No more “we” and “them” - Luke 15:1-2

No more “we” and “them” - Sermon delivered on 1 June 2008 at Lobatse Congregation.

Scripture: Luke 15:1-2

Before Andrew Jackson became the seventh president of the United States, he served as a major general in the Tennessee militia. During the War of 1812 his troops reached an all-time low level in morale. As a result, they began arguing, bickering, and fighting among themselves. It is reported that Jackson called them together on one occasion when tensions were at their worst and said, "Gentlemen! Let's remember, the enemy is over there."

The problem of the soldiers not being able to recognize the true enemy, is not a new one. And it is surely not limited to warfare. We often find this phenomenon in the Church also. People are unable to work together, because they are not focused on who the true enemy in the church is.

We normally would look at the parables in Luke 15 through the lens of lost individuals in the church. But if we look closely at the reason for Jesus telling the three parables, it seems as if these parables are all about unity in the church. Yes, even amongst Jesus’ followers on earth, there were serious divisions.

In Luke 15:1-2 we see how Jesus accepted the tax collectors and “sinners”, and how he was criticized for welcoming sinners, and eating with them. The first reaction from the Pharisees and teachers of the law was to mutter and complain about Jesus’ actions. Jesus was actually implicated as defiling himself with eating in the presence of these people. To eat from the same table as the “heavens” were viewed by the Pharisees and teachers of the law as a defiling act, and not fitting a rabbi like Jesus was viewed to be.

It is also noteworthy that this division is accentuated by the Pharisees and teachers of the law referring to the tax collectors and “sinners” as “them”. This is surely a distinction that is still alive and well in the church of Christ as we know it today. We may confess that all Christians belong to one body, but in practice people will be very quick to distance themselves from one another.

The most interesting aspect of this division, was that it was not primarily even between different cultures. It was mainly a division of people who have viewed themselves to be better than others, a division of people being stingy in their faith, wanting to have Jesus Christ just for themselves. It was a division where even the followers of Jesus would refer to the church as “them”, because of people that were not willing to really become one with them.

We do not always realize how entrenched this way of thinking is still prevalent in the church in 2008. Perhaps the poor will still hide away in the back of the church like in James 1:1-5, or the women and the men will still sit in separate blocks of the church, as we found in the temple in Jerusalem, and even in some African congregations today. We have moved away from that trend in our congregation, but in a lot of congregations the elders and deacons will still sit in the front pews of the church, separated from the rest of the congregation.

Even yesterday, after the bazaar, a member phoned me and asked: “How did you do with the bazaar?”. I still do not know precisely whom he referred to by talking of “you”, but it is just so typical of church members not taking ownership of the church, by viewing themselves as separate from the body of Christ in Lobatse, and for that matter, from any true Christian church on the planet.

But we also have to take the positive out of these to verses. Despite the negative attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, the tax collectors and sinners still came to listen to the message. Yes, the new and vibrant message of Christ made all the difference. That was what people came to hear.

As we proceed with our journey into Luke 15, it is important that we do not keep standing still at the reasons for people not coming to church. It is important that we do not use up all our time and energy to ask for all the reasons that my neighbour may sit in church today. No, dear friends, it has become time to realise that we are together as a church to focus on God’s Word for us, and to realise how much we do need his Word and his love in our lives.

But listening to God’s Word every Sunday is not enough. James 1:24 compares a person who only hears the Word, without any transformation in his/her life to a person looking in the mirror, and walking away without doing something to himself. Yes, it is true that some church members may only be coming to church to hear how good they are! And beware the pastor who tries to convince them otherwise!

No, dear friends, listening to God’s Word also requires us to be able to go and do. To make a difference around us… To walk out of here and view the world around us from a different perspective. To look at our brothers and sisters in the light of Galatians 3:28, which states: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

There is the story of an old rabbi whose followers listened to him through the night, and at one stage asked him when daybreak is coming. His answered that the break of day has arrived when two people look at each other and realize that they are brothers! Yes, dear friends, we must ask ourselves continuously if the day is there yet for Lobatse congregation. We must ask ourselves if we can really look at one another, and recognize the brother in your neighbour.

Did you ever wonder why geese are always flying in a V? Research has proved that geese flying in such a formation would fly almost 70% further than would normally be possible if they tried to do it alone. Furthermore it is reckoned that the “honk-honk” you hear when they fly over your head, is always coming from those at the back of the “V”, and encourages those at the front to keep up the pace.

Isn’t it sad that we in the church often think that we can serve God better alone? Without the interference, or gossip, or negative attitude of “them” who is sitting in the front pews? Isn’t it sad that the voices coming from behind, or the back seat drivers are often discouraging all the time, and often not willing to take their turn when they have to take the lead.

A last feature of these geese is that they would never leave a goose that has fallen sick, or become tired behind. No, they will leave one or two geese behind to look after it, and help it to catch up after it has recovered. But this part of the message we leave for next Sunday…

May God help us to walk out of here, and recognize the brother or sister in our fellow congregants!

AMEN!







Acknowledgements:

Charles Swindoll, Hope Again, Word 1996, p. 45.
James S Hewett, ed ILLUSTRATIONS UNLIMITED p125-6