Digging Deeper - Me vs. We
After Jesus answered the questioner about what the greatest commandment was (to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and mind), he knew that wasn’t enough, so he offered a second most important command, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39). The Apostle Paul went so far as to say the whole of the law is fulfilled by obeying this one command (Galatians 5:14). The Apostle John would say in one of his letters, “this is the message you heard from the beginning: we should love one another” (I John 3:11). And James, the half-brother of Jesus, calls the command to love your neighbor the “royal law according to the scripture” (James 2:8). Wouldn’t you agree that to properly love our neighbor, part of doing so would involve making sure they understand the greatest command?
The trouble is, we live in a culture that prides itself on individualism. On doing your own thing. On not pushing my beliefs on anyone else. Many Christians don’t attend church. They just wing it with their discipleship (if you can call it that), and they agree with many in society that faith is a personal thing, so I can go my faith way and you go yours, never the twain shall meet.
We only fool ourselves when this mentality dominates our thinking (John 14:6). Jesus’ first Jewish followers put the command to be together for teaching, for prayer, for fellowship, and breaking bread (eating together and having communion together) at the top of their list (Acts 2:42). They shared things together to meet needs (Acts 2:45). The result we’re told was that the Lord added to their number daily (vs. 47)! Evangelism happens when outsiders see us doing community together with love and good works. But sadly, none of this happens when we do our own thing as a Christian.
Yet we see it all the time, talk of our “personal relationship with Jesus” that is defined in our own terms, not in biblical terms. Yes, we should personally follow the Lord as a committed disciple, but part of doing that involves community, not just following the Lord based on my own set of rules.
Jesus once said that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). Does that mean he’s not with us when alone? No, the Spirit of God lives within the Christian, so he is always with us, but I believe Jesus’ words show the importance of connection with others of faith. He says this in the context of confronting someone who has sinned against you, stating that if the person who has sinned doesn’t listen, then take one or two more to provide evidence. When you act in accordance with faithful people of the community, God is with you as you correct sinful action.
In her book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg says she gets concerned sometimes when attending worship services and hearing songs that emphasize the word “I” a lot. “I love you Lord and I lift you up” or “Just as I am” or “Here I come to worship, here I come to bow down.” She said hundreds of people were worshipping together as they sang, but the words made it sound like each was alone.
In one of the Charlie Brown cartoon stories, Linus states, “I love mankind! It’s the people I can’t stand.” People can be difficult. But Tverberg says the command “love your neighbor as yourself” could be translated “love your neighbor who is similar to yourself.” When we realize that we are guilty of sin, just like the person we look down on, maybe we’ll be more likely to forgive and love properly.
Don’t go it alone as a Christian. When we are properly immersed in the church community, we gain much advantage, and we are better prepared to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Cross Point: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24, 25).
The trouble is, we live in a culture that prides itself on individualism. On doing your own thing. On not pushing my beliefs on anyone else. Many Christians don’t attend church. They just wing it with their discipleship (if you can call it that), and they agree with many in society that faith is a personal thing, so I can go my faith way and you go yours, never the twain shall meet.
We only fool ourselves when this mentality dominates our thinking (John 14:6). Jesus’ first Jewish followers put the command to be together for teaching, for prayer, for fellowship, and breaking bread (eating together and having communion together) at the top of their list (Acts 2:42). They shared things together to meet needs (Acts 2:45). The result we’re told was that the Lord added to their number daily (vs. 47)! Evangelism happens when outsiders see us doing community together with love and good works. But sadly, none of this happens when we do our own thing as a Christian.
Yet we see it all the time, talk of our “personal relationship with Jesus” that is defined in our own terms, not in biblical terms. Yes, we should personally follow the Lord as a committed disciple, but part of doing that involves community, not just following the Lord based on my own set of rules.
Jesus once said that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). Does that mean he’s not with us when alone? No, the Spirit of God lives within the Christian, so he is always with us, but I believe Jesus’ words show the importance of connection with others of faith. He says this in the context of confronting someone who has sinned against you, stating that if the person who has sinned doesn’t listen, then take one or two more to provide evidence. When you act in accordance with faithful people of the community, God is with you as you correct sinful action.
In her book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, Lois Tverberg says she gets concerned sometimes when attending worship services and hearing songs that emphasize the word “I” a lot. “I love you Lord and I lift you up” or “Just as I am” or “Here I come to worship, here I come to bow down.” She said hundreds of people were worshipping together as they sang, but the words made it sound like each was alone.
In one of the Charlie Brown cartoon stories, Linus states, “I love mankind! It’s the people I can’t stand.” People can be difficult. But Tverberg says the command “love your neighbor as yourself” could be translated “love your neighbor who is similar to yourself.” When we realize that we are guilty of sin, just like the person we look down on, maybe we’ll be more likely to forgive and love properly.
Don’t go it alone as a Christian. When we are properly immersed in the church community, we gain much advantage, and we are better prepared to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Cross Point: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24, 25).
Posted in Cross Points