If the Mets lose today, baseball analysts and fans will have a hay day, attempting to scrutinize what happened. The finger of blame will be pointed at the manager, coaching staff, the bull pen, the 3,4 & 5 hitters inability to come through in the clutch, individual players whose salaries demand results.  Bottom line Mets fans will be looking for someone to blame.

One thing I said when I coached baseball was, "You win as a team and you lose as a team."  It used to drive me crazy when parents would blame a loss on one particular play or player.  First of all, I don’t believe for one single minute that that player, intentionally committed the error so his/her team would lose.  Secondly, one player’s error does not cost any team the game.  I don’t care if the score was 16-15 or 1-0, it was a team effort or lack there of that won or lost the game.

Jesus wasn’t talking baseball, but he certainly could have been when He said,

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."

Jesus, was responding to the remarks made in regards to His casting out a demonic spirit from a man who was both blind and mute.  This miracle caused the crowd to identify Jesus, as the Son of David.  Even though Jesus, didn’t fit their image of the Son of David, His deeds were of such power and nature that they had every reason to conclude that Jesus, was indeed The Son of David.

The scribes and Pharisees were not of the same mind set as the crowds.  They said Jesus was casting out demons, "By Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Jesus’ response to their charge is very logical.

The first point Jesus makes is that if He is casting out demons by the help of the ruler of the demons then the demonic kingdom is self destructing.

Second, the Jewish scribes and Pharisees practiced exorcisms, thus casting out demons, so therefore they must also be succeeding by demonic powers.

Third, Jesus’ casting out demons was proof He had entered the strong mans house and defeated the strong man.

Can you see the logic?

If you believe strongly in something, would you do something to deliberating defeat it or destroy it?  Of course not, which is exactly the point Jesus makes in this passage.

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."

Today is world wide communion Sunday.  A day when every Christian church will gather around the table of our Lord, the table of grace, to break bread and to drink from the cup.  We gather with believers from Germany, France, Ireland, India, South America; Christians from every remote jungle and metropolitan city in the world.

We may be clothed differently, speak differently, believe differently.  Our houses of worship and even the communion elements may vary widely - yet we gather to remember the life, the teachings, the death and the resurrection of Christ.  To experience commune with the Spirit presence of Christ and the physical presence of Christ found in each other.  To leave the table with renewed hope for the faithful living of today.  We gather as one body in the Lord, in the one Spirit, one worldwide body of Christ.

What a glorious day this would be if this were true?

It may be world wide communion, but in some churches you and I would be denied communion, because we are not of that particular denomination.  In some churches our Christian faith would be called into question because our faith journey, is not similar to theirs.  How tragic it is that instead of focusing on what we have in common, a faith in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, we focus on institutional and theological difference.

We are celebrating world wide communion, but the truth is we are a fragmented church.  A church that has no one to blame, but itself.  A church that could transform the world with the power and love and grace of God.  I said could transform the world, because it is dependent on you.  Yes, dependent on believers like you and me who are willing to seek, to know, to love and to serve God.

It has been said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  The same can be said of the the church. Although most people would blame the minister or the governing board if the church failed, the truth of the matter is that every individual member plays an essential part.  The church wins or loses as a team.

The question we all need to ask ourselves is, does my presence strengthen the body of Christ?  Am I a weak or strong link?

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand."

United, by the love of God, we stand as the body of Christ ready able to transform this world into the kingdom of God on earth.

amen

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