Live fully in the community God has designed for us Conclusion

You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here and Part 4 here.

These last few weeks we have learned the community God has designed for us includes the outcast and the disciple, the weak and the vulnerable, the marginalized and the privileged, the stranger and the foreigner. I have posited, if we are not living in a community that looks like this, then we are not living fully in the community God has designed for us. I further stipulate, if we continue to allow such divisions, the body of Christ will (continue to) suffer.

After Pentecost, it didn't take long for the church to relapse into well worn habits. For some, maintaining the dividing line between Jew and Gentile seemed paramount. More than once, ministry that included mixed race company raised eyebrows and invited debate. For others, divisions crept into the fold even as they gathered in worship with tongues and prophecies abounding or as they gathered around the Lord's table to share a meal. Paul addresses this particular issue in 1 Corinthians.

The Last Supper by Jacopo Bassano

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you?Certainly not in this matter! 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

Paul goes on to teach the Corinthians about the history and purpose of the Lord's Supper.

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

As we read Paul's final directives in this chapter, be mindful not to divorce these verses from the previous, especially verses 17-22.

So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. 1 Corinthians 11:27-34

The Last Supper by Sieger Koder

How were the Corinthians believers eating and drinking in an unworthy manner? How were they guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord? The context of 1 Corinthians 11 enlightens us.

In a time when the church primarily met in private homes, Paul addresses a gathering of Christians in Corinth. It seems the wealthier members of the congregation, those with flexible, less-demanding schedules, arrived early. While servants and slaves, those with schedules dependent upon others, arrived late. The hosts escorted the early-arriving wealthier members to the main dining area to eat while the food and the wine remained abundant. But when the servants and the slaves finally arrived, the already-gathered church escorted them away from the full dining room to the courtyard outside and gave them leftovers.

As Paul certainly knew, and the Corinthians would soon realize, divisions will always be easier to maintain then creating space for inclusion. Divisiveness is easy. It relies on our basest self. It's second nature. But diversity demands more. It defers to Christ's nature. It's hard-work. The Corinthian believers, by defaulting to the easy peasy, status quo of I-belong-here-and-you-belong-there, eventually succumbed to negative effects on their health and well-being as the body of Christ.

In these passages, Paul argues, the Corinthians dishonor the body of Christ by enabling divisions in the church (11:18,27). He warns the believers, they eat and drink judgment upon themselves by allowing some to go hungry while others get drunk (11:2, 29). He concludes, many are now weak and sick and some have even died because they have disgraced God's church by shaming the poor (11:22, 30).

Our tendency toward division may be second nature, but it's also detrimental to our health. Diversity is essential to our well-being, therefore, inclusion must be intentional.

Paul is right. Before eating and drinking, we must take care to examine ourselves. We must consider whether our words and actions honor or humiliate those who are different than us. One way to determine if we treat others with respect is to recognize whether we are all gathered as equals around the same table or if we are consistently separated.

Consider the various tables we fellowship around. Who's included? Who sits around our tables of conversation and friendship? Who feels welcomed at our tables of ministry? Who do we accommodate at our tables of decision making? Do these gatherings only ever include people who look and sound like us? Have we, as the body of Christ, made ourselves susceptible to weakness, sickness, or even death by those we've excluded?

Remember, enabling division is easy. All we have to do is succumb to the status quo. But diversity is God's design. As image bearers of God we bear a serious responsibility. Diversity is God's design, but inclusivity is our choice. It's our choice to ask hard questions, invite deep conversations, search our souls thoroughly, gain self awareness, repent sincerely, and open seats at his table daily. To neglect our responsibility may be detrimental to our health. But to embrace this responsibility enables us to live fully.

When we accept our responsibility as image bearers of God to purposefully include all kinds of people around his tables of fellowship, ministry, and decision making, then we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us.

Live fully in the community God has designed for us Part 4

You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

Today, an expert in the law tests Jesus, but it's the disciples and the expert who get schooled.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:25-29

Wanting to justify himself, the expert in the law presses his luck with one more question. With an upraised brow and a smug little smile he asks Jesus to clarify – Who is my neighbor? A short story, an unexpected hero, and a rhetorical question later, Jesus awaits the expert's answer. “The one who had mercy on him,” he answers correctly, if not begrudgingly. For the word Samaritan never crosses his lips.

