The response was not what I had expected. The more I read the passage, the more quiet the class became. As Paul compared himself to how the Corinthians were living, how they were viewing themselves, the gravity of the description pressed upon us. I finished up the description with
"Up to this moment, we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you."
I had nothing to say at that point. Normally, after I read the scripture passage at the beginning of class, my mind is bubbling over with a hundred thoughts about how to begin, where will the lesson go, how will I fit it all in. Not this time. I was dumb with conviction.
I want to share two additional scripture passages, and then talk about the connection to our worship service today.
In Revelation ch 3, Jesus writes to the church at Laodicea and says
"You say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." v 17.
Here, it seems, is a situation with similar attitudes to those in Corinth. When I've read this passage in the past, I always think "that's us. That's the church today in the United States." We live like kings compared to the rest of the world.
- Half the world survives on $2 a day.
- Worldwide, 6 people die of hunger...every second.
- It is estimated that to provide basic health and nutrition for every person on earth, it would cost $13 billion a year.
- Yet, the US spends $14 billion per year on cosmetics and personal grooming products.
Ironic, isn't it? People are starving to death and we spend fortunes to make ourselves look pretty. Or trying to grow hair where it doesn't grow anymore. Or paying someone to remove it where we don't want it. We wash our hair with shampoo to get the oil out. Then use conditioner to add oil back in.
We live like kings. And we want more. And more. I'm no different, trust me. I completely identify with the Corinthians and the Laodiceans.
Paul writes this to the Philippian church:
"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death." Phil 3:10
Do you see who Paul identifies with? And do you see what aspect of Jesus Paul identifies with? It doesn't quite fit in with the Corinthians or the Laodiceans or with me, does it? The fellowship of sharing in His suffering.
What about Peter in the passage read during today's worship service? Reread Matt 26:69-75.
Things are at a crisis. Jesus has been betrayed and stands now before the high priest. They spit in His face and strike Him with their fists.
Peter sees all this begin to unfold and follows at a distance. He now has a choice to make.
Out in the courtyard, there's a group of people. The night is chilly so they kindle a fire and warm themselves. Peter draws near the fire and is immediately identified as one of Jesus' disciples. Peter denies any connection with Jesus three times.
The last time, it is noticed that his very speech, his accent gives him away. Peter denies with cursing.
You know, we often talk like a Christian. We speak the language. But we don't want to identify with the complete package.
Our accent betrays us, but our actions condemn us.
We identify with the victorious Jesus; the warrior Jesus; the King Jesus. We don't want to identify ourselves with the suffering Jesus. The Man of Sorrows.
We live like kings.
And who do we identify with in this world? Interesting question, yes? We spend a large amount of time watching sports. Or TV. Or movies. We identify with who is cool, who is popular, who is famous. We watch American Idol and Dance With the Stars and the NBA playoffs. And we wish it was us on that screen with the world paying us homage. Who do we identify with in our community? In our church?
Who did Jesus identify Himself with, when He was here? The poor. The outcasts. The unpopular. Tax gatherers and prostitutes. All the losers. That's who He sought out.
Amazing how backwards we get it, isn't it?
Eric
5 comments:
Interesting to consider the different words for the word servant. Hyperetas is the word Paul uses here. On further review, that word references men below deck, rowing the ship, keeping it moving ahead! There are words for servant that Paul did not use, such as those who refer to 'slave' or indentured one, e.g., doulos. I welcome the opportunity to provide some forward direction in the church age!
Whoops, I meant to sign my post, above! Bill O'
An important question and one that we should be asking corporately as a church as well as individually. Who are the poor and outcasts in our community that we should be identifying with? The students at Job Corps? The families who live in mobile homes on Sand Road? The elderly? Who are the forgotten people around us?
Usually it's just me, Nathan, and Stephanie, who walks in with Joshua on one hip, Nicole's hand grasped on the other side, telling Renee to go on in and sit down. Elderly eyes light up when they see those three little ones bounce in. Nathan picks two or three hymns and I bang them out on the old piano in the corner. Stephanie holds Joshua in her lap while she helps Renee find the song in the book. He wriggles down and toddles over to stand in front of an old woman in a wheel chair. He drops his bottle on the floor and looks up at her. Her eyes are clouded over and distant.
If you'd like to visit "the least of these," here's an opportunity. Sit down next to one of these nursing home residents and help them find the right page in the hymnal. Sing with them. And after Nathan's short gospel message, ask them where they grew up. They'll take it from there.
Some don't talk, they just drool. But you can sit and sing next to them. You can hold their hand and wipe their mouth.
Sometimes there's only two or three that come into the dining room for our mini service. Sometimes more. Last time, a creaky voice interrupted Nathan's message to ask, "Do you know, 'For God so loved the world...' Is that in the Bible?" Without blinking, Nathan gently answered, "why, yes!" and began to talk with the woman about it.
Lest you think I'm really spiritual, I have to admit that I struggle every time we go, because there are many other items on my Sunday afternoon to-do list which seem more important at the time. Were it not for Stephanie's upbeat attitude, and Nathan's request for a pianist, I probably would get more weeds pulled.
But then I would have missed an old woman with a walker telling me that soon all the flowers will be coming up, and did I know that she took care of all the gardens?"
"I help people for a living. I want a break on weekends." Just recently I said that. And I've said it before. It's wrong on so many levels.
I work as Voc Rehab counselor helping people who went off to work one day and then something bad happened to them.
As soon as I belted out yet another rendition of "I help people for a living," the EMS tone activated and then I was off to an emergency call.
I pulled into the driveway later that day and reached into the Bible that I keep in the truck door pocket and frantically opened to Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 2.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Phil 2:3 NIV.
And then the clincher, Do everything without complaining or arguing Phil 2:14 NIV
The posts on this subject and God's Word have served to further remind me that, as Christians, we are not to compartmentalize our lives.
Sounds like a good lesson title, "No whining!"
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