In a graffiti inscription on a subway wall, someone wrote, “Life is just one contradiction after another.” “No it’s not,” wrote someone else, in response, proving the point! Does the world seem more divided than in the past? The polarization runs deep in our culture. Unfortunately, the church is not immune.
Divisiveness is not new. The Sanhedrin or Jewish court had seventy members. In Paul’s day, the court was divided between Pharisees and Sadducees. Pharisees wanted to get back to the scriptures. Even if they were a little overzealous, at least they believed the scriptures. The Sadducees largely represented the priesthood. Unfortunately, they did not believe in angels, visions, or resurrection.
Paul read the faces of the Sanhedrin well. When it felt like the whole room was against him, Paul found common ground with the Pharisees. He said he was on trial because of the hope of the resurrection from the dead. This statement exposed the fault line running between Paul’s opponents. Now the Pharisees were for him, but the Sadducees were against him. The resulting scrum forced the commander to remove him from the room. That very night, Jesus showed up, stood near Paul and told him to take courage. God still had plans for Paul to go on to Rome.
In a divided world, where can we, as believers, find common ground? The resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of Paul’s message and ours. Those who believe in God’s active work in the world are likely more fertile soil for our message. Arguing with atheists rarely proves to be productive. We will likely never agree with everyone on all the finer points of doctrine.
Like Paul, we center our hope in the resurrection of Jesus. Every person who is born, will also die. We serve a Savior who has already found his way out of the grave. There is no other. In a divided world, focus on Jesus. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus still has plans for us, too.
