John 12:24-25 (NIV)
24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls
to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it
produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone
who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
The Romans in Jesus' days had an ingenious strategy for
confronting their enemies. It is called the Phalanx Formation, or
"Phalanx" for short. Soldiers would stand side by side in ranks, and
each man's shield served to protect not just himself, but his neighbor as well.
If one soldier fell due to injuries, one would take his place. When the
soldiers began to tire, they were replaced by those standing in the middle,
thus giving them some time of reprieve. Unity was essential, and as long as
they stood as one, they were impenetrable against any enemy on foot.
The soldier had to literally resist the urge of panic,
for as long as they were willing to die in combat, success would be guaranteed,
and survival was the natural consequence. If a soldier decided to run away from
his Phalanx, however, in order to save his own life, not only would he be easy
prey for the enemy, but the Phalanx would grow weaker, for the poor example of
that soldier who ran away would encourage others to follow suit. After all,
it's pretty scary to be in the middle of an active battlefield!
There was one rule. Soldiers were not to engage the enemy
at any cost. In holding on to their shields with all of their might, they're
only job was to let their shields do the work. Only when they saw an
opportunity to disable the enemy would they be allowed to use their swords. One
quick strike, generally in the stomach area, would do the trick. Again, unity
was the most important element in the strategy.
The same is true for us, the followers of Christ. If we
cling to our lives, and especially if we want to be in charge of our own lives,
we are heading for disaster. Unity would never be our goal, and we would tend
to weaken our fellow believers! Remember, those soldiers who ran away from the
Phalanx in order to save their own lives were the very ones that were easily
slaughtered! They were the ones that indirectly encouraged disunity and
potentially led to the destruction of their phalanx.
It's not for nothing that Jesus prayed ardently the
following prayer: "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are
still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the
power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are
one." (John 17:11, NIV2) Without unity we are easy prey! Our priorities
become skewed and we start to think only about ourselves, which can lead to our
own destruction, especially when calamity appears out of nowhere. Where would we
run to? To ourselves?
What should be uniting us the most? Shouldn't it be what
Jesus urged us to do on many occasions: "By this everyone will know that
you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35, NIV2)
Again, if unity is not our goal, we will weaken the
fellowship of believers. We tend to think solely of our own welfare, but love
is the answer to all things. Imagine the difference we would make in this world
if we genuinely loved like Jesus showed us to do. Hunger would be eradicated
(This is only possible if we all joined the cause to help the ones dying of
hunger), hope would be revived, and our churches would become too small to
accommodate the millions of people who would be knocking on our doors, wanting
what we have: an undying love for humanity with a hope that far surpasses any
calamity.
We live in a scary world, but it doesn't have to be scary
to us. We can make a difference, if we are united in our pursuit.
Dear Lord, we pray that we would be united with our
brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray that those around us we see you through
our actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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