Sermon- Church On The Move | Conflict And Grace | Pastor Jisun Yang | 5-17-26
- Middletown UMC Meadowlark
- May 17
- 3 min read
Pastor Jisun narrates how preparing for family gatherings can weigh heavily on one member of the family, and, how a family visit can become burdensome on the host. These are situations that can lead to conflict, defensiveness, hurt feelings and blame when one person expresses their exhaustion. But if people choose to pause and listen instead of arguing or attacking, the family can begin working together. Conflict is often resolved when people choose understanding over winning, grace over pride and relationship over being right.
In today's scripture reading we witness how the early church navigated a serious conflict that threatened to divide the community of faith. It was not easy for people from different backgrounds, cultures and understandings of God to suddenly become one community. There was disagreement about whether a non-Jew had to first convert to Judaism and then to Christianity, or whether it was not necessary to convert to Judaism first in order to become a Christian. When this conflict arose, the early church did not allow the disagreement to divide them - instead they brought the matter before the Jerusalem Council and discerned together the path forward. The Jerusalem Council consisted of the Apostles and the elders of the church. James played a key role in the discussions and so did Peter. Paul and Barnabas testified about God's work among the gentiles. After hearing all sides, James offered a concluding judgement that was grounded in faith, scripture and the Holy Spirit. They discerned that what was essential was not ethnicity or tradition, cultural conformity or the practice of every religious custom. What was essential was faith in Jesus Christ, grace and the work of the Holy Spirit.
This discernment was shared with the church and led to the spread of Christianity far and wide. The fact that many of us who are not Jewish believers are here worshiping Jesus today is evidence of how important that moment was in the life of the church. The question we must continually ask is "Are we helping people come closer to Jesus or are we creating unnecessary barriers for them?" Are we expecting people to become like us in order to belong? This story reminds us that the center of Christian faith is not rule-keeping for acceptance, but grace that welcomes people into a relationship with God through Christ. Barnabas walked alongside Paul and helped Paul gain acceptance among Christians who were suspicious of his intentions due to his past persecution of Christians. Barnabas helped Paul gain acceptance in the community of faith. The question that today's scripture reading leaves with us today is not whether conflict will exist among us. The question is what kind of people will we become: people who build walls or people who build bridges; people who deepen the divisions between us and them, or people who seek to listen, discern and walk together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The early church could have split over this question but instead chose to listen to God's word and discern together what was truly essential. They discovered that God's grace was moving far beyond the boundaries that they had imagined. Perhaps God is still doing that today, moving beyond the boundaries of our comfort, traditions, assumptions and expectations. We are here because of God's grace; we are here to share the good news and welcome others with the same grace that we received. May we become bridges rather than barriers. May we create a space where people can encounter the love of Christ and find a home. May the Holy Spirit continue shaping us into a Church On The Move, that reflects not fear or pride or division but the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.