Enemy
September 16, 2009
The life of Jesus. Read Today: John's zeal without understanding; Mark 9:38-42; Luke 9:49-50
You know the old statement 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' But is it really true. Sometimes, the person that you perceive to be the enemy is actually the friend. Years ago after I first moved to Oklahoma, and as a baby Christian I started going to a Baptist church. My whole reason for going, they had the time that services met posted on the sign in front. I did not understand the theology of the church and I was just starting to make my way. Later, after I realized that I leaned more towards a charismatic/pentecostal style of faith, I left the church to attend a pentecostal one. We left on good terms, and though they disagreed with my theology we both realized we were Christians.
Now on the other hand, after I got settled in the new church, our pastor got the men together to play in a men's softball league. The church I had gone to before was in it, but another Baptist church in town was not. Their reason, 'if we join with them we endorse what they are doing.' What were we doing. Well, we were getting people saved, helping families in need, and all the other stuff that a church should do. So what was the problem, we were also talking in tongues and preaching divine healing that they did not believe in. They could not get passed the idea that we could be doing the Lord's work as well as them.
Jesus had the same problems. As he walked the earth, people who were not part of His group preached in his name. The disciples called Him on it. What should we do about it? Jesus replied, do nothing.
Mark 9:40 ALT
(40) "For [the one] who is not against you* is for you*.
As Christians, unless there are obvious cult like qualities of a church, or they say you have to do a work to be saved, then we need to learn to accept one another. For just as the one who is not against us is for us, our enemy may not be our enemy.
Read for next time: Warnings about stumbling blocks; Matthew 18:7-11; Mark 9:43-50
