Jeremiah 26:9
"Why have you prophesied in the name of Adonai, ‘This house will become like Shiloh,’ and, ‘This city will become uninhabited ruins’?” The people all crowded in on Yirmeyahu in Adonai’s house."
When the prophet speaks God's blessing, the people rejoice and the prophet is loved; when the prophet brings correction, however, it's blasphemy and they're being divisive. Yet in both blessing and correcting, the message is greater than the messenger.
~Throughout history the Lord has used messengers to speak to his people; from Noah to the prophetically gifted of the New Testament. These messengers often upset the status quo, and challenge our comfort zones; which is why they're sometimes mistakenly labeled as divisive and disruptive. Just as the people who Jeremiah prophesied to couldn't believe ADONAI would prophesy against his own city, the church often receives correction in the same way; rejecting the messenger under the pretense that God wouldn't speak negatively about his own church. Yet this is exactly what God has done throughout history! How many times has he spoken against his own people to bring them back to repentance? Even Jesus brought stiff correction to the churches listed in Revelation! Now, this isn't to say that every disruptive person is a prophet, however, it is important that we not be so quick to judge the message on account of the messenger. There have been many messengers whose message seemed to have been diminished by their personality or ability to deliver it. Paul appeared fearful in person and bold in writing. Jonah prophesied, then argued with God for not destroying the very people he prophesied to. Elijah brought fire down from heaven, then ran away and hid in a cave, fearing for his life. We have to remember that the gift is instant, but the character is always a work in progress. As my Dad would say, you don't have to like someone to learn from them; in the same way, we need to learn that the messengers' failings does not invalidate their message. We are a body, requiring all the parts: the emissaries, the prophets, the proclaimers of the good news, the teachers and the shepherds. We need all of the parts, fully recognized, fully received, and fully functioning to build up the body of Christ to its full measure. This means learning to weigh the message in our spirit, even when the messenger is still working out their salvation. It means being patient with one another, while we develop our gifts. Most importantly, it means letting love be our highest aim, and listening through a lens of humility; always prepared to learn, always prepared to receive correction, regardless of the vessel it comes through.
Todays Prayer
Father let unity be our highest priority! Help us fight for what's right, not just for what we believe is right. Give us grace for one another, give us ears to hear the message, even when the messenger is still a work in progress. Most of all give us love for one another; love that is patient and humble, love that bears up the weak, and bears with the immature. Love that receives correction with grace, and gives it with humility.