You Cannot Be Replaced ...

Imagine owning a Faberge Egg or the original Mona Lisa painting that now hangs in the Louvre.  These works of art are rare and beautiful, and therefore worth much to those who admire and collect art.  But what happens if an electrical fire breaks out in your home, and they are both accidentally destroyed before the fire can be put out?  If that happened, you would have suffered a great loss.  In fact, the art community around the world would have suffered a great loss.  The simple reason, is that neither of these items could ever be fully replaced.  Oh there is more than one Faberge Egg in the world, and there are more renaissance paintings of women’s portraits in the world, but none are precisely the same.  Because these works of art are considered to be “one-of-a-kind”, they are irreplaceable.  It is their uniqueness that makes them so.

It so happens another “art collector” exists.  The community that follows His work is large, consisting of nearly 2/3 of the angelic host, and a wide variety of other collected works He has made around the known universe.  As it turns out, His latest creations reside in our world.  And He is desperately trying to return them to the gallery He had intended for them.  But humanity is not valued as a group.  Instead each person is distinct, unique, and has a unique purpose in a mosaic we refer to as humanity.  Consider for a moment that since the creation of Adam, there is only ONE version of you.  You are not a copy, that existed over and over again throughout the ages of history.  If one had a time machine (as God does), and could examine humanity from Adam to now, they would not find a single copy of you.  You are it.  You are the only copy to exist whether backwards or forwards in time.  This is due to the nature of the Artist. 

As such, your particular worth to our God and Sculptor becomes of infinite value, because He has chosen to only ever make one of you.  This also means, He had and has a unique purpose for you that NO other person can ever fully fulfill.  Oh sure, there are other humans, just like there are other renaissance paintings, but to lose even one of such a precious treasure is a loss that would be felt in the heart of the Artist, and throughout the entire heavenly community that knows the value of each of His works and how much He loves each one.  As you sit, you are not perfect.  Time, genetics, and choices, have marred and buried the potential of your greatness.  But our Artist, our Creator, knows how to remove the dirt that has accumulated.  He knows how to restore the fullness of what He intended for You as the work-of-art, that He has never stopped loving.  As you sit, you may not have yet fulfilled your purposes in this world, nor in the one to come.  But our Creating Artist, knows how to restore you to the position in His gallery, that He intended (and you would crave if you knew it).

Because a critic exists, does not devalue art of an infinite price.  But alas critics do exist.  They do not perceive the greatness of a completely unique work-of-art, neither in themselves, nor in others.  They see only the dirt that has accumulated, not the potential of what lies beneath in the structure and design.  They refuse to believe that the Artist could ever restore the art, because they have refused to let Him do it to them.  So critics are born, and persist.  You would think no such critic could ever exist within the church.  After all, the church is normally the place where the restoration work begins.  But then, it is not the building that makes the art of value.  A Faberge Egg in your home is worth just as much as a Faberge Egg in a museum.  So the walls of the church do not preclude the heart of a critic.  Often, critics simply do not like anything that does not resemble themselves.

Peter recalled just such a revelation to John Mark in his gospel, in chapter nine, and picking up in verse 38 saying … “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.”  John, a beloved disciple of Christ, has in this instance, decided to take on the role of critic.  John describes the problem to Christ, that is simply, that another work-of-art is casting out devils in the name of Jesus Christ.  This action is beneficial to those afflicted, and frankly is not something many of us try in today’s age.  It would appear, that another disciple has been formed, even without the daily contact with Jesus that John and his compatriots had.  BUT, and there was a big BUT, in the mind of John the critic on this day; the newly formed worshipper of Jesus, “DID NOT FOLLOW US.”  You will note John uses the word “us” in this reference. 

Only a few verses earlier, we find the disciples arguing about who would be the greatest.  This other person casting out devils was not showing the proper deference to the existing disciples yet.  Obviously the person casting out devils believed in the identity of Jesus Christ, or he would not have been using His name to do it.  But the person had the audacity to be conducting this work, without the sacrifice, of knowing his place in the church.  In the mind of John and the others, they were the “first” disciples, and therefore they should command the respect of the entire community.  If this man refused to follow “us”, then the community should forbid this man from casting out devils.  After all, the standards of the church must be maintained right?  You need to control the message right?  Only men of a certain age (and lineage) could ever be disciples, right?

