Good Morning Friends,
Law keeping may keep some in proper behavior, but it just does not alone show forth the maturity that Christ desires for us. Behavior motivated externally has the form of Godliness but is not true righteousness and does not heal. Faith and trust are just the beginning. We need to understand the nature of our own motivations against cultural demands and the alternative that Christ offers. We Know We Are Saved By Grace But Do We Know For What Purpose?
Scripture: Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter.
Acts 15:1-6 (NRSV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
John 15:1-8 (NRSV)
For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;
Galatians 1:11 (NRSV)
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
1 John 3:18-24 (NRSV)
When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him. When the believers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Acts 9:26-31 (NRSV)
Message: There was only one person who welcomed Saul in Jerusalem after his conversion. Jesus was there in Spirit of course, but in the flesh, the person was Barnabas. His name means, “Son of Comfort” or “Son of Encouragement.” Maybe it was a Good cop/Bad cop strategy of the Apostles, after all Paul was the persecutor of Christians. Having a bad attitude and a negative view would not have been irrational for the Apostles. But Paul’s attitude was about to get him killed. They easily could have not cared at all. They all could have chosen an unforgiving or bitter heart. They easily could have thought that they were better than Paul. And Paul might have thought he was better as well. But through the grace given to Jesus, Paul was accepted and given the time to evaluate his own life so that he too could stop being so judgmental. Somehow, they all realized that they had come together for a reason. Paul and Barnabas perhaps were both students of the leading authority of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel and even friends with a foundation that would allow a bridge to be formed. What is clear is that Barnabas is about relationships and second chances and perhaps because of that others started to use their tongues more properly. They all realized that God does not promise peace to those who dwell on the faults of others. Barnabas and Paul would later have sharp words uttered in a burst of anger about being Jewish and interacting with Gentiles and also the choice of traveling companions, but in the end, they put them aside despite their differences. Barnabas believed in Mark. Paul thought Mark too immature and perhaps too Jewish for the work of reaching the Gentiles to continue to travel with them and ultimately chose Timothy and Titus to raise up in the faith. Tradition records that Mark later traveled with Peter to Rome and recorded Peter’s preaching there. So apparently, he grew up. Luke does not mention either Paul having negative opinions of Barnabas or Barnabas questioning the spirituality of Paul. Both did the work they were called to do. Their division somehow furthered the spread the Gospel instead of impeding it. Paul and Barnabas were acutely aware that the church is a community that works together as one, a communion of faith where individual differences are forged in a way that serves to strengthen and provide new opportunities, new approaches and new incentives to develop in the common work of the gospel. So today we learn that sometimes even the best leaders make wrong decisions. We begin to learn to disagree on things without bitterness or resentment. We learn that every strength has a weakness and so we must thank God’s wisdom in making us different. We learn that we need to speak the truth with love. Friends, I have heard it put like this: Being Christian is not just “Me and Jesus” it’s more correctly “We and Jesus.” Barnabas helped this happen for Paul and the leaders in Jerusalem just as Paul helped extend this relationship to the Gentiles.
And So, in today’s text we see the beginning of the debate that would use logic to form a Gospel. But this is dangerous friends. It seems reasonable for men and women to pay due honor to their creator and provider through rituals, laws, and various forms of sacrifices. This is what honorable people do. But this falls short of what a mature ethical position would be. And they reason that if they pay the honor they owe, God will provide them the acceptance that is due them. That is the gospel, or good news, of man not of God. Jesus was a law-keeper, but one who had the right perspective on how to keep and why to keep it. We need a circumcision of the heart, not one of controlling others. Jesus attributed the motive of power control to the religious leaders in keeping, or rather in teaching others to keep, the law. He pronounced woe to the teachers of the law who loaded people with burdens too heavy to bear. He condemned the Pharisees who used their supposed religious elitism to win favors and earthly rewards. Really, do we think we can negotiate a deal with God today? Do we think we can manipulate others for earthly gains in the name of God and get away with it forever? Sure, we have a felt need for self-preservation but our relationship with God is to be much more than that. We cannot honor God with obedience because we cannot be obedient. Friends, God does not accept us because he sees the basic good in our hearts, God accepts us because of love….a love we are to receive and share. And in this we are saved by grace. We cannot do it on our own. We need a watershed event that changes the course of human history. We need Jesus and each other. Friends, God knows our hearts. God knows we are not like God in all ways. We would rather judge. Peter knew the problem well. He tried to be a good follower of Jesus. Still, he ended up failing miserably. He denied Jesus three times. It was only because of Jesus’ love, forgiveness, and grace that Peter was able to rejoin the disciples and become one of the leaders of the church. We are saved for life after death. However, salvation is more. Salvation is the freedom of living by faith in God’s kingdom now. We are free from living the lie that power equals greatness and that the earth is ours to do with what we want. Instead, we are free to live in a kingdom of love, service, and acceptance. Every day we are able to experience this salvation.
Pray that we recognize when we need to play the role of a Barnabas and when the role of a Paul. Pray we find strength in diversity. Pray that when Christians disagree, we bring love to the table. Pray we stop cursing the darkness and be a light. Pray we be a light of encouragement to others. Pray we be a comfort to others. Pray we allow people to grow. Pray we affirm the capability that you see in other people. Pray we point people to the opportunities not just the problems. Pray we speak prophetically to one another believing the hope of Christ. Pray we tell stories about what God is doing with our life. Pray we are committed to Christian community and relationships but not at the cost of the truth. Pray we realize that the laws of our land and people change but that the truth of Christ and the faith in that truth is permanent. Pray we take a stand for Christ. Pray we declare what is in our heart when faced with opposition to do God’s will. Pray we honor Jesus for who the Lord is, not for whatever we may conceive God to be created out of our logic alone. Pray we realize that salvation is a gift we can never earn. Pray we be a slave for Christ not a slave to the law. Pray we feel dignity in our hearts not because we have become good enough but because we have received the merciful love of the Lord of the universe. Pray our hearts feel a special knowing that we are not a child of the universe, but a child of the Creator of the universe. Pray we realize that we do not have to prove our heart is worthy enough to be accepted by God. Pray we stop trying to prove to ourselves that we are good enough or that we have enough faith in ourselves to be redeemed. Pray we turn to the One who is the lover of our souls. Pray we receive the good news from God that God so loved us that he gave his only begotten Son, that if we have Christ’s faith in us, he will redeem us. Pray we realize that it is God, not our own emotions our logic that will transform our hearts to produce good fruits. Pray therefor we rest on the mercy of Christ and the love of God, for even that good in our hearts we might believe to be there will never be good enough without Christ. Pray we push back with love against those who distort the truth. Pray we refocus our attention on being connected to Christ and witness the Holy Spirit speaking to those who oppress the simplicity of the Gospel.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 