Friday: Holding Together Strong People Who Differ
WEEK 20
FRIDAY
HOLDING TOGETHER STRONG PEOPLE WHO DIFFER
1 Corinthians 3:3-9
We continue to look at the incarnation of the kingdom of God as seen in the church at Antioch. The next thing we note about that church is it held together strong people who differed on principles and persons—Paul and Barnabas.
An issue arose over taking Mark with them on the second missionary journey. He had turned back from Pamphylia. Why? Was he weak-kneed, homesick—the usual explanations? There is another: “John was with them as their assistant” (Acts 13:5). Or as the King James Version puts it: “to their minister,” to minister to or serve them. Mark might have been, not an equal partner, but a glorified servant—at best an assistant instead of associate minister. They put him in a subordinate place; then Paul complains he left them. The relationship was basically wrong in the new society, a remnant of the old. John pulled out and came back the equal associate of Barnabas.
We often complain of people being unhappy and unadjusted in situations we have made for them, unjust situations. The fault is not in the persons but in the basic injustice of the situation we have created.
Paul argued they should keep the movement clean; they had to purge John, who turned back. Barnabas argued they should keep the movement redemptive; they didn’t break a man because he made one blunder. Both ideas were good: one that the movement must be pure, the other that the movement must be redemptive. They parted over these principles—“in irritation,” says Moffatt (15:39)—Paul taking Silas and Barnabas taking John Mark. But in the midst of that unhappy situation is this bright spot, “being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord” (Acts 15:40 RSV). The punctuation would imply both groups were commended to the grace of the Lord, as if to say, “You both need the grace of the Lord!” the church held both groups within its loving bosom. When they returned, they both returned to Antioch—the home of their souls. The church held together in its love and interest strong men who differed widely; it was the reconciling place of the strong. The church should do that today!
O loving Lord, help us to love across the chasms of difference and in spite of disagreements. Help us to love, and maybe our love will dissolve disagreements. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I shall not break people who make a break; my attitude shall be redemptive.