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Silly Questions and Irrelevancy
When I read this in church last Sunday, I had no idea where or how Alan was going to relate this to the church or to me. I couldn’t recall if I had ever read this passage in Luke. I sat there with my wife and my in-laws who were visiting, hoping for a great lesson and boy did I get it. The down and dirty on the Sadducees, they were a group that did not believe in the resurrection and they believed only in the Torah (which is the first 5 books in the Old Testament.) The Sadducees were trying to setup a “wrong answer” from Jesus with a silly question. Alan took the approach of leaving room for mystery and miracles in your faith. But the approach I want to take today is how many times we trap ours spiritual lives with silly questions and irrelevancy.
I am reminded of a message that spoke about the silliness in questions such as, what color should the church be, What about the carpets, what if no one likes that new lighting, and are you sure people will like the neon sign out front. I think questions like those bog down and drown out what God has intended for our lives. The Sadducees had a face to face encounter with Jesus Christ and that is what they wanted to ask? A trick question of sorts… Wow what a wasted opportunity! Just like the Sadducees asked a question intended for Jesus to fail, what if they would have asked a question that would allow them to succeed. Instead of saying what color should the carpet be, how about we substitute it with, how can we enrich the lives of those who walk down this carpet? Another example… what if no one likes the new lighting? A better question, how do we make the light of CCC shine down on our community? The Sadducees took the wrong approach and really blew it, I encourage all of us to not do the same.
Thank you Rob for expanding the passage from Sunday morning. It is silly questions about non essentials that derail a church. The thing I have a hard time remembering is the person who asked the question matters not the question. The carpet and lighting questioners may only care about being right or having things go their way but I need to love them enough to answer them. Jesus answered the Sadducees in a loving manner. They might not like the answer but the issue was adressed. May CCC answer all questions asked silly or soulful in a manner pleasing to God.
Rob,
I wanted also to say thank you for your sacrifice and service in the armed forces. We’re glad you are home safe. Thank you.
Years ago I heard in a sermon and then I read about the ultra-extreme of church silliness. It was a church in Texas that split over the communion. The doctrinal “goal” of the church, if you want to call it that, was to be as close to “the First Century Church” as possible. So they took the communion grape juice (there’s another discussion) from a single cup. Some of the more progressive members wanted to have it in individual cups. The church split over the issue.
The “one cuppers” as they were called then split again a few years later. This time it was over whether the one cup should have handles or not.
I have tried to find out the truthfulness of the story. Whether it is actually true or not, I have personally witnessed churches committing suicide over the most ridiculous things. Sometimes it comes from the leadership. Sometimes it comes from the pews. I don’t say this lightly. My Lord God! Where is the the “unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace” in such things? Where is the Apostle John’s plea “My little children, love one another” in such things? Where is the teaching to support each other and to treat each other better than our own selves? Is it any wonder that so many people have no use for churches and Christians in general?
“You will know them by their fruits,” and “By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Both are extremely scarey verses .
Thanks Rob, you knocked it out of the park.