PLANK TWO

There was a young rabbi who took over a new congregation and discovered he had a serious problem. During the services, half the congregation stood for prayers and half the congregation remained seated for prayers. And each side shouted at the other, insisting their way was right. Nothing he could say would bring peace. So finally, in desperation, the young rabbi went to visit the 99-year old rabbi of that congregation who was now in a nursing home. And he said, “Please, tell me. Was it the tradition of the congregation to stand during the prayers?”

And the old rabbi said,”No.”

“Ah,” responded the younger rabbi. “Then it was the tradition to sit during the prayers.”

“No,” answered the old rabbi.

“Well,” the young rabbi responded. “What we have is complete chaos. Half the people stand and half the people sit. And they scream and shout at each other.”

“Ah,” said the old rabbi, “THAT was the tradition.”

And in 2,000 years of church history, that’s been the tradition for much of Christianity. There have been those who have loved to come up with their own set of rules about what spirituality looks like. And it’s not the fruit of the Spirit like love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control they come up with. It’s a list of rules that can’t be found anywhere in the Bible. And that’s one of the things Jesus is telling us to avoid when He says, ‘Don’t judge or you too will be judged.’

Let me tell you some of the issues that have been used to divide followers of Christ just in this century …

… Dancing of any kind. Playing cards. Roller skating. Wearing make-up (usually said by those who needed to wear make-up). Going to movies. Having a television in your home. Listening to jazz or rock music. Eating at a restaurant where alcohol is served. Shooting pool.

Now, my guess is, few if any of those things get under your skin today. My guess is most of you didn’t feel too sinful the last time you went roller-skating or played a game of rummy. But I guarantee you, there are issues that people reading this right now feel very strongly about that are potentially divisive and they are not issues over Christianity’s core beliefs. They lean toward being heart judgments even though some are just opinions. And many are issues where God has given flexibility and freedom to be led by His Spirit, but we turn them into condemnations.

There are those who believe true Christ followers prefer HYMNS.
There are those who believe true Christ followers prefer MODERN WORSHIP
CHORUSES.
There are those who believe male Christ followers don’t wear EARRINGS … that true
Christ followers don’t have TATTOOS.
There are those who believe true Christ followers would NEVER end up having to go
thru a DIVORCE … true Christ followers would never let their children WEAR
A COSTUME at HALLOWEEN.
There are those who believe true Christ followers would never allow SANTA CLAUS to
be part of their family CHRISTMAS TRADITION … true Christ followers
would never read a HARRY POTTER novel or go to a ‘TWILIGHT’ movie opening ... true Christ followers would never regularly VOTE DEMOCRAT …
There are those who believe true Christ followers would NEVER wear BLUE JEANS to
church.

Every single thing I've just listed is on somebody's hit list. I didn’t make them up. But you won’t find one of them on God’s list.

So we need to take the PLANK out of our own eye and deal in some grace toward one another - without condemning-style judging. Let's stick to what the Bible says -- nothing more, nothing less.

And be blessed.