Mark continues in verse 39 saying … “But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.”  The man is long gone, or at least out of the area of where they are now.  John had been telling Jesus of something that took place, likely earlier that day.  Yet the first words of Jesus are to “Forbid him not”.  Those words were to strike a chord in the heart of the critics, not the heart of the person casting out devils.  Because someone does not resemble us, or respect our “seniority” in the church, is NOT a reason to forbid them from helping those in need, with miracles performed in the name of Jesus Christ.  Jesus explains that anyone able to perform miracles in His name, is not likely to be casting doubt on His identity, or speaking badly about Christ.  They are instead most likely saying good things about Jesus.  And you can imagine the victims, who are now healed, are saying even greater things about Jesus Christ in whose name they are made free.

Jesus continues in verse 40 saying … “For he that is not against us is on our part.”  Wow!  This would seem to completely disrupt the entire denominational structure that has arisen within the Christian Church.  There was ZERO test of doctrinal beliefs this man would have to go through.  There was no background check of “what kind of man” he was.  This other work-of-art might still have dirt on it; or in other words, he may still have sin in his life, even public sin.  But Jesus considers him on their side.  Talk about sheep of another pasture.  You see, we begin to think it is the “church” that saves us, or the collection of works-of-art all getting together once a week in a particular building, that makes us saved, or restores us to our intended condition and potential.  But the building does nothing to accomplish that goal.  And getting together with other wounded souls, some of them elders, some of them teachers, and one of them a pastor … does not do it either.  ALL of them are still needing restoration from the same singular Artist, as we do ourselves.

The “church” should not consider it has the power to forbid others, but only to welcome them, and point them to Jesus Christ our only Artist.  Consider that each of us must be restored to our true potential, and true beauty only by Jesus Christ, not by other critics, or by ourselves.  If anything, our “job” is simply to love art, that is, to love and appreciate the infinite value of the unique works-of-art we find in the humanity that surrounds us.  How many times have we started meetings in the church board without a member present, reasoning to ourselves, that “it doesn’t matter if they are here”?  How many times have we greeted people in church and find a missing soul, but think to ourselves, “it does not matter if they are with us this week”?   We have become critics learning to disregard the value of others, because we see church members in a group, rather than unique, infinitely valued, people who WE should not be able to be without.  It is easy to disregard the value of any person, when we lump them into groups that have only pronouns, or collective designations, not unique names.

But the lesson of salvation was to be even more profound as Jesus continues in verse 41 saying … “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”  Here Jesus says that even a person (who may or may not actually believe in Christ themselves), offers you a cup of water, because you do believe in Christ, will not lose his reward.  A simple act of charity, a simple act of love, done just because you believe is enough to start the restoration process of that work-of-art, and see it completed.  I can think of a Muslim believer, who recently acted to spare the Christians riding with him on his bus, when stopped by terrorists in the Middle East recently.  He acted to save them, because they were Christians, even though He was a Muslim.  If just offering water would have done something great for him, what will acting to see their lives spared do?

The problem we face in our “church” thinking is that we have reduced people into a “membership”, rather than a praised collection of individual works-of-art, not a single one of which can be done without.  It is easier to care less for a group of people, than it is for a single one, whose pain we are familiar with, and whose individual need we know we could meet.  But if we recognized that we are ALL individually under the care of the Artist, who is restoring us in a painstaking work (our doing), that takes longer than it should (again our doing), we might realize that “you” cannot be replaced.  In fact, your value was so high, that Jesus wanted to make sure you were never driven away from Him by some critic, inside or outside the church, who thought they knew better, how someone is saved and restored.  For those who believe themselves to be the “standards-bearer” of our churches, for those who think it is their “job” to point out sin and condemn it, pay special attention.

