Disputable matters

Do you remember what it was like in high school? Man, I do.

Back at that age, you had an entire community of people that were trying to find their identity. Trying to find out where they belong. Trying to stand out (or stay hidden) so that they had their own individuality.

There were the jocks.
There were the geeks.
There were burn-outs.
There were all kinds.

I had my turn at almost all of the categories. I didn't know where I fit in. I was able to hang with all of them. I was 6' 2" tall and 145 lbs.

Geek
I did alright in school, but not great by any measure. I knew the things I was supposed to, but I just didn't do the homework I was supposed to do. So, many folks asked me for help when they couldn't understand. I helped many people pass the classes they had.

Jock
I wrestled all 4 years. Yep, me! Even though I was a tall lanky kid, I wrestled. I did alright, but I was nothing notable. Pretty much average at best.

Burn-out
I've made my mistakes. But the funny thing is, even though I wasn't normally doing many of the things the others were doing, just because I went to many of their parties, I was accepted as one of them.

We all knew some from all of the categories.

Do you remember?

The funny thing about all of us is we eventually find where we belong. As we grow older and more mature, though, we realize that we don't fit in to just one label.

The groups we were in changed. The people we became comfortable with changed. We changed.

I find this happens more and more as I grow in faith as well.

There are eloquent prayers.
There are soulful singers.
There are compassionate listeners.
There are all kinds.

The difference is that in high school, you weren't expected to acquire one aspect of any outside group. No one pushed you to play a sport if you didn't know how. No one made you the go-to person for homework just because they needed one.

I think that as we grow in faith through our churches and prayer groups, we are expected to take on the other attributes of our peers. Not from those in the group, but from God.

What would you consider the greatest prayer group of all time?
For me, the first thing that comes to mind is the apostles.

Tax collector and fisherman?

Blue collar and white collar; the linebacker and the valedictorian; the janitor and the CEO; just loving each other. How cool is that.

Yet, they did not continue their work together. They split up. They divided.

Not because they could not stand to be with each other any more. Not because they wanted all of the glory. Not because they thought they could do a better job. They did it because they were called to do something by God. Some to plant the seed of faith, others to water it. They all knew Jesus and His message, they all witnessed to His miracles and teachings, they all believed that He was the Son of God, and they all were reaffirmed by His resurrection. Yet, they couldn't all get along all of the time.

Huh.............its as if they weren't perfect or something................

"Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark. with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus" Acts 15:36-39

Jesus's closest followers could not agree on the correct method for teaching the Word. Although they knew the message, because of their human imperfections they quarreled over trivial issues. Mark is there with Paul on his return to Antioch (Acts 12) and his first missionary journey (acts 13) then, nope, not this time.

Does this sound familiar to you? Have you ever heard of different groups of people fighting for the same thing yet with different methods? So much so, that to people outside of these groups, they seem to oppose each other? Some come to mind.............tip of my tongue...........right there in the back of my mind...............

Oh, yeah--Christians.

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:10

The first Christians, the apostles, had trouble with this idea--and it was Paul writing this!

If you are like me, the first time you find out about this you start asking, "ooooh, I wonder what Mark did to tick off Paul" or "ooooh, I wonder why Mark couldn't stand to be around Paul and left them at Perga" or "I wonder who was at fault." If you are like me, you have to find out who is right.

I have grown in my faith, and now I say, "Who cares?"

Think about it. To find one or the other right, to blame one or the other for indiscretions, to hold one accountable for the other is pointless. If you believe that the Bible is the work of God through the Holy Spirit, you cannot assign blame. To assign blame would mean that now you are giving weight to one gospel over another. How can Gods word be more important than God's word? To me, it seems more likely that these things were included by God to point out the ridiculousness of our human selves. To point out that no matter who comes in to your life:

The eloquent prayer
The soulful singer
The compassionate listener
All kinds

None will be with you as consistently and with such love and desire for your salvation as God himself.

"Accept him whose faith is weak without passing judgement on disputable matters" Romans 14:1

We fight each other every day on "disputable matters." But with the Holy Spirit and God, we are made aware of our human frailties, and begin to forgive our brothers over time.

"My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him;if he comes to you welcome him.)" Colossians 4:10

"Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." 2Timothy 4:11

We do not have to agree on the specifics, but need to be able to come together to teach the foundation which Christ has laid for us. How long will it take you to accept your brother and to realize that those things that the rest of the world sees from us Christians, the things that divide us, the things that the things we raise ourselves up to proclaim disputable,

Matter.