34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)
In the passage above, notice that an “expert” in the Law, a Pharisee, questioned Jesus in hopes of tripping him up and taking him down. Jesus had just corrected a Sadducee, another “expert” in religion, and embarrassed him in front of a lot of people. Even back in Jesus’ time, the “experts” in religion, politics, economics, etc. were more interested in their own positions of power, control, and arrogant elitism than in truth and actually caring for the people God had entrusted to their care. And Jesus embarrassed and angered them more by publically stating that GOD’S greatest command to them was to love God above everything else, and to love other people as you love yourself! That was a direct threat to their power, control, and ideological agenda, so they plotted ways to get him out of the way and kill him! And they succeeded (at least for 3 days).
TODAY, as in every generation, we are being encouraged, and almost forced, to become divided and not trust or even like anyone who differs with our particular viewpoint or agenda. It affects EVERY area of our culture, including politics, education, news, medicine, science, and yes, even our church life. WHY? Well, we all have an opinion on that, and those opinions may just lead to more anger and distrust. I could give you my opinion (which of course is the REAL truth, lol!), but instead, I will encourage you to consider for a minute what God says about all this!
1) Division, hatred, mistrust, and denigrating others is not God’s agenda for us! It is Satan’s agenda!
Every person is made in the image of God, and loved by God! God wants to forgive us, redeem us, and give us the power to overcome sin in our lives and live forever with him in a new world that is without sin and it’s deadly effects. Satan, on the other hand, seeks to only hurt us, confuse us, and turn us away from God’s love and hope for a better life and future! In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the “Good Shepherd” who wants to protect us and give us abundant life, but Satan and those under his control are like thieves that come only to steal, kill, and destroy. Peter warns us to be on guard to this:
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. -1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
2) If our battle is against Satan and not each other, then we need to resist blaming each other and the “other side” and playing into Satan’s hands by destroying each other!
Paul warns us of this in Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:10-12 (NIV)
By not recognizing the larger spiritual battle we are all a part of, we instead fight each other and defend “our side” of politics, news, education, science, and even medicine, seeking to tear down and destroy the perceived enemy, the “other side”. Instead, God calls us to work toward reconciling and working together as imperfect, sinful people. When we do that, we can come up with better and faster solutions to our problems, if we will only trust him and let him lead us there!
3) Because we are all sinful, living in spiritual darkness, and don’t know anything close to what God knows, we are called to ultimately trust in God ONLY, not in human experts in any field!
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)
God knows everything, including our future! No human being, no expert, comes close to that. Therefore, I do NOT fully trust any expert in any field, be they politician, news pundit, professor, scientist, doctor, pastor, or anyone else. And neither should you! And if we do, we are putting a responsibility upon them that they can never live up to, and that’s not fair to them and only sets them up for failure and criticism. The Bible, and history in general, are full of examples of “experts” in every realm of life who often end up being very wrong, even though they may have been idolized and worshiped by some in their time.
For example, I’m going to wade into a mine field here and look at the COVID crisis these last 2 years!
How can we Christians agree on some things and disagree on others, and yet seek to bring people together for God’s best intentions toward healing and wholeness?
Let’s look at what we can agree on (maybe?):
– God has blessed humanity with the desire to discover better medicines and treatments to prevent or slow down disease over the years, and now we have better medical care available today than at any time in history! We can all appreciate the doctors, nurses, and all in the medical field who have been under tremendous pressure these past 2 years, and pray for them and thank them for their tireless efforts!
– As Christians with a biblical view of life and history, we understand that we are ALL destined to die physically at some point, and no human being can stop that. (As a matter of fact, God already knows the exact day and second that will happen!) Therefore, we recognize that, ultimately, no vaccine, medication, treatment, surgery, etc. is going to keep us from dying.
– We can recognize that the medical field tries to do the best that they can, and we can appreciate their effort, even though they are flawed, just like us! For example, when my wife Claudia died of cancer, those who cared for her were wonderful and compassionate! However, they were not always right. They mis-diagnosed the type of cancer she had for the first 6 months, and after an amazing surgery by 2 great surgeons, they said they had a great treatment they thought would hold the cancer at bay and give her 5-10 years more. Three months, later, it turns out they were wrong again, and she then faced a 6 months to live scenario, and made it 8 months before dying. Were we disappointed? Of course! But we didn’t blame them. They did the best they could with what they knew, and because of some of the treatment, Claudia probably lived a year longer than if they had done nothing, and we cherished that year together!
– We can all pray for and support those who suffered from COVID, and especially those who lost a family member. It’s painful and heart-rending to lose someone you love!
What might we disagree on, and yet be gracious, tolerant, and merciful to each other about?
The Vaccine itself!
– Most will agree the vaccine was produced amazingly fast, and is helpful for the vast majority of people. Although not as good as we may have originally hoped for, it does reduce symptoms if you get it and reduce the possibility of hospitalization, and that is wonderful. However, it does not prevent you from getting COVID or spreading it, so that is disappointing to many.
– The Vaccine Mandates: Should everyone get it, or be forced to? Well, we disagree, don’t we?
I have gotten the vaccine and booster, not because I fully trusted it was safe, but because I’m an old guy now and recognize I’m more vulnerable! We all have to make a risk/benefit assessment for ourselves in every area of life. But, I also have many friends who have chosen not to be vaccinated for many reasons, and I fully respect them and their decision. Some have other medical issues, some just don’t trust it, and several have had COVID and believe they now have natural immunity that is as good or better than the vaccine itself. And, like any medicine or treatment, a few have adverse reactions. I know personally of 2 cases where 20+ year olds had a very negative reaction to the vaccine and may suffer consequences that will affect their health for the rest of their lives.
4) As Christians, God calls us to be reconcilers in a world of division, hatred, and an agenda of destruction that follows Satan’s plan and not what not God desires!
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. – Ephesians 2:13-18 (NIV)
Every generation will always have divisions, and be tempted to be pulled into waring camps and ideologies. That is the consequence of human sinfulness. But God calls his church to overcome those differences and be reconcilers to our culture. When we bring others together, through God’s power and guidance, they can have access to God’s forgiveness, power over sin, and new life that will last forever! God can break down any wall of hostility!
So, what really matters the most today?
What “side” are you on? Do you think you’re right, and “they” are wrong? In all of these divisions and “major issues” we are told are crucial today, and that the future of society supposedly hangs on, are they really as important as the screaming pundits and experts claim they are?
As Christians, we will all have opinions and should share our thoughts in respectful and encouraging ways, always offering God’s peace and hope in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
But what does God really think of all this stuff we get so upset about? Is it as crucial to him as it seems to be to our culture?
I think that when we all die and stand before Jesus to account for our life, I DO NOT think he’s going to ask us questions such as :
– Where you a Republican or Democrat, conservative or progressive?
– What side of the vaccine mandate debate were you on?
– Did you go the right church with true and biblical doctrine?
– Did you spend all your time, energy, and money on political causes and movements that would advance your “team” and “agenda”?
– Did you make sure you won the argument for “your team”?
No, I think Jesus will ask something like this:
-Do you know who I am?
– Did you believe that I’m the Son of God and did you accept my offer of forgiveness, salvation from the curse of sin, and power to live a brand new life, free from the chains of sin?
And if you did accept that offer, did you do what I asked you to do?
Did you live in a way that others saw that you loved God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? And did you love others as I do, offering them my love, healing, forgiveness, and hope for the future?
God always calls us to be humble and thankful, following the example of Jesus. I close with Paul’s thoughts on this in Philippians 2:
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:1-8 (NIV)