Readings for today: Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13: 24-46, Psalms 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6
I spent the week in Orlando with some great friends. Colleagues who serve churches much like my own. We get together a couple of times of year to share, encourage, challenge, and pray for each other. Some of them are experiencing a season of blessing. Their church is growing. Programs are being launched. Buildings are being built. The lost are being saved. Others are experiencing a season of struggle. Money is tight. Programs are suffering. Attendance has dropped. Their church is in conflict. Life in the church is never easy. Not over the long haul. Not if one makes the commitment to put down roots in a local community. Churches are full both the lost and the saved. Sinners and saints. Lukewarm Christians and those who are on fire for the Lord. It’s a volatile mix. One spark can blow it all up.
This is why I find such comfort in the words of Jesus. "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:24-30) Why are these words comforting? Because they remind me of the reality of life in the Kingdom this side of heaven. It is not pure. It is not holy. We will not all be on the same page or in the same place spiritually. We will frustrate each other. We will hurt each other. We will disappoint each other. We will let each other down. Such is life in the real church.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote that if our “ideal” of community ever got in the way of “real” community then it’s a sure sign we’ve created an idol. I see this taking place all over the church today. A lot of people talk about their desire for “authenticity” but when you dig a little deeper what you find is they want people to be authentically just like them. They are unwilling to let the other person be authentically “other” because that requires hard work. Emotional investment. Active listening. Wrestling with differences. I saw this in Mobile, AL at the church I served when we had a young African-American become a member. One of our older members pulled me aside. “Blacks and whites don’t worship together”, she said. Rather than get angry with her or dismiss her. The young man and I engaged her. I sat down with her and took her through the Scriptures. The young man loved her and treated her with respect. The result was a radical transformation in this woman’s heart. She had grown up with segregation. It was all she knew and her worldview was being challenged by the gospel. Thankfully, the young man could see that and ministered to her even though it was difficult. When he went to seminary a few years later, this woman became one of his financial supporters and prayer partners. It was awesome to witness!
The church is God’s field. Planted with both wheat and weeds. None of us know who is who. None of us can see what’s happening in the human heart. Many who appear outwardly Christian may just be going through the motions. Others who appear to be struggling with the faith may be deeply faithful. All we can do is love each other like Jesus. Unconditionally. Relentlessly. Steadfastly. Loyally. Even recklessly at times. As we do this over the long haul. Weeks. Months. Years. Generations. God’s promise is we will be shaped and formed in ways we cannot begin to imagine. We will be washed and sanctified and prepared for glory. Embrace the journey, friends. Embrace the struggle. Embrace the community where God has planted you and let Him bring the increase in your life.
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 42:18-43:34, Matthew 13:47-14:12, Psalms 18:16-36, Proverbs 4:7-10