Us Four and No More
I really enjoy the writing of Aaron Sorkin. You may not know his name, but you'll recognize his work. He has written some of the most recognized and well received movie and television scenes of all time. If you've ever heard or said the phrase, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" It's Sorkin's fault. He wrote the movie, "A Few Good Men". His work also includes:
Sports Night
The West Wing
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
The American President
Charlie Wilson's War
Most recently he wrote the screenplay for the movie,"The Social Network" about the rise of Facebook and it's founder, Mark Zuckerberg. In the first scene of the movie Zuckerberg's character makes the case for why it's important to be in one of Harvard's 'Final Clubs'. He says, "Because they're exclusive and fun and they lead to a better life."
I'm not sure precisely what it is about 'exclusive' that causes people to want it so badly. I understand 'fun' and the 'better life' part, but what is it about exclusive that makes it such a highly valued prize? I'm in, your not. So automatically I must be 'better' than you!? That math doesn't really work. "Us four and no more. Tick-tock the game is locked, no one else can play."
Don't fool yourself into thinking that this dynamic only exists in the movies or on Ivey league college campuses. It's also nothing new.
In this passage Paul tells his story. Notice no one gets upset by his past. No one is bothered by his vision. Even the statement that Jesus is God doesn't seem to get under their skin, but then he finally crosses the line. "God sent me to preach to the Gentiles."
"Now Paul, you've gone too far. You've broken the sacred trust. You've revealed the secret handshake. You're letting into our little religious club the 'unmentionables'. You're taking away our exclusive rights to God."
For me this seems crazy. The Israelites are supposed to be a nation of priests and priests to the nations. God commissioned them to be the nation that would connect other nations with Him. Yet now they stand as protectors of some kind of holy Final Club judging who God will accept and who he won't, getting mad at the suggestion that God might have plans bigger than their rewritten club charter.
Let's not be too hard on the Israelites. Don't we do the same thing? We hold the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with partiality every time we refuse to speak up because we think someone doesn't want or need to hear the good news. Many of our churches sit segregated along racial or economic grounds. In the community where I live there are a number of Spanish speaking people. We've not begun to scratch the surface of what needs to be done to reach them with the gospel.
Let's be careful to recognize that we are in a Final Club. It is fun and will lead to a better life - not simply a better life on earth, but a better life for all eternity. But it's not like the Final Clubs we see in The Social Network or so many cliques that have come before. It's not exclusive. It's not about how many friends you have, your intelligence, contribution or abilities. It's about the one who paid your entrance into this club in the first place. And by his rules - this grace is available to anyone who will receive it.
Today - invite someone in. Tell them that because of Jesus they can be included in his kingdom. He has given up His exclusive rights to all eternity to include you and me. That's a social network I want in.
Created over 1 year ago
