One for All and All for One- Sin as Partiality

If you show partiality, you commit sin. —James 2:9

Today's ODB reflection is especially lovely, and I'd urge you to read it as well as the recommended Bible passages. It reminds us of a common sin of omission. It's easy to hide this sin, because it's not something you do... rather, it's something that we should do but we often don't. James puts it in a very straightforward way... it's sin. Don't do it.

Of course, it's not easy to recognize that we do, but we do. There have been studies about how few people acknowledge the presence of maintenance workers around school buildings and treat different groups of people with differing levels of respect. When our Father says, "No. You're all the same. You're all my children." We are all equally important to our Lord God, and we should treat everyone as our brother/sister. Because they are, in Christ. And as a part of the same Christian family, we share a one purpose and one flock.


One Purpose

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

8 Solomon answered God, "You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

11 God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have." -2 Chronicles 1:7-12

Another word for partiality is favoritism, and one form of favoritism is favoring ourselves over others. Pastor Marcos Inhauser in Brazil calls this 'the bellybutton complex.' When we look at 'me, me, me" all the time. What do I want? What do I need instead of what is best for my family, my church, my community, my environment?

Solomon showed his wisdom to be already apparent in not asking for the wealth and riches that would make him 'favored' in society. Instead his asked for wisdom and knowledge... and here's the key. He asked for them, for the good of his people. This is one thing that I love so much about Brad... so often when we are making decisions, I know that he doing it for my good. From wedding pictures to puppies to living arrangements... our purposes are becoming one, as we ask the Lord to make us one. And the unity of marriage represents our own Christian lives, in which we ask to be one flock...


One Flock

11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." -John 10:11-18

And I pray that we would all be able to have one purpose and all be able to see ourselves as one. Independent of denominations, cultures, skin color, languages, we could respect and appreciate and love one another. I sometimes find that Christians, who are part of the same family, are often involved in so much 'sibling rivalry' so to speak, that it must distract from our overarching purpose of living for the Lord and loving everyone into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Relient K puts it this way in their song, "Down in Flames":

Christians-- we're all afraid of fire.
We prefer to suck on pacifiers.
Baby pacifists, we're throwing fits.
We don't shake hands, we shake our fists.

We're cannibals.
We watch our brothers fall.
We eat our own, the bones and all.

Finally fell asleep on the plane
to wake to see we're going down in flames.

"We eat our own, the bones and all." I pray that we would recognize that we are one flock, with one shepherd, just as these verses from John point out. If we know our shepherd and he knows us, he puts us together in the same pen so that we would watch our for one another. Wolves aren't allowed, cannibals aren't allowed... only the sheep with a singularity of purpose and love. One for all and all for one.