SEPARATION CAN LEAD TO ISOLATION (7 OF 7)
by Ed Rowell
Scripture: MATTHEW 9:9-13, I JOHN 2:15-16, JOHN 17:14-18
This content is part of a series.
Separation Can Lead to Isolation (7 of 7)
Series: Adventures in Missing the Point
Ed Rowell
Matt. 9:9-13; 1 John 2:15-16; John 17:14-18
March 21, 2004
Imagine a weird world where, before you can be admitted to a hospital, you have to have a clean bill of health. Where doctors won't see you if you are sick, because they are afraid of contracting your disease. In this place, the only way you can get glasses is to have perfect vision. The only way to get dental care is to have a perfect smile. Think how odd it would be to live in a world where counselors or therapists would only see happy, well-adjusted people.
Imagine a world where people who get lost in the wilderness are required to come down from the mountain and get cleaned up and patched up before the search and rescue team will agree to see them. Where teachers only instruct the wise and knowledgeable. Where restaurants refuse to serve hungry people. Where the thirsty are denied water. Where the lonely are kept in isolation until they make friends.
Is this some kind of world out of the Twilight Zone? Is it some horrific creation of Stephen King? What kind of world would you be in? You'd be in a world where the isolationist logic of the Pharisees was pervasive. Not just the first century Pharisees, but the 21st century variety as well.
The Pharisees, as we have seen in the past several weeks, were convinced that the key to maintaining purity was to live in isolation from those who they saw as being far from God.
The word Pharisee means, "separated ones." They stood in contrast to the group in their day known as the Hellenists, who embraced everything about the Greco/Roman world without question. Again, we do not want to be overly critical of the Pharisees, because their desire was to honor God. They desired to be obedient to the biblical command that followers of God be separated from those who don't follow Him.
Is that true of our world? Have we isolated ourselves from the very people we ...
Series: Adventures in Missing the Point
Ed Rowell
Matt. 9:9-13; 1 John 2:15-16; John 17:14-18
March 21, 2004
Imagine a weird world where, before you can be admitted to a hospital, you have to have a clean bill of health. Where doctors won't see you if you are sick, because they are afraid of contracting your disease. In this place, the only way you can get glasses is to have perfect vision. The only way to get dental care is to have a perfect smile. Think how odd it would be to live in a world where counselors or therapists would only see happy, well-adjusted people.
Imagine a world where people who get lost in the wilderness are required to come down from the mountain and get cleaned up and patched up before the search and rescue team will agree to see them. Where teachers only instruct the wise and knowledgeable. Where restaurants refuse to serve hungry people. Where the thirsty are denied water. Where the lonely are kept in isolation until they make friends.
Is this some kind of world out of the Twilight Zone? Is it some horrific creation of Stephen King? What kind of world would you be in? You'd be in a world where the isolationist logic of the Pharisees was pervasive. Not just the first century Pharisees, but the 21st century variety as well.
The Pharisees, as we have seen in the past several weeks, were convinced that the key to maintaining purity was to live in isolation from those who they saw as being far from God.
The word Pharisee means, "separated ones." They stood in contrast to the group in their day known as the Hellenists, who embraced everything about the Greco/Roman world without question. Again, we do not want to be overly critical of the Pharisees, because their desire was to honor God. They desired to be obedient to the biblical command that followers of God be separated from those who don't follow Him.
Is that true of our world? Have we isolated ourselves from the very people we ...
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