Today, I would like to explore with you the age-old lament of: Why humanity seems to be always locked into a continuous battle of disunity, with the human race interlocked into one conflict after another. From one-on-one disputes, to public unrest, societal upheaval, and battle royals between nations, populations, and even faith communities, it appears that conflict is a very real human condition. So much so we seem lustfully to long for it.
Some people and groups have the ability to even have multiple arguments within the same conversation with several people or entities almost in sync if not practically in unison. In short, we people appear to really like to be in conflict with others, with each new day presenting itself as a mark of survival on the Serengeti (the plains of Africa, where one must avoid being pursued, attacked, or even devoured by a variety of predators).
We know that instead of constant strife, disputes, and outright conflict due to our selfishness, fears, combativeness, and petty jealousies, our lives can be much simpler. So why aren’t they? I know that I am supposed to love God with all that I am, and love my neighbor as myself, but that is hit and miss for many of us, especially when it comes to harmony with other people. I know that its pretty simple stuff that God is calling us to try in life. Take Micah’s instruction in Micah 6:8;
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
What’s so difficult to grasp there? Acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God, is easy until we want what we want, and are hard pressed to walk with anyone unless we are calling the shots which isn’t walk with but over someone or something. Even over our God. Which is why so many pull away from God in their selfishness, jalousies, pettiness, and depravity through the ever-present chase after bling and glitter.
Our ancestors of ancient Israel struggle as we do today in putting their wants before the need to walk humbly with their God. As stated in today’s Call to Worship from Jeremiah, God is not pleased. Reading again from Jeremiah 23: 23-29;
23 “Am I only a God nearby,”
declares the Lord,
“and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places
so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord.
*Interrupting just to add; isn’t that why so much sin in the past happened at night in the dark, thinking God and our neighbor couldn’t see our dirt? Only in places like Sodom and Gomorrah, or in our depraved modernity, is sin done in the open. The only difference of the three places, is that Sodom and Gomorrah have already been destroyed in their deeds by God. Resuming now at 25;
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
Well straw doesn’t nourish like grain and will be separated by the harvester who is our Lord in due time. And at some point, our God will separate out those who use His name for self-gain, and to divide us from each other.
Regardless of their being TV evangelist marketing out right theft of God thru prosperity or liberation theology (materialism), or replacing God with man-made perfections of social engineering of communal utopias (fake bliss). They all result in death when we go it without the Lord as our focus and hope. That is why we cling to our Bible, knowing that God’s word along with His Holy Spirit, will teach us discernment and guide our way ahead, as we walk humbly with our God in the Body of Christ.
Essentially, division and disharmony comes from our going our own selfish way over the wishes and direction of God. It is shown to us countless times in scripture thru our lack of righteousness and the need to do better is reemphasized by our Lord throughout the Gospel. Reading from Matthew 5: 20-26;
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
*Interrupting our Lord’s instruction just to say; we are all guilty of murder when we have harbored hatred and even anger in our hearts. Anger and hate corrode the vessel (us) that carries the grudge. The Pharisees, were a lot like you and me, some wanting to please God by making it about them, instead of doing it with the Lord. Our faithwalk needs to be humbly in and with our God, and not recreating God or Holiness in our own image.
Now as for unity and harmony with other people, our God makes His wishes in no uncertain terms. Your God continues now with how we are to deal with our adversity against other people at verse 23;
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
That’s how important our relationships are to God! Patch things up and learn to live in harmony with other people. That does not mean you have to be co-dependent and enable other people’s bad behavior, sometimes we have to move on, but prayerfully in God, not in malice. That only leads to more division and disharmony. And there will already be plenty of division in the world just by our accepting Christ into our lives and walking by His Holy Spirit.
For confirmation of the division there is between good and evil, right and wrong, and life in the Spirit or going it without God, we have our Lord’s instruction throughout the Gospel. Today’s Message Reading is rife with instruction and prophesy into our future, for the edification and growth of Christians in each and every generation since our Lord’s earthly ministry. Reading again from Luke 12: 49-58;
49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!
*Cutting in to say; I believe the baptism that the Lord is speaking of is our Lord soon to be buried (immersed) into death and ground for three days, before arising before all. Our Lord will be immersed in:
- All of the sin that has ever existed and yet to take place, and carry it to the cross.
- Death spiritually from our sin, and physically through crucifixion
- All while separating Himself from the Godhead and Heaven, leading Him to say Father, why have you forsaken me?
- Because our sin is so repugnant to the Holiness that exists in Heaven beginning with our God!
Continuing now at verse 51;
51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
**Jumping in again to say; Our accepting Christ divides us, separates us from all others that choose their own way. Our job is to love and pray for others, that they hear God’s voice not our own, and that they would choose a walk with and in Him, and not to carry anger, hate, and malice towards them. Continuing now at verse 54;
54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
*** Please let me interrupt to add; this phrase applies to you today. We know how to look into the sky and understand if its going to rain, even in Utah. We must be about our Father’s business, of sharing the Good News to anyone who is open to the Spirit. And then trust the Holy Spirit capable of ministering and bringing all who want a life in the Lord, home. Because our relationships with others are that important to the God who made you. Your Lord continues now at verse 57;
57 “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
The ultimate judge of the universe is telling us to stop our bickering and petty nonsense. Because that’s what a lot of our disputes are like compared to eternity. That in the course of a little time what we find so important now, will mean nothing to you and I if we let it go and focus on loving God with all we are, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Praying for those who choose another path, and craving for God’s will to be done, must be the business of the day.
None of this is really that radical when we reflect on how our Lord has instructed all of us treat one another with kindness and care. Here is God singing a love song of unrequited love to his own children. Listen to the words of Isaiah as he instructs us through parable how God creates, nurtures, and gives to His vineyard (you and me), and how we in turn go it alone as reflected in bad fruit we produce in life. As I read this short passage, please think of the sadness and disappointment that must be felt by the one who planted and cared for the vineyard, and His righteous indignation at the poor results. Reading from Isaiah 5:1-7;
5 I will sing for the one I love
a song about his vineyard:
My loved one had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones
and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it
and cut out a winepress as well.
Then he looked for a crop of good grapes,
but it yielded only bad fruit.
3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard
than I have done for it?
When I looked for good grapes,
why did it yield only bad?
5 Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland,
neither pruned nor cultivated,
and briers and thorns will grow there.
I will command the clouds
not to rain on it.”
7 The vineyard of the Lord Almighty
is the nation of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in.
And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
A sad ending indeed. How different the ending might be, if we the members of the vineyard, act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God, a change can very well begin in our vineyard. One person at a time.
When all is said and done, until our Lord returns there will always be division, unrest, and conflict. Due to people choosing to go their own way counter to God’s plan for their redemption, disunity is a fact of life. Our job must be to pray and work for: Unity thru God, in Times of Strife.
Important is that we remember that we are not charged with creating perfection (that is the fallacy that exists creating much of the strife that currently exists in materialism). Our Role is to bring light into the darkness through:
- Loving God with all we have
- Loving our neighbor as ourselves
This is achieved by God when we;
- Acting justly
- Loving mercy
- Walking humbly with our God
Leading to one miracle at a time, through one soul at a time, by you being the miracle worker you are anointed to be by being a Christian of the working day.
May all of you find your way this week as you reflect on what it means to seek: Unity thru God, in Times of Strife, and may you change the world on person at a time through your love of others in His service.
Amen!