"It's Not What You Know, It's WHO You Know"

Culture in the Middle East relies a lot on social networks. Your 'banks' and 'loans' come from people within your realm of acquaintances. Although we don't often use our friends as banks, we still have in common the phrase: "It's not what you know, it's WHO you know" meaning that we do use our relationships as something more than friendships sometimes. We use those acquaintances, relationships, 6 degrees of separation to get the best job position, to get into the best school, etc.

Jesus came to turn that paradigm on it's head... but not quite. It actually is WHO we know- and WHO we know is Jesus.

Your "Own" People

5 Then at the LORD's command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: "What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. 6 This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. 7 No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. 8 Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits." -Numbers 36:5-9

Here we witness some discrepancy over inheritance. Who will inherit their father's fortune, land, etc. if the women marry outside of their tribe? The "who" that is so important here is "your own people." I would argue that even today there are people and places when you feel like you are with some of "your own"- whether that's denominational gatherings or family reunions... some people just feel more comfortable. You often share a history, a future, values, and because of such shared experiences and priorities, you take care of 'your own.' Let's face it. You'd take in your brother before he was out on the street, when there are so many homeless in every city in the country.

Now, as I see it, it's important to remember the context here. This is an account from the Old Testament. The New Covenant of Jesus had not yet united us as "one body" with the same mother and brothers, the same inheritance. Now, thanks to that promise- we no longer need to fight over our inheritance, which we all share. The WHO that gives us the "in" to our ultimate inheritance is Jesus.


Children

33They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." -Mark 9:33-36

In addition to inheritance, goods, support, we often rely upon our social relationships for a certain degree of status or power. Have you ever heard about "networking your way to your dream job"? We often readily make friends with those who are in high places, someone who knows someone who knows someone who can do something for you. An interview, a job, a conference presentation, an acceptance to your choice PhD program (wish I had one of those ;o).

Doubtless, Jesus' disciples felt themselves at least a little privileged to know Jesus. Others had to be at the top of their class to follow a rabbi. But then, they needed a ranking. Who was the greatest? Jesus again, knocks the paradigm on its head, by saying that welcoming a child is as important as welcoming He himself. A child? A child has no connections, doesn't really have any monetary goods or status to pass on to his/her friends. A friendship with a child doesn't do anything for your connections in the social hierarchy of things. Yet, this is WHO we are to welcome into our lives, into our circle of friends... not someone who can do something for us, but someone who cannot. Because doing unto this powerless person is doing unto Jesus.


God

I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. —1 Thessalonians 4:13

Finally, I appreciated reading this verse in the ODB this morning. Though it doesn't quite fit here, it touched my heard so much that I want to include it. Although we might experience sorrow, our sorrow is different from "others" who have no hope. When we go through difficult times, what makes difference is the hope that we have been given, through WHO we know. Let's start today, remembering WHO makes all the differences and the hope that He gives us every day.