“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” (Eph 2.19)

The NT Church concerns community. Throughout the book of Acts and into the letters, the theme of Christians being part of a community is so strong.

My rule-of-thumb is that every use of ‘you’ in the Bible is plural, unless the context demands otherwise. This flies in the face of our western individualistic culture which is so damaging.

Two incidents in Matthew’s gospel illustrate this difference.

Whilst Jesus is walking on the water, Peter comes to him, sees the wind and begins to sink. As He reaches out to Peter, Jesus comments; ‘you of little faith.’ Clearly the context demands that this is a singular ‘you.’ Jesus addressed Peter. The other disciples were in the boat. (Matt 14.31).

In contrast, after Jesus had ‘offended’ the Pharisees, Jesus spoke to the Twelve privately, ‘are you still do dull!’ They had failed to understand His teaching. This use of ‘you’ was clearly plural. He was speaking to twelve. (Matt 15.16).

When Paul left Lystra (Acts 14), some from Antioch and Iconium stoned him and dragged him outside the city. We read (v 20) that the disciples gathered around him; whereupon he got up and was able to go on his way. Obviously, the disciples prayed; probably they laid their hands on him. But Luke simply records that the disciples gathered around him. It was this corporate strength that changed the situation for Paul. Community makes a difference!

Church is not simply a convenient way of being a Christian. It is the essential community of power, where we enjoy the promises and presence of God.

A question which is neither obvious nor presumptuous!

One part of scripture frequently shines light on another part. And our joy, as followers of Christ, is to constantly discover new facets of truth, reinforcing our confidence and security in God.

Luke 19.11-27 tells the ‘Parable of the Pounds.’ This is explained in Kenneth Bailey’s book Jesus through Middle Eastern eyes.

Isaiah 55.8-9 is explained in Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly.

Without criticising their readers, both books help us to focus more clearly on what God is really like, helping to strip away wrong understanding.

Isaiah writes words which are familiar to many;

““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The author points out that as Christians we frequently quote these words in relation to God’s mysterious providence. But that is not the context of these words. The context is that of God’s compassionate heart. The preceding verse tells us that God will “abundantly pardon.”

The natural flow of our hearts is ‘towards reciprocity, tit-for-tat payback, equanimity, balancing of the scales.’ But God’s heart is towards mercy and forgiveness and pardon. And, God goes further. Later in the chapter (v12-13), the prophet refers to a wonderful and joyful restoration, Even creation will rejoice with the redeemed.

Kenneth Bailey makes a more solemn point. His analysis of the third servant, who hid the coin in a piece of rag, is that he ‘critically misjudged his (master’s) nature.’ He begins his response; “I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man.” Bailey points out that such wording is an insult, contrasting massively with the responses of the first two servants. His ‘twisted view’ of the master was a result of the servant’s own unfaithfulness.

He turns us to some striking words in Psalm 18:

To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
 to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd (v25-26).

With typical insight, Bailey comments; ‘this psalm goes beyond the parable. In this instance the psalmist understands that the communities’ attitudes and ethical behaviour influence God’s revelation of Himself to it. The parable places the blame firmly on the servant. The servant’s unfaithfulness produces a twisted view of the master. Both texts affirm that the way we live influences how we see God, which is the unfaithful servant’s problem.’

When the apostle Paul writes to Titus, he makes a similar comment:

“to the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted (1.15)”

Our pure heart reflects God’s pure heart; and we see the world (“all things”) more accurately. In contrast, our corrupt hearts think God is corrupt, arbitrary, random, and we see the world as corrupt (“nothing is pure”). This means, amongst other things, that we fail to commend the good; we become cynical and harsh, even cruel.

‘Lord, give me an undivided heart, to see you as you truly are.’

These are the strong words of Paul to the Church at Corinth (1 Cor 3.3). Paul expects something better, something different from those who claim to follow Christ. In Chapter 6, after listing some sinful behaviour, he comments, “that is what some of you were” (6.11). The verb is in the past tense. Such behaviour is past, not present. You used to do that, but through Christ you stopped.

Back in the book of Leviticus, the Lord said to Moses; “if anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbour about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and, lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do …” (Lev 6.1-3). Put another way; just because others do that, does not mean it is ok. What is ‘normal’ behaviour is often sinful behaviour. Common usage does not make something acceptable.

Behaving like mere men is not the same as behaving like Christ-followers. The Lord Jesus set a high bar. To His followers, He said; “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.20). Whilst we are not to compare ourselves to one another, nor consider ourselves better than others, the command is to “be perfect” (Matthew 5.48).