Communion vs. Comparison

When we read the bible we have a tendency (or at least i do) to look up to the original disciples a little more than we should. Those brave faithful men who walked and talked with Jesus while He was on earth, who took part in His earthly ministry and got to see His miracles as they were happening. I wonder what that must have been like. To see it all first hand. BUT... as soon as I feel myself going down that road I have to stop. The disciples were not chosen because they were great men, they were made into great men because they were chosen. Even then, they still had a lot of growing and maturing left to do. (That always makes me feel a little better.)

"An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest." Luke 9:46

Even as they were traveling with Christ and learning directly from Him, they still hadn't seen the full picture yet. They were bickering with each other about who was greater. Now, just take a minute to let that soak in... the disciples, walking along side of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, are arguing about which one of THEM was going to be the greatest! Completely missing that fact that the Savior of the world was next to them.

How many times do we allow our familiarity with Christ, His Word, and His church to chip away at the divine nature and sovereign authority that is His and His alone. "God" is so overused now that when we say it, we have to establish which "God" we are referring to. The very name of Jesus is used as an expletive. How many times have we as Christians said "... In Jesus Name" or "In the Name of Jesus..." flippantly, either at the end of a half-baked prayer or just in passing?

Yet, there is hope... skip ahead to part two of Dr. Luke's narrative, and now we can see the disciples after they have encountered the risen Christ and (in my opinion) get their priorities back in order.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common." Acts 2:44

After Jesus ascended and they waited in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit they were all together. They were also all in unity, devoting themselves to prayer and fellowship. What a contrast from the previous state. The same disciples that bickered and argued with one another about their stature, standing, and celebrity are now joined together to teach the new budding community of believers that formed the Church.

It was only after they had faced the reality of Christ's death, Resurrection, and then being given a mission, that they saw the full extent of God's divine plan for themselves. Likewise, it is our job to view ourselves through this lens as well, before looking to other believers, churches, or denominations.

"More communion with The Savior,
will bring less comparison with each other."

- Just a though.