All Bundled Up

 

We recently hired a contractor to remove a tree in our backyard. When he came to estimate the cost, he remarked on the beauty of the tree and what a shame it was that it had to be cut down. He proceeded to explain to me that the tree was too far gone to save, and that the likely culprit was actually the tree itself. He continued that the tree had probably been put in the ground as a sapling with the roots all balled up. When a contractor installs a tree but does not open the roots and dig a wide enough hole (with loose dirt for spreading), the tree roots themselves can, over time, strangle the tree to death. From the very planting of our tree, its early demise was likely.

This Sunday we are going to look at the challenge of being the church in a world largely in rebellion to God and his ways (using Matthew 22:15-22). Jesus, again, is approached dishonestly by those with evil intentions. Their question? “Are you a faithful Jew, or a faithful Roman? Pick one!” It is reminiscent of a lawyer trying to force a witness in a court to “just answer the question ‘yes’ or ‘no’” when the accurate answer requires context and nuance.

When it comes to being in the world, but not of the world, different kinds of Christians often go to extremes. Some church traditions remove themselves from “worldliness” and/or modern convenience with a list of rules to guide them. These Christians know few people who are not a part of their church and often do not know how to function healthily with other people in a particular society. Other church traditions don’t seem to look different from the greater populace at all when it comes to the ethics, addictions, selfishness, and power mongering discernible in their lives. Neither extreme is healthy or God-honoring, and the demise and decline of these traditions are planted in their beliefs from their very beginnings.

Being in the world but not of the world takes courage, discernment, support, and planning. How and why we engage the world around us can also help us see our own needs while we reach out with light to others in the darkness. Jesus got all of this right, and he can help us get it right as well.