At a meeting of the American Psychological Association, a presentation was made on how members of the various sections of 11 major symphony orchestras perceived each other. The percussionists were viewed as insensitive, unintelligent, and hard-of-hearing, yet fun-loving. String players were seen as arrogant, stuffy, and unathletic. The orchestra members overwhelmingly chose "loud" as the primary adjective to describe the brass players. Woodwind players seemed to be held in the highest esteem, described as quiet and meticulous, though a bit egotistical. Interesting findings, to say the least! With such widely divergent personalities and perceptions, how could an orchestra ever come together to make such wonderful music? The answer is simple: regardless of how those musicians view each other, they put their feelings aside and submit to the leadership of the conductor. Under his guidance, they play beautiful music.
If the church is an orchestra, then the conductor is Christ. Or to use language we explored last week, if the church is a body, then the Head, the “brain,” if you will, is Jesus. Through baptism, repentance, and faith, you are connected to Someone who is literally out to save the world. You and I have a calling, and that calling is to play the beautiful music of the gospel for all to hear; that calling is to be the body of Christ in this community.
To answer that calling, we need help. We need direction, and we need energy. Good news! God supplies us all of those things and more through His words in the Bible.
The portion of the Bible that we’re dealing with today picks up right where last week’s Epistle reading left off. Saint Paul starts by saying: “Let love be genuine.” Let love be genuine. I think it’s safe to say that more people have been brought into the church by the kindness of Christian love than by all the theological arguments or worship styles or special programs combined. A person will get up and get ready and drive all the way across town, past who knows how many other churches, if they know that they will be loved at the church to which they’re going. Genuine love is demonstrated within this body not just by what we say, but by what we do. When there is a need, genuine love does something to help. You can take the pulse of any plan, any activity, by saying, “How does this plan or activity make God’s love for His creation obvious and unavoidable?” Are you doing what you do with love as the motive?
In verse ten, Paul continues, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” How are we doing when it comes to showing honor and respect to one another? According to the journal U.S. News and World Report, 89 % of Americans think that incivility, rudeness, and a general lack of respect is a serious problem. Now listen to these statistics. 73 % think mean-spirited political campaigns are to blame; 52% think talk radio is to blame; and 1% thinks their own behavior is to blame. Something doesn’t quite add up.
The fact is, thanks to sin, it is not natural for me to think about someone else’s needs before my own. It is not natural for me to set aside my own desire to be honored; it may not be natural, but it can be done, through the forgiving power of Jesus. We must never forget that Jesus, second person of the majestic Trinity, came into this world to kneel down and serve. The King of Creation became its slave. Our holy God was treated as a criminal and hung from a cross, punished for sins that were not his own. They were yours, and they were mine. His rising to life on the third day means many things—one of which is that his sacrifice was accepted by the Father, and now it counts for us all. And so we trust in the service Jesus performed. His service is the only thing that saves us from self-destruction and eternal punishment. And His service shows us who we become with Him inside us.
A king once organized a great race within his kingdom. All the young men of the kingdom participated. A bag of gold was to be given to the winner, and the finish line was within the courtyard of the king’s palace. The race was run, and about halfway through the contest, the runners were surprised to find a great pile of rocks and stones in the middle of the road. But they managed to scramble over it or to run around it and eventually to come to the king’s courtyard. Finally, all the runners had crossed the finish line except one. But still the king did not call the race off. After a while one lone runner came through the gate. He lifted a bleeding hand and said, "O King, I am sorry that I am so late. But you see, I found a pile of rocks and stones in the road, and it took me a while, and I wounded myself in removing them." Then he lifted the other hand, and in it was a bag. He said, "But, Great King, I found beneath the pile of rocks this bag of gold." The king said, "My son, you have won the race, for the one who makes the way safer for those who follow is the one who runs best."
There is great reward in serving, but it’s not a bag of gold. The reward in serving is fulfillment, an overwhelming sense that you are finally doing what you were born to do. You’re being a person in whom Jesus Christ has made a home. You’re making the way safer for those who follow.
And see, that’s what is going to open eyes to the reality of Jesus Christ. People will see that your values are different. They will wonder why you care more about making the way safer for others than you do about winning the race. The difference Jesus makes confuses people. It disarms them. They’re not used to it. They’re used to being used. They’re used to being lied to. They’re used to being taken advantage of. The difference Jesus makes can be a shock, when you’re not used to being loved.
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