Am I a Christian Snob?
Good Morning Friends,
No, I do not really want you to answer today’s question. But I do want you to think about one of the most serious problems in the world. It is the problem of politics. You see, if we are to find joy in the church… if we are to find joy in the Kingdom… we must embrace an impartiality that welcomes those who welcome Jesus…and that like the multitude of saints that are worshipping in heaven, we recognize in each hidden treasures. And that means that even as Pope Francis is in Cuba and will soon be in New York, we too are to reach outside of our present circle of friends, and attempt to include others in our lives that may not be exactly like us. How we handle the cognitive dissonance is so personal. Almost all of us walk around with an unpublished list in our minds of desirable and undesirable people. Some prefer to be around educated folks and look down at those who are not academic enough…those who are poor. Some of us would rather spend time with young people and do not have time for the aged. It is all right to have a sweet spot but if we persist in not associating with a genetic or social group, that is a problem. The most difficult are vocal dissidents with an agenda that makes us uncomfortable. Most of us want to be around people just like we are, or want to be. But, how can we refuse to accept and associate with one whom God has received? How can we exclude from our lives, and with-hold our friendship and our fellowship from someone God has welcomed into fellowship with Himself? This is not a new problem. James’ writing to the first century church, very clearly brought this problem of partiality to light. And I wonder how we will know they are Christians aside from their love.
So today I look in the mirror and ask, Am I a Christian Snob?
Scripture: and he said to them, ‘You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.
Acts 10:28 (NRSV)
My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’, have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For the one who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgement will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgement.
James 2:1-13 (NRSV)
Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’
Mark 7:34 (NRSV)
Message: Wouldn’t you like to be someone that makes a difference in someone else’s life? You see, the choice is really yours. You do not have to be a product of your environment or experiences. You have the power to make a choice to reject the negative and harmful practice of showing favoritism. You can choose rather to be an encourager. God is interested in what the heart feels, not so much what the eye sees. Here God shows us how to love the outcast. Jesus demonstrates that each person matters to Him by saying to each of us “Ephphatha” that is, “Be opened!” like a flower…like a treasure chest and here we discover all the wealth of what might be…here we discover that all the physical stature of Saul did not change what was on the inside…that all of Zacchaeus’ lack of height could not separate Him from Christ’s presence. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if you have ever experienced loneliness or rejection, then today’s devotion should resonate with you. Today we learn that God looks to the heart. He looks for love. He looks for openness and commitment. God trumps judgment with mercy. There may be some around you in whom you have little confidence, though they claim to be Christians. Be assured that if God could turn the proud and murderous Saul into one of the greatest saints in history, He is equally capable of redeeming those around you. Don’t give up on your fellow believers. Help disciple another person. Look to see where God is working in their lives, then join Him. It is a great privilege to invest in the life of a fellow Christian. This is the purpose of discipleship. You see, only God knows the potential of each believer. We can project what we think God might do in someone’s life, but we have no way of knowing. Honestly, too often we see only outward appearances and behavior, whereas God looks at the heart. Maybe we should stretch a bit. Christ humbled himself, maybe we should follow his lead.
Pray we realize
that all people fall short of the glory of God. Pray the tomb of our lives be opened up in the power and hope of the risen Christ. Pray that everyone has a place in the choir. Pray that heavenly blessings come down when human barriers come down. Pray that we find joy when God changes the way we think. Pray we become beautiful in God’s sight.
Pray we realize that science and religion and our intellectual integrity and our faith are answers to fundamentally different human needs. Pray we talk about the tough stuff with each other and with God. Pray we do not have predetermined conclusions or simplistic answers. Pray we have sympathy not fear when expanding the circle of community.
Pray the same power that raised Jesus from the dead wrests us from our pride, our apathy, our fear, our prejudice, our anger, our hurt, and our despair and bring us into unity. Pray we realize this is not one person’s job but the work of the Holy Spirit in each of us. Pray we encourage one another in the faith and in reason. Pray we lead with love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 