A Christian Sympathizer

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #131z Re-Written 14FEB09 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

Save Me Today—Part Twenty-Six: A Christian Sympathizer

by rev dave c

While I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior in 1982, by 1985 I had become disillusioned with the Church and I attempted to turn my back on the whole mess. It didn’t work. Like Peter after the crucifixion, people would not leave me alone and I was repeatedly put to the question, “Weren’t you with the Nazarene?” Unlike Peter, however, I could not bring myself to fully deny Jesus with my words [“I don’t know the man” (Mt 26:69-75; NIV)], but because of my actions, neither could I claim Him. It is a difficult position to be in: I didn’t fit in with Christians, but I was uncomfortable with humanists, materialists, agnostics, atheists, pagans, and hedonists. As a result, during the first half of the 1990’s I told people that I was “A Christian Sympathizer.” I am reminded of a recent comment from a close friend, “To find yourself outside the Church is a terrible place for a Christian.” In 1996 I finally made a real commitment to Christ, and so began the struggle to learn to love His Church as His Bride and Body. From that day until this, it has been the most exciting, the most adventurous, and the most fulfilling years of a life that has been seldom boring—and it just keeps getting better (Jo 2:23-26).

The New Testament tells us about a man who could also be described as “A Christian Sympathizer.” He was a Roman governor assigned to the Empire’s eastern frontier of 2,000 years ago who was named Pontius Pilate. Every time I read the Matthew Chapter 27 account of Christ appearing before Pilate, I struggle with how normal, how contemporary, and how reasonable Pilate seemed to be. He was a governmental administrator just trying to do his job. While he was far from being a follower of this “Chosen One,” He didn’t hate Jesus of Nazereth. He wasn’t even angry with him—if anything, I would say that he was curious about him...perhaps a little amused...maybe even in awe of this unique Jew.

Out of an even mix of self interest and genuine conviction Pilate tried to save Christ’s life, but he eventually succumbed to the Hebrew religious leaders of the Sanhedrin as they enflamed the crowd’s raging demand to crucify Him. He had done everything a decent man could do (and even a little more) in his efforts on behalf of this Galilean in whom he found no guilt. I am sure that it was with a clear and rational conscience that he pronounced the responsibility for Christ’s blood to be upon the heads of the Jews themselves and he “washed his hands of the matter” (Mt 27:22-25). We know, of course, from our perspective in time and space, that nothing could clean the Son of Man’s blood from Pilate’s fingers.

I have to wonder how many times I have been led into a situation by the Holy Spirit where the love and mercy of Christ is needed and I have surrendered to the temptation to “wash my hands of the matter.” “After all, I have done more than can be reasonably expected of me.” How many times have I given into that temptation with a clear and rational conscience knowing that even my Christian friends would view my actions as justified.

God is in the business of doing what is impossible and the Church is His chosen conduit for accomplishing His will here on Earth. I am a part of the Body of Christ and, as a consequence, our Father has chosen me (and you) to worship Him, to study Him, to listen for Him and to be obedient to Him. God is also a “gentleman,” however, and He will not force us into doing something that we are unwilling to do as an individual, as a fellowship, or as the corporate Church. With words I pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, but I fear I mean, “My rest is come, I will be done...I live on Earth not in Heaven.” Every time I “wash my hands of the matter” I tell God that I am finished, whether the work is or not. Once again, my actions and my attitude declare me to be “A Christian Sympathizer.”

Jesus told his disciples in John 13:1-17 that even though they had been “cleansed by the Word,” they must have their feet washed by Him and by each other if they were to be in righteous fellowship. I take this to mean that the physical and mental walking out of our faith brings our spiritual “feet” into contact with the world and that they get dirty through the association. Whereas washing my own hands of a situation is a prideful act of disobedience, asking Christ to daily wash my feet with His forgiveness is a humbling act of submission. I pray I eventually learn that the best place for me to cleanse my hands is in the basin of water brought by a broken spirit as I wash the feet of my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I pray we take the words of Paul to heart, head, and hands as he exhorted Timothy: Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen (1Ti 6:12-16; NIV). ...And Amen.

[Russell Roberts]

I love your comment about the place to wash your hands. Good thoughts.