February 5, 2019 -- Romans 12:16 -- Live in harmony

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

Never be wise in your own sight.

Romans 12:16 ESV

At my workplace there are two men who will ALWAYS scrap about politics. If you didn’t know them, you’d think they are serious and quite angry with one another. What is far more subtle is the disagreements between people who won’t work together. It is sad to see this in the workplace. They quietly move things around so that they won’t have to work together. They duck out of certain responsibilities—and it is an open secret. Such actions undercut smooth operations. However, it is not unexpected. People who are not Christians do not have a standard by which to measure their actions.

It is inexcusable when, in church, brothers and sisters do not live in harmony. Paul is writing the house churches in Rome. The people in these churches are former Jewish people and non-Jewish people, Gentiles. Historically, the Jewish people would NEVER associate with the Gentiles—they are considered unclean. In Rome you have slave owners and slaves in the SAME house churches. You can imagine all the challenges these race and class divisions must have presented. Yet they are called to live in harmony.

How is this possible? Because at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ there is no one higher or lower. All persons are debtors to the cross of Christ. There is no status, no rank, no social class, no race—only sinners in need of His mercy. When we are truly aware of this, we can live in harmony with all people.

Lord Jesus Christ, how vast is Your love and incomprehensible the depths to which went in order to lift sinners from the hell we deserve to the undeserved glory of salvation. Forgive us for our squabbles and in-fighting. Forgive us for the times we have brought shame to Your blessed Name by our actions or inactions. Help us to live in the shadow of the cross in such a profound way that Your Name is honoured and adored in the communities of believers. Amen.