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Scripture for the day: Acts 4:10-12 Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Thought for the day: I’m not a Democrat; I’m a Christian. I’m not a Republican; I’m a Christian. Many would extend that sentiment to say, “I’m not an American; I’m a Christian.” With those folks, I would argue; there’s no conflict between being an American and being a Christian. After all, it was God who invented Nation-States, not mankind. But that’s another subject for another time.
Let’s look again at Peter and John as they stand before the ruling class, being interrogated concerning an undeniable miracle that took place at the Temple. Who were these two mighty men of God? They were Jewish, each one claiming connection to a particular one of the twelve tribes. They were fishermen, of the working class whose labors supported the very fabric of society. They were residents of Galilee, a common, ordinary area to the East of Jerusalem. Ask either of these men and they might answer with those descriptions. First and foremost, they would tell you, “We are followers of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.” Did that make them any less Jewish? Of course not, and they would have been shocked at the very idea.
Now look at the question they were asked. “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Neither Peter nor James said, “Well, we’re Jews from Galilee.” They said, “By the name of Jesus we’ve done these things.”
When Paul was converted on his way to decimate the church in Damascus, he immediately identified with the Jesus he’d met on the road. From time to time he recounted his past to those to whom he wrote. He reminded them of his birth as a member of the tribe of Benjamin, Jewish through and through. He was an upstanding member of the Pharisees, educated in everything Jewish for longer than he could remember. His love of country, his enthusiasm for his religion, could not be questioned. Then he met Jesus and said, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).
I’m an American and I’m not ashamed to be associated with the country I’ve been taught to love and respect; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Politically I’m an Independent, primarily because I have no confidence in either of the two major political parties. I’m a Mainer (some would say “Mainiac”), born and raised and make no apologies for a situation over which I had no control. Ask me by what authority I preach and share the Gospel and I’ll mention none of those defining characteristics. By the name of Jesus, I have preached, taught and shared the Good News of the Messiah for many years. By the name of Jesus, I write to you today. By the name of Jesus, I take each breath and continue on the path He has laid out for me.
There can be no Jesus and …. It is Jesus before, Jesus behind and Jesus all around. Peter, James, John and Paul; none of them ever denied their Jewish heritage. Neither did any of the other early disciples. Rather, they put that heritage in its proper perspective. And so must we.
Now go take on your world. - Bill