United in Christ
“Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’
25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.’”
Today’s Text: Matthew 12:22-37 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
This is similar to an episode where Jesus’s disciples were trying to prevent people outside of their inner circle from healing and driving out demons in the name of Jesus. Jesus’s response is instructive.
“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”
— Mark 9:39-40
There was another episode involving the apostle Paul. He wrote that there were people who were preaching the gospel but doing so in order to cause him trouble. His response is also instructive.
The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
— Philippians 1:17-18
The Pharisees were complaining about Jesus, not because of the ministry that He was doing, but simply because He was not one of them. Because He was not one of them, they assumed that they were “of God’ and that Jesus was “of the devil.”
Those kinds of misunderstandings happen in churches all the time. The misunderstandings arise when we assume that God “needs” “me” to do His work in this world. And if God “needs” “me,” then He would never use “others” who are so different from “me,” especially if those “others” are people I do not like, or who do not like “me” or agree with “me.”
The truth—the reality—on the other hand, is that Christian ministry is never about “me” or the “others.” Christian ministry is about Christ—bearing witness to Him through as many people as possible. Christian ministry is about God and His great plan of salvation for the world in Jesus Christ. Christian ministry is about God’s purpose for each and every one of us to fill the earth with His glory in Jesus’s name through God-fearing, God-honoring, God-worshiping, God-loving communities and families, the church.
Maybe the greatest misunderstanding that many Christians have is that church is about meeting “my” needs. Having a sense of God “needing” “me” falls into the category of church meeting “my” needs, ironically.
But the more we cut through the filter of “me-myself-and-I” in our attitude and our thinking, the more we can become truly united under the purposes and the blessings of God.
Father, You are the Creator of heaven and earth. You are sovereign. You are God Almighty. Draw us into Your plan of salvation for us and for the world. May our greatest joy be to serve Christ and His church. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
