Common Cause

"And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves." Luke 23:12

Good morning, dear friends,

I am living in a history nut's paradise.

I have always enjoyed studying history.  I love seeing how mankind began, how countries and nations formed, and how past history keeps affecting the present.    Every day I see vestiges of Roman history, Middle Age history, Renaissance history, World war history, on display in our city not fifteen minutes away.

I am always amazed when I hear of ancient conflicts, many of whom began in Genesis, still bubbling over and shaping modern day tensions around the world.  History has a very long memory, and it is still being played out over and over again.  At other times, it is almost comical to see nations who have long been sworn enemies, band together as allies for someone they despise even more.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, at least until that enemy is destroyed.  Then those nations become enemies again.

As I was continuing my reading in Luke this morning, my attention was drawn to the verse at the top of the blog.  I had never given it more than a passing glance before, just part of the longer narrative in the events leading up to Jesus's death on the cross. How sad that these two sworn enemies found a common cause that bound them together:

Hatred toward the Lord Jesus.

 How many political groups, lobbyists, reformers, and even religious groups, who share nothing in common with each other, find a common cause in the same reason.  How sad that so many people join in the cries of those who crucified Jesus, who like the wicked men in Jesus's parable in Luke 19, shouted, "We will not have this man to reign over us."

This had already been foretold in the Old Testament, where the Psalmist writes:

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." (Psalm 2:2)

I am reminded that as Christian brothers and sisters, we also have a common cause.  It should not be motivated by hatred or stirred up by jealousy or envy, but a task given to us by God Himself.  This passage was brought to my attention during the Ladies Retreat back in February:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new crature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  Now then we are ambasadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II Corinthians 5:17-20)

Herod and Pilate, and the many generations of Herods and Pilates that have ruled since, have waged war on Christ and rejected His rule over them.  As Christians, our message is not one of war, but of reconcilliation.  This word is defined by Webster's dictionary as quite simply "to bring a state free of conflicts," or to broker peace.

This is not a hippie love peace, warm fuzzies as world leaders shake hands for the cameras.  This is the lasting peace than can only come as people find peace with God in their hearts, and then find peace with others through lasting changes brought by the Holy Spirit living in their lives.  This is to be my message to others as I go about my business today:  "Be ye reconciled to God."

For a time, the world leaders of Jesus's day waged war against Him, and seemed to triumph, but only for a moment.  God's message is real, transforming lives for all eternity.

May this be my rallying cry as I live for the Lord today.