The Problem of Polarization
Bottomline: You cannot love someone by being a jerk. Nobody follows Jesus because someone was a jerk to them.
“As human beings, it’s inevitable that we will disagree, but not just on political issues. People are simply going to disagree. I love my wife immensely and we don’t agree on everything. I love my church and we don’t agree on everything. But what seems to be increasing in our polarized culture is not merely a desire to win an argument but to shame, crush, or destroy the opposition.”
Polarization is a poison that is robbing the church of the power of unity.
The issue with othering.....Jesus came to unify a divided family and yet we are often finding ways to categorize others into places that are not loving.
Nobody surrenders to Jesus because someone was a jerk to them.
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ i 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ j 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
You cannot disconnect loving God and loving others.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Do you realize how you treat others is connected to how God will treat you?
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Hypocrisy won’t get you to heaven and it won’t bring heaven to earth.
Jesus warns against all such ‘judgment’. He doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have high standards of behaviour for ourselves and our world, but that the temptation to look down on each other for moral failures is itself a temptation to play God. And, since we aren’t God, that means it’s a temptation to play a part, to act, to be a ‘hypocrite’ (which literally means a playactor, one who wears a mask as a disguise).
Hypocrisy is a heart issue
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, e and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Raca. Derogatory expression used by Jews of the 1st century to show open contempt for another. Raca is derived from an Aramaic and Hebrew term meaning empty or worthless. Literally meaning “empty headed,” raca probably insinuates an intellectual stupidity or inferiority rather than a moral deficiency.
You cannot love someone and hate them at the same time.
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.