The Good Samaritan by Vincent van Gogh

Most regular Bible readers acknowledge a strong animosity between Jews and Samaritans because of a vague notion that something happened in their shared history. Here's a brief accounting: 

In 722 BC, the Assyrians destroyed the land of Samaria, then occupied by the kingdom of Israel. The king of Assyria resettled the land with people from Babylon and other nations who worshipped other gods to replace the Israelites (2 Kings 17). Eventually becoming a racially and religiously mixed nation, Ezra rejected their help to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 4). Insulted by the snub, the people of Samaria build their own temple on Mount Gerizim. (Remember the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4?) Resentment deepened between Jews and Samaritans in 128 BC, when leader and High Priest, John Hyrcanus invaded Samaria and destroyed their temple. Not to be outdone, a century later, the Samaritans defiled the Jerusalem temple with dead bodies. 

Suffice it to say, by this time, the Jews and Samaritans despise each other. And in the opinion of the expert in the law, Jesus' good Samaritan would have sounded like an oxymoron.

Yet, it's not only the expert in the law who needs to hear this story – to rethink and reconsider the question, Who is my neighbor? Not hardly. Luke strategically places the telling of this parable after an unfortunate interaction with his disciples in the previous chapter.

The Good Samaritan by Paula Modersohn-Becker

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village. Luke 9:51-56

Soon, Jesus will give his disciples a mandate to go into all the world and preach the good news everywhere. Everywhere? Jesus can't even trust these guys to go to a neighboring village. Want to flunk Missionary Training 101? Threaten to kill foreigners who reject Jesus.

For now, Jesus directs his disciples to another village. Not to protect himself from the Samaritans, mind you, but to protect the Samaritans from his disciples. No wonder Jesus recounts the parable of the good Samaritan in the next chapter – his own disciples needed its lesson, too.

Sometimes I wonder, How was it possible for the disciples to sacrifice everything for Jesus, learn from him daily, love him wholeheartedly, and yet harbor racist attitudes? I don't know. It seems impossible to hold such contradictory beliefs and behaviors in tension.

Then again, I also wonder, How is it possible for Christians today to pray fervently, give generously, worship extravagantly, and yet despise the stranger, fear the foreigner, hate the immigrant, and be inhospitable to the refugee? I still don't get it.

As Christians, we long for that day when every tongue, and tribe, and nation will sing his praise, yet we reject the humility, the courage, and the kindness necessary to create an environment to live that reality presently. In the process, we forfeit God's design and God's community to our own detriment. It's not as if God left us powerless to complete the task he set before us. Or is the day of Pentecost just a fond memory for the Church?

I made a promise a few weeks ago to prove to you that living in the diverse community God has designed for us is essential to our health as the body of Christ. I haven't forgotten. Return next week for the final installment. Until then, let's remember ...

When we care for the stranger, love the foreigner, embrace the immigrant, and welcome the refugee, then we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us. 

Live fully in the community God has designed for us Part 3

You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

As our series continues, let's peek inside the home of another Pharisee who extended a dinner invitation to Jesus and see what happens when an unexpected and uninvited woman by-passes the guest list.

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said. Luke 7:36-40

Washing his Feet by Wayne Forte

According to the Pharisee, a real prophet of God would reject the sinner outright, refusing their presence and especially their touch. A true holy man would meticulously maintain the deep, thick lines drawn between sinner and saint. Scoffing, if just to himself, the Pharisee wonders, Why does Jesus just sit there? Why does he allow her to touch him?

Seriously, I don't think Jesus needed to be a mind-reader to know the Pharisee's thoughts. I imagine the look on his face said it all.

Jesus proceeds to tell the Pharisee a parable about two men with two debts: one who owes quite a bit more than the other. However, the moneylender forgives both. Neither man owes even a denarius any longer. When challenged the Pharisee concedes, the one forgiven of the greater debt would love the moneylender more. Jesus then openly declares the woman forgiven, affirms her faith, and bids her to go in peace (7:48-50).

If the attitude of this one Pharisee is any indication, I dare say, this woman hadn't known much peace in her life. Where would a woman like this find peace? At the temple? In her neighborhood? I don't know, but she found it that day in the presence of Jesus when she crashed a dinner party.

