Tag: Tribalism

Three adults discuss community matters beside a “Community Event” sign and “OUR VOICE” mug.

Getting Our Priorities Straight

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“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’ Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” (Matthew 23:16-17 CSB – Read the chapter)

I have been working through the Gospel of Matthew with my church on Wednesday nights for nearly three years now. We’ve taken a break here or there along the way, but mostly it has just been Matthew for a while now. And I’ve got to say: it has been good. I know that I’ve never taken such a deep dive into a single book from the Scriptures, and I’m sure none of them have either. Taking time to meditate so long and so deeply on a single, Spirit-inspired author’s work has yielded much in terms of applicational rewards for us. We are currently in chapter 23 where Jesus blows up the scribes and Pharisees for their religious hypocrisy and bad spiritual leadership. It is one of those chapters that’s easy to ignore because at first glance Jesus is just berating His enemies for religious practices and traditions that are long gone. But a bit closer of a look uncovers volumes of uncomfortably relevant critiques for modern church members to consider. Let’s take a look at one of them together today.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 14:1

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“Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I was a pretty easygoing kid when I was growing up. I rarely, if ever, got into an argument with friends. I was respectful to other adults. I internalized early the importance of going along to get along. But at home, my sister and I fought like cats and dogs. We argued about almost anything. I antagonized her all the time. I love her now—and I did then too—but we mixed about as well as oil and water growing up. Sometimes it seems like the church kind of does the same thing. We fight amongst ourselves and over some of the stupidest things. We think that if someone is not just like us, then they can’t be a part of us. Natural human tribalism is alive and well in our midst. What are we supposed to do about that as we pursue the unity of Christ together? Over the next chapter and a half, Paul sets about offering some counsel on how we can get this often broken part of our lives together right. Let’s start digging in and see what we can learn about how to get along.

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Morning Musing: Romans 4:16

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“This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to the one who is of the law but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We are tribal by nature. We naturally and quickly form ourselves into groups based on pretty much any category imaginable, and then set our group apart from any other group. More than that, we fairly easily set our group against any other group. We see the world very much in terms of us and them. Because of that, when God had created a people through whom He wanted to introduce Himself to the world, they started treating their relationship with Him as something that set them apart from everyone else rather than sharing it as was always His intention. That is, they started to guard it as their own and only their own. But God always intended a relationship with Him to be for everybody. This universal intent lies at the heart of the Gospel. It is also where Paul goes next.

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Digging in Deeper: Mark 9:38-40

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“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.’ ‘Don’t stop him,’ said Jesus, ‘because there is no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterward speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We are naturally tribal. Our world has always been divided into two groups: Us and them. Now, sure, the exact makeup of those two groups changes. There are all kinds of different “uses” and all kinds of different “thems.” A person might fall into both categories within the same group of people depending on which particular flavor of us and them is being considered at the moment. But while there is all kinds of variety when it comes to exactly who goes in which group and when, the basic dividing line between us and them remains consistent. It is natural. It always has been. When Jesus came and began teaching about the kingdom of God, He didn’t try and tell us to operate differently. Surprised by that? Jesus didn’t try to undo our tribalistic impulse. He simply invited us to think about ourselves as part of a much bigger tribe.

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Digging in Deeper: Proverbs 24:17-18

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“Don’t gloat when your enemy falls, and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn his wrath away from him.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

It is satisfying to see someone who deserves justice get it. When someone has been wronged, we love to see them get what is right. Conversely, when someone has done something wrong, we love to see them get their due punishment. This is part of what made movies like Home Alone such a hit. A couple of bad guys got what was coming to them in deliciously hilarious fashion. But, while justice delivered is satisfying (and should be so), there’s a line here that we are wise to not cross. 

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