WATCHWORD:
24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:24-28
Meditation:
Changing the World
The Spelling Bee competition was now down to two Junior High students. Round after round continued, trying to settle the championship. The moderator announced: “The word is Egalitarianism”. The girl nervously approached the microphone and asked that the word be used in a sentence. The moderator replied: “Egalitarianism is the doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights.” She slowly spelled the word, but omitted one of the ‘i’s and received the sound of a foghorn, a missed word. Sadly, she returned to her seat. Her opponent approached with a confident smile. He promptly substituted the first ‘a’ with an ‘o’ and was stunned to hear the foghorn, which brought a smile to his opponent.
I wonder how many of us could have spelled Egalitarianism on the first go-round or would we to hear the foghorn judging us? But it’s not the spelling of the word, it’s the meaning of the word that’s important. Historian Thomas Cahill says that Galatians 3:28 was the first statement of egalitarianism in human literature.
Remember this statement was made in the ancient world, governed by Rome, where slavery was universal. It had virtually nothing to do with one’s race, so being enslaved could happen to anyone, and often did. The actual Roman law decreed the slave was not a person, but one without a face. Can you imagine that? The Roman master had the power of life and death, with no consequences.
However, within the early church, things were changing, following God’s design through Jesus. In that early Church, a slave might wonder why the Master, the rich and powerful, would get down on his knees, take a basin and a towel and proceed to wash the feet of one who is viewed as a nonperson. Yes, he would wonder. No longer slave or free in the eyes of Christ – all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
That influence echoed throughout history changing people who changed society. It was not the narrow issue of slavery, but the power of compassion. The evidence is everywhere, personified by the Salvation Army, World Vision, YMCA/YWCA, Samaritan’s Purse, Compassion International, and so many others, and so on it goes, the movement of Jesus.
Bulletin Board:
Two centuries ago a seventeen-year-old English girl wrote in her diary that she had no religion. Then she met a Quaker who instilled in her a sense of God’s presence. Her faith grew more serious and she became known as a minister. At age 33, she visited the infamous Newgate Prison, filthy and dark. In that day women were often jailed when falling into debt or when her husband died or ran away. She was so moved by what she saw and so struck by what Jesus had said that she organized teams to visit women in prison to read the Bible and teach them to sew. She began a reform movement that lead parliament to pass the Prison Reform Act of 1823. And the beat goes on.
Closing Prayer:
Oh gracious God, enlighten my mind and heart with truth, love, mercy, gratitude and compassion. Give me the courage to follow you daily in faith, love and hope. In my busy day help me to think of you now and then. Make me aware of the needs of the people around me. Help me to be grateful for what I have and help those with so much less. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
