’s got the power….I will say no more, lest I get no lunch this
afternoon.
Separation…you
stay over there, don’t get in my space!
Anger, contention, strife, games-playing, backbiting. This is the stuff of which legalism is
made. This is what Jesus came to
forgive…and what he expects us to forsake.
The Only Choice for Genuine Followers of Jesus is to Live by Faith
While the
list of things that separate us is quite long, there is only a very short list
of that which unites people. There are these
few: family, friendship, and love. That’s it…just those.
I tried to
think of anything else that will truly unite people, and,
other than accepting one another in this human family with genuine friendship
and love, there is nothing.
Back in 2007 there was a crew at our house in Thomasville. They had been working for a few months putting two new rooms on the back of our house for Mom and Dad to come live there.
They placed an 8’ x 25’ dumpster next to the house. It was filled with scrap wood, shingles, discarded Pepsi bottles and sandwich wrappers. Among the living inhabitants of that dumpster were untold millions of fly larvae, mice, and roaches (not to mention the odd family or two of black snakes. Don’t tell Elizabeth I said that!)
If I had
asked Mom and Dad if they preferred to live in the finished new rooms with heat
and air conditioning, refrigerator, easy chairs, and Queen-size bed, or would
they prefer to live with the flies and snakes in the dumpster, the only
question would be, son, have you been drinking again? Nobody in his right mind lives in a dumpster
if there’s a new house waiting.
Yet, when it
comes to living in faith, accepting others, like Jesus did, and said we should
too, we human beings sometimes choose to live in the dumpster of
separation we create with our prejudices, rather than the new rooms
of joy Jesus is building for us.
We were born
into the deficit of sin. It separates us
from God and each other. Jesus came to
break down the barriers that separate us, so that we can walk together. He came to tow away the dumpster of
separation. He’s building a new house
full of love and family. There’s room
enough for everyone!
In the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen!
Blessing/Commissioning:
· Just like we can never be separated
from the Love of God , go from this place determined never to be separated from
your brother or sister in Christ, or cause others to be separated.
· In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
[1] Wiersbe,
Warren W., Wiersbes Expository Outlines
on the New Testament, Quickverse Ed.
