Watchmen

My Brothers’ Keeper

If you’re an older sibling, maybe you can identify with me on this. If you’re the youngest sibling, just listen to the reality for your older siblings.

When I was growing up, we went on a camping trip across the country one summer. We would drive a little farther each day and set up camp in a new place. One of our stops was in Yellowstone National Park. I’ll never forget this stop because it was July and there was snow falling from the sky. Anyway, we were sitting around the campfire while Mom and Dad were getting ready to take the laundry down to the machines by the camp office. Before they left, we were instructed to tear the box our firewood had come in into pieces and put them carefully into the fire. So we did.

Then Ian, I don’t remember that it was Ian - I just feel like it was probably Ian, looked over at the next campsite. He discovered our neighbors had left behind their firewood box when they packed up to leave. It wouldn’t be very responsible to just leave it there, so he took the box and set it, upside-down, on our fire. At first, we were worried that the fire had been put out. Then we started to see the tape on the bottom of the box shrivel up and tongues of fire started to lick through the gap. A few seconds later and the box erupted into a pillar of fire that Dad could apparently see from the camp office a block away.

He pulled up a minute later and said “we told you to slowly put the box in, one piece at a time.” I replied, “we did, then Ian found another box.” As I started to get in trouble, I foolishly said “but I didn’t put the box on the fire, Ian did.” That didn’t help my case at all.

Who’s Responsible?

Now, maybe you’re sitting there and you were also an older sibling who got in trouble for allowing your younger siblings to do stupid things. Or maybe you’re a parent who agrees with my parents, that the older “responsible” brother should’ve prevented the pillar of fire. Or maybe you’re a younger sibling who doesn’t believe me. I think that the different views on this story might just be a little example of the different views that people hold on accountability.

On the one hand, there are people who believe that each individual should be responsible for their own actions. If you do something wrong, they believe that you should suffer the consequences that the wrong entails. You are not responsible for the things that the people around you do, you are not responsible for stopping your friends or peers from doing things they shouldn’t, and you are not responsible for things people associated with you have done. These people do not believe in guilt by association and a popular phrase for this group is “you do you.”

On the other hand, there are people who take a more corporate view of accountability. If you do something wrong, they believe that it is just as much the fault of your surroundings and your peers as it is yours. You are responsible for the things that people around you do, you are responsible for stopping your friends or peers from doing things they shouldn’t, and you are responsible for things people associated with you have done. These people believe in guilt by association.

A Little of Both

So the question is who has the responsibility? And our reading from Ezekiel provides a window into who God holds responsible.

When Ezekiel is confronted with wicked people, he is told to share God’s Word with them. He is told to warn them about the judgement that God will render. When Ezekiel is faced with a righteous person, he is told to share God’s Word with them. He is told to warn them to stay on the righteous path. In both cases, if the person is warned and they sin anyway, then the punishment will be on them alone. If Ezekiel fails to warn them; however, he will share in their punishment.

It’s like if someone was walking in traffic or if they’re walking on the edge of the sidewalk. It’s one thing if you tell them to be careful, to get more safely on the sidewalk, but they go to the next block over and walk in the middle of the road until oncoming traffic hits them. It’s another thing entirely if someone is walking in the road, or about to step into the road, you see a semi coming, and you don’t say a word.

Based on the instructions God gives Ezekiel, the responsibility is a little bit of both. We are responsible for warning and teaching each other, in that way responsibility is in the community. There’s also an acknowledgement of the individual, saying that if someone ignores that warning the consequences are on them.

The Watchers

But we do have to ask the question, what does it mean to be righteous? This is something that we know changed with Jesus. When He came to Earth as an infant, after He died and rose again, righteousness is redefined. Righteousness no longer relies on how well one keeps the Law. Instead, our righteousness is in Christ alone. So being watchmen looks differently today, because the righteousness we are calling people to comes from saving faith in Jesus.

So instead of standing as a watchman, warning people against breaking the Law, you stand as a watchman, looking for those who are in the darkness of unbelief. Instead of warning righteous people about straying into sin, you look for those whose faith might be wavering. The challenge for you is to stand vigilantly, looking for people lost in the darkness outside of Christ and to invite them into His glorious light.

A Community of Watchmen

So we are responsible for each other. We are responsible to remind each other of the faith we believe. We are responsible to remind each other of everything Christ has done for us. We are responsible to remind each other to be in devotion and be in church and be in community - all so that our faith might be firmly grounded and that we wouldn’t be taken under by the darkness.

We do not take up this post for glory or for honor. We will live and die in our faith, bringing God’s Word to a dark world. We are the watchers on the wall.