August 9, 2016 – Devotions: passages from David and Goliath
Advantages or Disadvantages?

“But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matthew 3:7-10

“We spend a lot of time thinking about the ways that prestige and resources and belonging to elite institutions make us better off. We don’t spend enough time thinking about the ways in which those kinds of material advantages limit our options.” (David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell, p. 36) 

When we are members of exclusive clubs, it may make us feel special, it may make us feel unique, but it also puts us in a special place – separate and divided. Now, I do not want to write a devotion stating that joining a club or being part of a special group is inherently bad. But, we have seen where some of these “special clubs” have celebrated their separateness more than they have celebrated their creativity and their unique purpose. Separateness is not bad as long as it does not become a reason to brag – and a reason to persecute – because leaving others out gives us a reason to revel in our good fortune.

How is it that prestige and resources and belonging to elite institutions may limit our options? Malcolm Gladwell writes, in essence, that: “…being an underdog and a misfit….gives the freedom to try things no one else even dreams of.” In other words, when you only play by the rules that “standards” call for, or “tradition” expects, or “fair play” enforcers regulate, then you are limited and afraid to try non-conventional ways. This was John and Jesus’ complaint against the Pharisees. Their “traditions” got in the way of real ministry – and true faith – and real relationships with G-d.

G-d doesn’t want us to stick to traditions in place of ministering to the poor, the lost, the last of society, and the least of the world. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Priest and the Levite walked past a man who was beaten half-to-death because their traditions would not allow them to serve their titles and responsibilities if they did. Doesn’t that seem, I don’t know, backward. Shouldn’t our titles and responsibilities drive us to serve anyone in need – not just the members of our congregations, the members of our country, and the people who most look like us? And the titles go way beyond Pastor, Associate in Ministry, and Diaconal Minister. The first and most important title is “Child of G-d” followed close behind by Christian. Bear fruit that is worthy of those titles—every day – and in every way.

Pastor Dave