Day two of our Israel trip took us to the town of Nazareth. I was excited on many different levels. One, I belong to the Church of the Nazarene denomination and this is why we are called such: Jesus the Nazarene. Two, it was where Jesus grew up after Mary and Joseph came back from Africa. So, this is where he would have made his childhood memories that would shape him and his outlook on life. Three, I felt as though my journey was truly starting as we traveled throughout Galilee.
Jesus the Nazarene. Back in the day, people were identified by the towns from where they came. There were towns based on Roman cultures, others on Jewish culture, and still others were divided. Denominations can do the same for us in our society: they can unite or divide us. We had several different denominations on our trip and it didn’t stop us from worshiping the same God. Throughout our Holy Land trip, our guide told us that no matter the denomination, we all believe Jesus is our King; we are all Christians. I understand that some denominations are far apart in their theology, and I get how that can divide us; however, let me propose that now is the time to begin to pray for our fellow believers that God will bring us together despite our differences.
Remember, as believers of Christ, we are allowed to have our own opinions and beliefs. Let’s look at a family unit of siblings who grow up under the same mom and dad. Each one grows up in the same environment but each one has a different experience with each parent and with the other siblings. One child might ask different questions of the parents than the other children and learn something no one else in the family knows. This will change the individual perspectives the children have of the parents based on how deeply they know their parents.
Like the relationship of kids and parents, our beliefs of God and Jesus are based on the Bible and time we spend getting to know God. Religion is man-made, sometimes making rules against evil in the world, and typically based on some of the questions and beliefs we ask of God and the Bible. It’s all about trying to figure out the best way to sum up what we know about God to be true. Just like the views of the Pharisees and Sadducees back in the days of Jesus, our reasons for doing or saying things might start out innocently, but those reasons can never take the place of our relationship with God. We each come to Jesus at different levels and perspectives. Our lives bring filters of how we see the world and this also impacts how we see Jesus. These views impact the denomination we might be drawn to, but it can never overshadow the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus.
Why is this important? Why try to unite the denominations? We are in a spiritual battle not of this world and we represent Jesus to this world. If we portray that one denomination is right and the other wrong, then we are a divided front to this world and Satan has gained some victory. Remember, Jesus was a Jew. He belonged to that “religion” and yet He desired for His relationship with God to be far more important than the Jewish religion. He put relationship over religion; over denomination.
May we respect the various beliefs of other Christians by praying that God would open our eyes and their eyes to His ways and not our own. May we be a united front against the evil in this world.
Do you struggle with how different some of the Christian denominations seem at times?
How do you handle these differences? How can we better embrace them?
© 2015 Susan M. Sims
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
Looking for a small group Bible study? Look no further: Being Transparent: With Yourself, God, and Others
Good thoughts, Susan. You are so right.