United
NL Year 2 • Sermon • Submitted
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I don’t know if this was intentional on the part of the Narrative Lectionary, but last week we got to see the shining example of the Thessalonians, and this week we see what a church looks like when there is arguing and divisions. However, I don’t want us to get in the mindset that the Thessalonians were perfect and the Corinthians are a bunch of misfits. Nor do I want us to translate that to church’s today. Every church experiences times when they shine bright and every church has parts of their history where they go through some difficult times, or as Paul puts it: divisions.
I do think that it is extremely helpful to see both sides of the early church in back to back weeks. It helps us to see that there were some churches doing well and some churches who were struggling. Now I know you might be thinking that we don’t ever want to see any church struggle for any reason, but for me it’s less about the struggle and divisions and more about the comfort it is to know that no church is going to be perfect or just alright all the time. So as much as the Thessalonians were a great example of the good the church does, the text from the church in Corinth also lets us know that we are still human and human things still happen.
So what is happening in Corinth? Paul points out that there are different groups within the church there that are claiming to have allegiance or maybe even to be better than a different group because they were taught and probably baptized by a certain person.
I love my iPhone. I’m filming all our services right now on my iPhone. And as you also know, I use my iPad to lead our services each week whether it was in-person or even now online. Because of that, people would call me an Apple fanboy. There are people out there who love their iPhones and hate Android and those who love Android and hate iPhones. There is this division about what device is best and some people get pretty passionate about it. Same thing goes for whether you like Windows or Mac computers. High school rivals exist and have for a long time. Are you a fan of Lee Williams, the Academy, or Kingman High? What is your favorite sports team and who is their rival? We love good rivalries. But sometimes they can become unhealthy. Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Does thinking about someone who is from the other party begin to get a rise in your emotions? What about other denominations or other faiths? Do you feel or have a separation or division because you don’t agree with another church body or another faith?
Divisions existed in Paul’s time and they still exist today. It helps us create and us and them mentality. It helps us feel right and label them as wrong. It gives us power while it puts the other group down. It helps us to put things in boxes so that we can compartmentalize the world. Making it okay for things to exist that maybe shouldn’t exist.
Paul hears that some people are claiming that their “belonging” is based on a person. In Greek it is eimi, which can also mean represent, stand for, be identical to, etc. Almost like when people say I studied under so and so. As if being a student and being baptized by Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas makes them stand apart from the others. Because of that they are basically vying for power over who is the best among them.
That is why Paul starts this conversation with the idea that there should no division and that they should be united in mind and purpose. I admit that can be hard because we will always have those things that we will disagree with one another. Try to order pizza and tell me even that is always easy. Having the same mind seems an impossible task. I looked at that passage and thought hard about it and then I looked at what Paul said to the Romans 15:5. Paul says, what I think is the same thing, but with different wording that may be more helpful and easier to grasp. He encourages them to live in harmony with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus and then continues in verse 6 that we would use one voice to give glory to God.
What if…what if we set aside those things that we may not agree with about that maybe isn’t as important as other things. Does it matter who baptized you? Or does it matter that we have all been baptized into the body of Christ? Does it ultimately matter whether we are Republican or Democrat, or does it matter that Jesus called us to care for the least of these in the world? That love of God and love of neighbor is the greatest thing that we should think about and focus on.
Our opinions about other things shouldn’t ever hinder us, separate us, divide us, when it comes to doing the work of God through the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are all on the team of Christ Jesus. We are all baptized in the name of Jesus. Ephesians 4:5. One Lord, One faith, One baptism. The message of the cross is about unity and faith in Jesus, it isn’t about government, or politics, or capitalism, or which team is the best sports team. It’s about the love of God as found in Christ Jesus. That is the power and the gift of God to all the world.
If we look at Acts really quickly we will also see that Paul hung out with Aquila and Priscilla because they were both tentmakers. Paul both proclaimed the Gospel in the synagogue, but he also just lived his faith out in his work. He hung out and made tents with people. He brought his faith into his trade and probably lived out the life of a Christian through it. Paul was authentic and brought the word of God to all who would hear it. He didn’t want followers himself, he wanted Disciples of Jesus. He came to preach the word so that others would be able to have a relationship with Jesus and the most important part of that relationship and faith was unity. Unity as the body of Christ and with one another.
We may never agree about everything that happens in this world. We may not agree with whats happening during this pandemic and quarantine. But we should agree that we are called to live out the love of God as found in Christ Jesus. And as Paul says elsewhere again, in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus. We are all one. Christ has leveled the playing field and we are called to live that out and welcome all who come searching and hungering for that oneness. For Christ claimed us and made us a part of this family. Christ didn’t look at us and say that we couldn’t be here because of this flaw or that. We weren’t excluded because we were baptized by Apollos or Cephas. We weren’t pushed out the door because we grew up Catholic, Agnostic or atheist. God pulled us all in because Christ proclaimed a message of the cross. Through the cross our flaws, our mistakes, our sins are forgiven and we are all welcome. That is the power of God. That is the gift we have been given and the gift we should freely give out without question or stipulation. Amen.