A Sensitive Heart

A SENSITIVE HEART

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

The apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. This is the letter they took with them:

“This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!

“We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”

The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.

Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith. They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.

The Jerusalem church leaders’ letter addressing the dispute over Gentiles and circumcision is less clear than one might think it should be. It didn’t address the issue head on and stated only that the Gentiles should not be burdened with anything other than a few food requirements and abstaining from sexual immorality. Scholars agree that obedience to these rules was not intended to be a prerequisite to salvation and have generally concluded that the food restrictions were included to encourage sensitivity among the diverse body of believers. As for the seemingly obvious prohibition against sexual immorality, scholars believe that the elders sought to warn new believers against conduct that had been normalized in the culture surrounding their churches. The key question for us seems to be, What cultural influences, even if not unmistakably immoral, might be inhibiting our ability to love others and honor God above all else?

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• What kinds of conduct have become normalized in our culture that we need to be aware of and careful to avoid as followers of Jesus because of the way they inhibit our ability to love others or honor God? Which of these behaviors is tempting to you? What practices help you remain faithful?
• How sensitive are you to the impact your words and actions might have on the faith of other believers? Who do you know currently struggling with their faith? How could you be more sensitive in the midst of that person’s difficulties and doubts?

Father, thank you for the freedom Christ provided: freedom from being captive to sin, freedom from the eternal consequences of sin, freedom from the law. Help me use this freedom wisely and honor you—to follow you more closely, build up others in their faith, and be sensitive to what would make others stumble. Show me where I am weak and might stumble, and help me know what boundaries to draw and how to remain faithful. May my life be a testament to the life you offer. Amen.