By Robert Austell
Have you ever been at a gathering and seen someone come in who “doesn’t belong?” Though some Jewish Christians welcomed Paul to Jerusalem, they anticipated trouble for him.
Jewish Christian communities in Jerusalem showed some concern that Paul’s mission to the Gentiles was de-emphasizing, or even outright forsaking, the Jewish Law (Torah). And, indeed, Paul ran into trouble at the Jerusalem Temple.
It may be helpful to explain that, at this point early in the growth of Christianity, the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem were almost entirely Jewish and still thought of themselves as Jewish. They still frequented the Temple and held the Law in highest esteem, as Jesus himself did.
Two of the early challenges for Jerusalem Christians were 1) slowly differentiating from Jewish sects, or branches, that did not recognize Jesus as Messiah and 2) dealing with the increasing number of non-Jewish Gentiles who were professing to be followers of Jesus.
This may all seem like historic hair-splitting, but it makes me think about the average American church today. Many churches often have an unacknowledged (or sometimes acknowledged) sense of “insiders” and “outsiders.” There are those who grew up in the church who have the real inside track. There are also those who come in and are easily welcomed because they so easily “fit in” in terms of appearance, socio-economic class, race or any number of cultural values. Then there are those who are “outsiders” like the Gentile Christians in Paul’s day, threatening the status quo, though for all the right reasons. It seems we have always struggled with these distinctions.
- Can you identify what might make someone an “insider” or “outsider” to your primary community of faith, recognizing your initial response might be denial or defensiveness? Once identified, what strategies might help you or others in your faith community overcome those barriers?
- Have you ever been on the outside of a group? What was that like? Have you ever come in from outside and been welcomed in? If so, what stands out as most memorable to you about that experience?
- What other details did you notice in today’s reading?
Prayer: God who welcomes us from far off, you have from ancient times called together some people for the sake of all people. Broaden our vision to match your own, we ask. Amen.
