About thirty years ago a book came out entitled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten”. I’ve never read it, but that won’t stop me from stealing the
title when I think of my own ministry. For in truth I often feel like all I
really need to know I learned in my very first ministry experience. Soon after
becoming a believer, I began working for a church with college students. This
was a tremendous time of shaping my understanding of God, of myself, and of
doing ministry. I often think that most of what I do today I basically learned
during those first years as a campus minister, long before I had any formal
training or study.
One thing for sure I learned is how divisive the Gospel can
be. Divisive = “tending to cause disagreement or hostility between people”.
Yup, the Gospel can be very divisive. We don’t often think about it in those
terms. After all, in church we talk about unity, a spirit of peace, the
importance of fellowship and togetherness; a key Christian practice is
communion—a common-unity. So, learning the lesson that the Gospel can be
divisive, that the message of our reconciliation divides us from one another,
was hard to learn. But, that lesson sticks with you…
What I saw more than once during my time as a campus
minister was a student, called and redeemed by God, beginning to follow Christ.
The Christian transformation that would follow would impact their lifestyle,
their choices, their actions. Suddenly, different priorities and values began
to shape their experiences. A different outlook on life took hold and led
inevitably to a change in attitude, conversation, and action. In so many ways,
this transformation was a marvelous thing—a blessing to the individual himself
and to those around him.
Usually. Sometimes, old friends, even family, reacted badly
to the change. Sometimes, previous relationships would be strained, even
broken, due to the student becoming a Christian. The emotional impact of these
broken relationships would be hard to witness—having tasted of the blessings of
redemption in Jesus, the new believer would want to share their new-found faith
with old friends, only, at times, to be rejected. Instead of old friends
welcoming the transformation that has occurred, the friendship changes,
sometimes even ends, and ends badly. It is hard to see the cost of discipleship
in this way.
Though, in truth, we shouldn’t be too surprised. After all,
Jesus Himself tells us: “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the
father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to
death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:21-22). Even
more bluntly, Jesus would claim that He did not “come to give peace, but rather
division!” (Luke 12:51). That’s hard to read! Not only might our friendships be
negatively impacted by the Gospel, but even our families.
By God’s grace, we don’t live in a society that violently
persecutes Christians, nor one where becoming a Christian would necessarily
lead to being ostracized from friends and family. Many of our brothers and
sisters in other cultures do suffer from this, and we are blessed to live where
such abuse is rare indeed. But, the Gospel call is the same, and the cost might
easily be the same. Following Jesus even in 21st century America can
lead to broken, strained relationships. But, if the Gospel is light, and the
world is in darkness… if the Gospel is life, and the world is dead in sin… then
we should not be surprised if not everyone will be happy that we have chosen to
follow Jesus.
As you prepare for worship this week, read the ninth chapter
of John.
1. Why would the disciples assume that someone sinned:
Either the blind man or his parents?
2. When Jesus corrects the disciples, He shifts the
conversation from the reasons why to the purpose. What is the purpose then of
the man’s blindness?
3. Why do you think Jesus used mud and washing in the pool
in healing the man? Couldn’t He just have healed him with a word? Of course He
could, so why didn’t He?
4. During his first interrogation, what is the Pharisees’
main approach? What is their logic in attacking his healing and Jesus’ work?
5. How do you understand the blind man’s parents? When they
are challenged by the Pharisees, why do they respond the way they do?
6. The blind man is interrogated a second time by the
Pharisees. What’s different about their approach this time? What is their
answer to the blind man’s clear logical presentation of Jesus?
7. Notice the contrast between those who know they are blind
and those who refuse to acknowledge it. What and where are you?
