Peace and Resistance

When people hear peace and resistance mentioned in the same sentence our minds almost automatically assume that peace is good and resistance is bad. We desire peace above all things; but the question must be asked at what cost are we willing to find peace?

The Christian community as a whole is a peaceful community and why wouldn't we be. We come together in large groups but typically stay to ourselves. Not only do we not impose our views on others, we simply do not share them at all. We have chosen peace at the cost of our voice in the community. This was not the kind of peace that Jesus brought and it is certainly not the kind of peace that Jesus taught.

Have you ever struggled with the passage where Jesus instructed his followers to hate their mothers and brothers? (Luke 14). How can Jesus instruct us to do such a thing? The answer is actually very easy when we look at the text. Jesus is using a rabbinical style of contrast teaching to show the importance and cost of following him. The real crux of the passage follows that initial verse where Jesus says that if we do not carry our cross daily we cannot be his disciples; the cross being a symbol of shame, adversity and death.

Luke 12:51 says "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division". This division that Jesus is speaking of comes when we live such a radically different life and walk such a radically different walk that it begins to offend those around us. So I must ask the question; are we that radically different? Are we offending people with the love of Christ or are we more concerned about temporal peace? I would encourage you to struggle through these thoughts, ponder them, get angry with them or embrace them. At the end of your reflection though make sure to ask the question; did I really count the cost?

Luke 14 ends with these verses; "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out". Which pile do we belong in?

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Rob

Test Everything!!!

I would like to add to this past Sunday's message in regards to doing what is right without having to think about whether or not you should do it. Something we must all be aware of is that there is a time for everything. In Ecclesiastes 3 we are introduced to Solomons wisdom on timing and contrast. I would encourage you to stop here and read that passage.

Now that we are all up to speed we can clearly see that God has a time for everything and that we need to be able to discern when those times are in our lives. I spoke of Peter jumping into the water and out of the boat. I also referred to the rich young ruler who chose not to sell his possessions and give them to the poor. Peter followed the way of Christ where as the rich young ruler chose to walk away. The one advantage that both these young men had over us is that they had a face to face encounter with Jesus. They knew exactly who they were speaking to and exactly what it was they were asked to do. We, on the other hand, do not have such an advantage. That is why at times we need to walk away from a situation and test who it is that is asking us to act.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 says "Test everything. Hold onto the good". In our actions we are to test the spirit from which they came. Ask questions like "does this glorify God?" and "will this action build up my fellow human being?" If the answer to these two questions are yes, then you had better act on it. If the answer is no and the spirit is unsure, then pass it by or continue to test it. Remember, everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. We have been given the daunting task of discerning between the two.

So remember, there is a time for action and there is a time for reflection...but when the time to act is clear, do it!