Jesus befriended all kinds of people. Those who thought themselves above the slight, called him a friend of sinners. We chuckle at their seemingly benign insult. Was that supposed to sting? To better understand the bite of those words, let's consider this: Who would Jesus hang out with today that would really annoy you? I mean really, really, annoy you?

I'll give you a moment to think …

Ready?

How would we feel about a Jesus who partied it up with the liberal-leaning or the Democrat-voting or the gay-affirming? Or what if Jesus enjoyed the company of the tree-hugging or the yoga-stretching or the feminist-marching? Would it make us squirm to consider a Jesus who didn't just hang out with those types, but delighted in their company, welcomed their conversation, and loved them to death? Would we think him a prophet, a man of God, the holy One? Or would we call him a friend of sinners?

Can we feel the burn now?

Yet a bigger question looms. If Jesus would hang out with those kinds of people, why don't we? Let's face it, a major reason we don't hang out together is because we don't feel comfortable around them and they don't feel safe around us. Which, suffice it to say, is very unlike Jesus, but very much like the Pharisee and the woman in the story.

When we welcome the diverse company of people Jesus welcomed, then we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us.

Let's look at a parallel passage in Matthew's Gospel; similar story, different characters.

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26:6-13

Mary Washing Jesus' Feet by Soichi Wantanabe

Like the Pharisee in the previous story, the disciples make a few assumptions of their own about a woman. They assume they know how to use her gift better than she does. (Apparently, Jesus likes hanging out with micro-managing, control freaks, too.)

Let's be clear: It's the woman's gift. It's her property. It's her prayerful choice how she gives it to Jesus. The disciples, however, seem clueless about these truths. Completely unaware of the significant act going on right in front of them, they criticize the woman's gift and how she gives it. And since they missed the point, Jesus explains:

When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

In the very presence of Jesus, a prophetic moment takes place, but distracted by their own ingrained and destructive attitudes toward women, the disciples completely miss it. No doubt, the disciples loved Jesus; they sacrificed everything for him! Yet because of implicit bias, cultural conditioning, societal practice, and even religious understanding they could not discern the importance of this woman's gift.

Let's be bold for a sec and call out this sin for what it is: sexism. Sexism is not just a nuisance nor an innocuous point of view. It's a destructive barrier to true discernment and healthy communion. It prevents even those closest to Jesus from appreciating the gifts of God through chosen vessels of God and from discerning prophetic acts done right in front of them.

The woman in question here may not have fully understood what she was doing, but that doesn't make what she did any less spirit-inspired. (The prophets of old were never completely aware of the full significance of their words and actions either.) In each scenario, the problem lies not with the woman nor the expression of her gift. The problem lies with the attitudes of the men toward the women. Therefore, Jesus corrects the wrong attitudes and affirms each of the givers.

Women of God, a word of encouragement: In the face of adversity, unfair criticism, and unproductive attitudes share your gifts mindfully, courageously, and generously. The body of Christ needs you more than we sometimes realize.

This woman acted boldly. Familiar with the demeaning and disrespectful attitudes prevalent in her culture and within her religious circles, this woman took her gift, took a chance, and lavishly offered it upon the body of Christ. Thank God.

Women of God, another word of encouragement: Let's acknowledge and appreciate the gifts of women outside our circles. Sometimes we can be just like those disciples. We love Jesus, we stand in close proximity to him, we follow him daily, but all the while we criticize the gifts or dismiss the voices of certain women because they don't look or sound like us. God chooses all kinds of people. He chooses all kinds of women in his kingdom, even those that don't fit our mold. Therefore, let's not stand to the side like the disciples and criticize what we may not yet understand or we may miss something prophetic and profound in our midst.

When we prayerfully acknowledge our implicit biases, thoughtfully lay aside our assumptions, and respectfully learn from women we have a tendency to dismiss, then we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us. 

Part 4

Live fully in the community God has designed for us Part 2

You can read Part 1 here

As Christians, most of us realize that we are not to live this life in complete isolation. Even as a confirmed introvert, who thoroughly enjoys (and desperately needs) alone time, I can wholeheartedly declare, I cherish community. Real community. That profound and sometimes messy place where we share experiences and strengthen bonds through laughter and tears.

