Pastor's Blog: The Day of Small Things
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This weekend a major cable news network released two new documentary series that in their own way dealt with dynasties – one political, the other religious. As a student of both secular history and church history, I found both series riveting and will continue to watch them to their conclusion.
The series on religious dynasty, though spellbinding, was also somewhat painful, as it focused on the manner in which after Christians came to power in the age of Constantine, believers quickly turned on one another over matters of doctrine. In the 1800 years that have passed since the reign of Constantine that scenario has played out far too many times. We Christians were most definitely at our best when we were not in a dominant position because of how we needed one another in order to survive. Once our interdependence goes away, domination becomes the order of the day.
Of course, while we Americans respect dominance, we also love a good Cinderella story. Consider, for example, the “March Madness” that kicked off this week as well. Even though the big name schools will most likely make it to the round of the Final Four, along the way we’ll get excited about the smaller schools that will pull the occasional upset. The surprising success of these smaller schools is what makes the tournament worth watching, especially for those viewers who are not hard-core basketball fans. Every now and then a David continues to rise up to defeat a Goliath.
I think there’s a lesson in all of this for us believers. We find our strength in leaning into the grace of Jesus Christ, which compensates for what we will never accomplish in our own power. Instead of competing with one another, we know peace and joy when we cooperate with one another for transcendent aims. As Jesus taught, we gain life when we dare to lose life.
Each of these lessons comes to the forefront during the season of Lent. We cannot expect to make it to the end of the Lenten journey by throwing our weight around and relying upon our powerful positions. The cross will not accommodate such a mindset. Instead, we look to empty ourselves in small acts of service, each of which advance the cause of Christ. After all, the good news of Easter, which is just around the corner, is that “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (Ps. 118:22). While that truth to some may seem to be a “small thing,” to us who are being saved, it is nothing less than the power of God, which is most definitely nothing anyone should ever dismiss, because of how in the end, it will be the only reality that will eternally prevail.
“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the…eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone…” (Zechariah 4:10).