"No Superheroes Needed" July 18 Readings: Nehemiah 7-8, Acts 15:22–41, Psalm 84:1–7, Proverbs 17:24–26

Today's Readings - Nehemiah 7-8, Acts 15:22–41, Psalm 84:1–7, Proverbs 17:24–26

Devotional - No Superheroes Needed

In one sense, the story makes me happy, in another, it makes me very sad. After the conference in Jerusalem that dealt with the conflict over Gentiles coming into the church, and how Jewish the church would be, Paul and Barnabas decided the time was right to head out on another mission trip to visit the churches they had already planted and to extend the gospel even further.

Then, according to Acts 15:36-41, a problem arose, having to do with Mark. Barnabas, always the encourager, wanted to bring him along and give him another chance - let him succeed this time. Paul was having none of it. The momma's boy had cut and run when they needed him and could not be trusted. This was important business they were doing and there was no way that they could trust a man like this again, at least not this soon. And the argument became pretty heated.

36  Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

 It is clear what makes me sad about this story.  Two great men, great friends, great servants of God, came to a parting of the ways because they could not work this issue out. Barnabas was the man who stood by Paul when no one else would and had been Paul's mentor, his discipler. Now, they were on the outs. It is a tragic story.

But what makes me happy? It makes me happy that the Word of God is REAL. It is not fictional make-believe in which people never make mistakes. Ever read a biography of a great Christian? We have a tendency when writing the life stories of great men or women to build them up into spiritual superheroes who could leap tall buildings in a single bound.

The Bible never does that. It tells us the real stories of real people. Jesus was perfect but the people who served him were not. Paul was a man - a man of God but also a sinner who had a temper and got his feelings hurt and struggled to forgive and - well, a man who was messed up just like me. Moses made mistakes. Elijah got discouraged. Abraham's faith failed him a time or two. David, the man after God's own heart, fell into grievous sin.

I love that the Bible is not about spiritual superheroes but people like me who struggle to keep it together, who fail and start over and who do things they wish they hadn't.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Mark eventually became a useful friend and coworker, laboring with Paul in the gospel. We can hope that Barnabas and Saul's friendship survived this and thrived in the days ahead, though they ministered separately. God used even this sad episode to work his grace and to extend the kingdom.

The good news for you and me today is simple - God is not looking for spiritual superheroes to accomplish his kingdom work. He takes people like you and me, and Paul and Barnabas and he uses us - regular, ordinary, flesh and blood, sinful folks! God infuses us with the power of Christ and fills us with his Spirit to accomplish his mighty work through us.

Leave the cape at home. You don't need it to serve our mighty God. 

Father, thank you for your grace. I am weak, but you are strong. Thank you that the only superhero in your kingdom is the One who rose from the grave and who is my Savior and Lord.

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?

Are you a perfectionist, thinking that you are required to be faultless to be useful to God?

It is Christ who is sinless and Christ alone.

Be thankful today that, while sin is never "okay," it is the goodness of Christ and his perfection that matters, not ours.