Please, Lord! Prove My Point…
By Trevin Wax on Mar 16, 2009 in Prayers | 
Print This Post | Share (Twitter, Email, Facebook)
“Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”
- Jesus, to a man in the crowd (Luke 12:14)
As Jesus taught the crowds about the kingdom of God, a man called out and asked Jesus to command his brother to divide his family’s inheritance with him.
The man surely thought himself correct regarding the family dispute, and knowing that Jesus held authority in the mind of his brother, he figured he would use Jesus to get his own way. The man wanted to end the estranged relationship he held with his brother by calling for Jesus to issue the final decree of division – proclaiming his point of view and thus winning the battle over the family’s money.
I fear that too often we act just like this man. We take minor and petty disagreements with our brothers and sisters in Christ and begin to see them as major differences. We narrow the definitions of faithfulness until we can congratulate ourselves on being the only ones who are on the right track.
Next comes the appeal to Scripture for going our own way. The double-edged sword intended to cut our own hearts gets turned into a sword we wield against others.
Finally, when we can come to no agreement with our brother or sister, we think it best to end the tumultuous relationship by calling Jesus to issue the final decree of division. Please, Lord! Just show them they’re wrong! Tell him to do what I say! Prove my point so I can separate justifiably from them!
But Christ refuses. In the passage above, instead of judging the man’s situation and family argument, Jesus boldly told him, “You get right! You watch yourself!”
Jesus refused to codify the division and bless the break in this man’s relationship with his brother. I suspect that he would do the same with us in our petty feuds. He does not divide those in his own kingdom, because a kingdom divided will not stand.
The way of Jesus indeed divides people – after all, only a few find the narrow path. But between those in Christ, Jesus brings reconciliation. Jesus wants to restore the relationship between us and our brothers, not provide justification for more division.
So let us confess our temptation to manipulate Jesus or the Scriptures in order to justify our divisions and instead begin living in the light of his marvelous gospel – the truth that reconciles us to God and to one another.
© Copyright by Trevin Wax | Print This Post | Share (Twitter, Email, Facebook)
AMEN.
Dr. Paul W. Foltz | Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
This is good stuff. Thanks for sharing it. selahV
selahV | Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
Amen Amen and Amen. I agree wholeheartedly.
Eric Peterson | Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
Yes, this is a major problem even among theologians. A typical arguments goes like this.
“Oh you think sprinkling is as good as full immersion? Haven’t you read the Bible? You HAVE to do full immersion or you really aren’t baptized.”
“I don’t have to do anything as a Christian. Jesus has done it all for me. So, now all I have to do is sit back and wait till I get to Heaven’s gate”. You people who believe you have to actually do something as a Christian are wrong. Haven’t you read the Bible?”
Unfortunately some of us Christians seem to believe that we have an inside tract to God and anybody that disagrees with us if obviously wrong. Ok, so now I am going to do a black/white thing myself here. Nobody on the earth totally 100% understands what God wants us to do. Nobody. On the minor stuff, let’s agree to disagree and don’t let it drive wedges between us. Christ wants us to be one as He and the Father are one. Haven’t you read the Bible?
And finally works do matter even if they don’t earn us Heaven.
RJ | Mar 17, 2009 | Reply