I was looking through old blog posts and saw this quote from Chad’s old blog (I can’t find the archive link), but it was a copy/paste from him. Chad was so soft-spoken and not quick too speak, but when he did he spoke volumes. Case in point:
Capturing Some Late Night Thoughts…
It’s late and I should be in bed, but I needed to get a few things off my mind and typed out before I forget them and they’re lost forever. Nothing terribly profound, but some things that are worth thinking about.
Coming out of some conflict that I’ve witnessed recently in the midst of some fellow believers, I began to ask myself the question, “How does a body of believers made up of imperfect people coming from so many different backgrounds and perspectives stay together…unified…of one mind…live in peace?” (Moreover, how does something like that grow and mature and multiply?)
I started to think of the first disciples that Jesus called — a motley crew, no doubt about it. But what the Lord, I think, was leading me to see was that here was a diverse group of people, made up of salty fishermen, a doubter (Thomas), a turncoat (Judas Iscariot), a tax collector (Matthew), and a political revolutionary (Simon the Zealot), but they somehow got past their differences and stuck together (minus Judas, I guess). And not only did they stick together, God used them mightly, empowering them to spread the Gospel even under intense persecution and spark a spiritual movement that has lasted nearly two millennia.
Amazing when you really think about it, really. Particularly when you look at two of these characters who were definitely like oil and water — Matthew and Simon the Zealot. You cannot have two more divergent political persuasions. Matthew was in bed with the Roman government, using his position to skim funds from the public who despised him. Simon, especially, would’ve seen him as a traitor and thief. And Simon was, as his title suggests, a member of the Zealots, a Jewish nationalist party ardently opposed to the Roman rule. Those folks were serious about revolution; overthrowing the government — and doing it by any means necessary.
So what holds these guys together? What keeps their individual ideologies in check?
I want to suggest that it was Jesus — a singular allegiance to Jesus.
Jesus had called them. He had changed their lives. And He was now their focus. He was who they were following. Allegiance to Jesus was what that group of misfits was about — not their pet ideologies. Everything else came second to Jesus as they were learning to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness.
I dare say that we all have our own pet ideologies, ideas and opinions that, given too much emphasis, will inevitably vie for our allegiance over and above Jesus. Our ideologies can too easily become our idols. And when this happens, division within a church is, sadly, just around the corner.
This all just impresses upon me that when we get together as congregations or churches or small group fellowships, that we ought to be focused singularly on Jesus and becoming his apprentices. Let’s lay aside our own agendas and seek His agenda for our life together.
Ok, I’m off to bed. Peace.
posted by Chad | 2:31 AM 9/28/04
