Week 35—Thursday Luke 5:35-39
Week 35—THURSDAY
THE CONSERVATIVE AND THE RADICAL
We come now to the next mark of the Christian church as seen in Antioch. Eighth, the church at Antioch held within itself the conservative and the radical. The account says: “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers” (Acts 13:1). The “teachers” are usually the conservative element in society, passing on the lessons and values of the past to the next generation. The “prophets” are usually the radicals, wanting to apply those lessons and values to wider and wider areas of life. There is usually a tension in every group and society between these two—the conservatives pulling back and the radicals pulling ahead.
But these two are necessary for any progressive society—we need to conserve values, and we need to apply values to larger and larger areas of life. If the blacks are to take full part in our society, we will find in the South white radicals and black radicals on one side in politics, and conservative whites and conservative blacks on the other. That is a good division. Jesus said, “Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Matt. 13:52). Note: “what is new”—the radical—and “what is old”—the conservative. So the kingdom of heaven holds together the radical and the conservative, the new and the old. But note the “new” is first. For the Christian faith is “the Great Change”—it is pressing on the “is” in behalf of the “ought to be.” So it is primarily radical, secondarily conservative. But both are needed in society, and the church must hold them together in a living blend. To try to make a church out of one or the other is to bring spiritual disaster.
Jesus was a living blend of conservative and radical. He said: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). And then he presented the kingdom of God which demanded total change. He was conservative and radical. The church must be the same.
O Jesus, save us from trying to make you only conservative or only radical. For that brings us the limited Christ. We want you for what you are. Gather us into your greatness and help us to be great with you. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I shall be like the person who looks at the mirror on the side of the car and sees the road behind while going ahead.