Today's Sermon - One in Christ - 6/23/19

One in Christ

(based on Galatians 3:23-29)

The starting point for Paul in understanding our relationship to one another, how we ought to treat one another, and ultimately how God views us, begins with this great statement Paul makes to the Galatians.  Let me read it one more time,
“Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.  Therefore, the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:25-28)

Back in Christ’s day, there were three major areas that separated people – one from another.  The first one was about what nationality and religion you were.  For example, an Israeli Jew could not associate with a Thessalonian Greek.  Using the word Greek here, was just another word for Gentile or heathen in the eyes of a devout follower of Yahweh.  The second area of great divide were those who were free and those who were slaves.  In other words – economics – the rich versus the poor.  And the third area of separation was between male and female.  There were rights and privileges for men and very little for women.

Roughly 2000 years has separated the time with we were under the law and when faith came in the bodily form of Jesus Christ, supposedly abolishing these separations that were so prevalent in Christ’s day.  How have we done?

Are we better at including those who are of different nationality and faiths, different colors?  Are we any better at seeing everyone as equal when it comes to economics?  Have we completely abolished the lines of privilege and rights between men and women?

Perhaps that is why this passage is here.  To remind us that we still see one another differently and still have some work to do in seeing one another through faith in Christ and through the eyes of God versus a disciplinarian or the law who only saw a clear separation of all things, set before the society as a way to keep order.  Because when you abolish the rules and blur the lines between things that were always separated, you create a murky mess.

You know, we all have our circles of inclusion, some are more exclusive than others.  Here’s one example.  It comes from the Broadway musical, Shenandoah.  A rugged mountaineer and his wife and their son and daughter-in-law sit down to eat in their small Appalachian home.  The father returns thanks: “God, bless me and my wife, John and his wife, us four, no more. Amen.”  Now, that’s a small circle.

And at the other end of the spectrum, there’s the little children’s song we all probably know very well, having sung it in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School.  Most of you can probably even do hand motions that go with it.  I am the church, you are the church, we are the church together; All who follow Jesus, all around the world, yes, we’re the church together.

How wide is your circle?  That’s really the question here today.

About 25 years ago, I visited the headquarters of the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland.  In the lobby there was a walk-through display of life-size photographs depicting Christians all over the world. Picture this:

• A tribal church in central Africa where scantily clad villagers gathered more or less informally under a makeshift arbor.

• An Eastern Orthodox congregation where priests dressed in elegant robes and caps processed through a magnificent cathedral.

• Close-ups of Armenian Christians, Coptic Christians, Protestants and Roman Catholics.

• Men and women, boys and girls, of every conceivable nationality, race and station in life caught by the camera in the process of praise, prayer and outreach to others in the name of Jesus Christ.

As I walked through the display, I tried to absorb the scope of it all.  As I did, Paul’s words echoed in my mind:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)

Jesus once told his disciples, “The kingdom of God is like a net thrown into the sea that gathers in fish of every kind.” (Matthew 13:47)

The same could be said of the Church that bears his name. We are a people of every race and nation, language and custom; yet, we worship the same God, follow the same Lord and are led by the same Spirit of grace, forgiveness and love.

How wide is your circle?

There’s a story about an older gentleman, a curmudgeon by well-earned reputation, who stood up in church one Sunday.  Pastor, he said, “I don’t like eggs.  I don’t care too much for milk.  And I’ve never liked broccoli since I was a young boy.”  Now, the parishioners all looked at one another, squirming in their seats, wondering where this was going to go.  The pastor looked a bit concerned that the old man might start taking this list of things he didn’t like a little more personal and was about to interrupt the man.  But the old curmudgeon was on a roll and he kept on going.  “I don’t like cheese.  And ham is one of my least favorite meats.  Separately, you can keep all of those – I’m not eating them.  I’ll just have my steak and potatoes, thank you very much.  But, my wife here, mixes all those ingredients together, the stuff I don’t like; eggs, milk, broccoli, cheese and ham and makes one awesome quiche.  I like it.  I like it a lot.  Now, there are some of you here today that I didn’t particularly like when you first came.  But mixed together with the rest of the people, who I didn’t particularly like either – we make an awesome team.  I like it.  I like it a lot.”

Whether we mean to or not, we draw circles of who’s in and who’s out.  If we all profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, why is there so much division in the church?  Ideally, the Church of Jesus Christ includes Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, rich and poor, English speaking and not; conservative and liberal, traditional and contemporary, congregational and connectional, pastoral and prophetic.  Yes, we have our particular beliefs and peculiar ways of doing things.  That’s only natural.  It speaks of our different temperaments and personal tastes – like whether you prefer to put on your Sunday best or come to church in blue jeans and cowboy boots.  But our differences should not divide us.

So far, I’ve only spoken about those who profess Jesus as Lord.  But to be clear, we should also not be at war with Jews, Muslims and other religions of the world.  We are at war with the forces of evil that threaten to exploit us and divide us and, ultimately, destroy us.  If you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone and look beyond your circle, you may be able to see the big circle God intends for all creation and do your part to make it so.  A passage we read a month or so ago from Revelation is how John described this big circle God intends:

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ (Revelation 7:9-10)