In the ancient world, sharing meals together provided a way for communities to give each other a sense of belonging. Indeed, how often in the Gospels do we read of Jesus sharing meals with all kinds of people? His critics didn't refer to him as a friend of sinners for nothing. Jesus welcomed outcasts when they crashed a gathering; he even at times invited himself to join them at their meals.

The Meal with Sinners, Sieger Koder

Likewise, we know Jesus ate many meals with his disciples. Even the Pharisees wanted him as a guest at their table. Yet, the religious leaders and the disciples have more in common than just sharing meals with Jesus. Sadly, they both often and openly despised the kinds of people Jesus eagerly desired to share a table with.

Social norms, cultural regulations, and even religious interpretations of God's word, consistently allowed the disciples and the religious leaders to keep certain people on the margins. Yet, much to their chagrin, these were the very same people Jesus kept welcoming into his circle by inviting them to share community.

Let's consider a couple of passages from Luke's Gospel to see how Jesus engaged certain people – and how the religious leaders and his disciples reacted to his community building efforts.

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. Luke 14:1-4

Healing of Dropsical Man, Decani Moneatary fresco, Serbia

Why all the attention? Maybe because in the previous chapter (13:10-17), Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath. In the temple. In view of a lot of inquisitive people.

Taking advantage of their unwavering attentiveness, Jesus questions the noble and learned religious leaders: Is it permitted in the law to heal on the Sabbath day, or not? Consequences abound, however they choose to answer.

If it is unlawful to heal on the Sabbath, then the prominent Pharisee invited a law breaker into his home. But, if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath, then their admission will forever disrupt their understanding of God and how they minister. Is it no wonder they remained silent?

With all eyes opened and everyone looking at him, Jesus proceeds to show them the correct answer to the question: He heals the man.

Following this timely disruption to the meal, Jesus turns to his host and tells him, the next time you invite people over to your house, don't be stingy with the invitations. Forget inviting your friends, family, and other distinguished guests – those with the ability to reciprocate in kind. Instead, invite the people Jesus would invite – those on the fringes of society. Those you prefer to ignore.

The Sabbath is not, nor has it ever been, a proper excuse to ignore peoples' needs. Rather, God created the Sabbath to remind his people that he gives rest for all his creation. When Jesus acknowledged this man's dilemma and then provided for his need, he gave him rest. As the body of Christ, when we, like Jesus, acknowledge and meet the needs of those who suffer, we honor God's intent for the Sabbath.

When we provide rest for God's creation, we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us.

Let's look to the other passage in Luke.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43

Bartimaeus the Blind Man

Aware of the lively commotion passing by and the realization that Jesus walks near, a blind man raises his voice and cries out for mercy. But those closest to Jesus, those who led the way, rebuke the blind man and tell him to be quiet.

Bravely, the blind man ignores their attempts to silence him. He cries out even louder, Son of David, have mercy on me! Aware now of the man in his distress, Jesus calls him closer. He asks, What do you want me to do for you?

To be a part of the crowd that walks with Jesus is a privilege. As we walk with Jesus in this world, many voices cry out from the margins, have mercy on me. Louder and louder they seem to cry each day, have mercy on me! How will we respond?

When we pass by a woman crying out for mercy because she has suffered domestic violence or sexual assault, how will we respond? When we pass by a person of color crying out for mercy because he has suffered harassment or social injustice, how will we respond? When we pass by refugees crying out for mercy for they have suffered the loss of their homes, their family and friends, their livelihood ... how will we respond?

Have we, like the crowd, shamed them in their efforts to call attention to their plight or have we, like Jesus, called them closer and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

When the followers of Jesus tried to silence the blind man, they attempted to deny him the dignity of using his God given voice. When the followers of Jesus rebuked the blind man in his distress, they denied him the respect any person created in the image of God deserves. On that day, if those closest to Jesus had their way, the beggar would have remained blind and on the road – denied healing and community by those passing by.

As followers of Jesus and co-laborers in building God's community, Christians don't get to decide who's in and who's out or who gets to speak and who doesn't. Rather, like Jesus, we get to tune our ear to the cry of the desperate and respectfully invite them to express their needs.

When we lovingly welcome, attentively listen, and sincerely inquire how we can best help, then we can begin to live fully in the community God has designed for us.

Part 3