Jesus continues in verse 42 saying … “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”  And with this saying “critics” and “criticism” should come to an end.  How sad it has not.  Jesus points to a child (lest we think we only need to pay attention to the value of an adult), and declares the value of that child, by saying, we should not even “offend” one of them.  We should not hurt their feelings.  We should not make them feel bad.  We should do nothing, that does not include a love that saves.  Condemnation, criticism, and judgment form the very basis of offending others.  If you think that your job in the church, start shopping for a millstone, and book that cruise on the Titanic.  It is not the intent of Jesus to cease from the restoration of critics, only to point out to them, how much pain their criticism can cause.  And to understand there is no-one immune to the pain of being criticized, even little children are affected.  In point of fact, the transformed heart that knows the joy of loving others, could not imagine criticizing, and bringing pain to a child; doing that even by accident would bring on thoughts of millstones and this like.

Jesus then continues his example of how much we should want to avoid hurting others, even a little child in verse 43 saying … “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: [verse 44] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. [verse 45] And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: [verse 46] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. [verse 47] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: [verse 48] Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”  It is important to study these examples in the context of what Jesus was saying.

In this Christ uses three examples.  First, if our “hand” offend thee.  Second if our “feet” offend thee.  Lastly if our “eye” offend thee.  Our hands represent what we do, and in the context of little children (whether physically or just spiritually young), what we do “to” them.  What we teach them, what we say to them, our actions brought upon on another that could offend them.  It would be better for us to have one less hand in heaven, than to suffer the eternal consequences of hell, that is separation from God, and a fire that cannot be put out until it has consumed even death.  Our feet then represent where we go, where we take ourselves, and the children we influence.  In this example, better for us to be lame in heaven, that is unable to move away from heaven; than move freely in the highways of hell.  Note that in the second and third examples, Jesus repeats the consequences of hell to be eternal, the worm that does not die, and the fire that we cannot put out.  Finally, our eyes represent what we see, and what we want.  Even if we control our actions, and bring children (or the spiritually young) only to places where they should be, if what we see causes us to want what we should not want, our blindness is preferred.  It would appear that lust of the eyes and heart is no less a problem, than what the hands or feet do.

Beginning with the millstone, and ending with the deformed bodies and eternal fires, these are NOT intended to be statements of exclusion from restoration and salvation our Savior can alone bring.  They are intended to show the severity of what we do and say to others.  How we interact with others, not showing them the love of Christ, has this severe an impact on them and us.  In the end, when our vision of love has perfect clarity, we will judge ourselves this harshly for the offenses we have given to others.  That “Schindler’s List” moment of clarity when we understand only now, that we could have done more, and that in so doing more lives would have been saved, will one day come upon all of us.  Treating our membership in the church as a license to become a critic, and regularly offer our “much needed criticism” is in fact having exactly this effect on others.  We are damaging them, even the children, in ways we would never wish to, if we could see through the lens of perfect loving eyes.

Instead of being an art critic, our Lord would have us become an art aficionado.  Jesus continues in verse 49 saying … “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. [verse 50] Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”  The process of our restoration will sometimes seem like fire.  It is hard to give up what we have treasured most, to value others, to give without ceasing, to hold nothing back.  And Jesus says everyone will be restored or salted in this way.  But He also says that every sacrifice will be healed with salt.  Ideally, we are supposed to heal, or salt each other.  We are supposed to be the vehicles through which God works to show us what it means to love.  But if we lose that love for each other, if we have no ability to heal the wounds of another, how can God use us for this purpose?  Instead of being an art critic, become someone with a strong appreciation for art.

For it is our uniqueness, that declares our value.  It is our restoration that will see us finally fully perform the function and work He has set for us to do.  Know that if we choose to never be restored, there will be hole in the mosaic that will never be filled.  For truly, YOU cannot be replaced.  If we come to treat each other and see each other as our Artist and Creator does, perhaps we can learn to love as we should.  There is no age barrier to this.  There is no racial barrier.  There was no doctrinal test established by Christ, other than do they believe in Jesus, and will they love others.  The process of restoration is unique to the piece of art in question, but all are restored over time.  The timelines may be different.  But we are NOT to be critics of the art, or how the Artist restores His works, we are to be people who appreciate and love the art and that can be used for His greater purposes, to heal, support, and to love.