January 22, 2025

When I became your pastor, my parents gave me a book on pastoring by Richard Baxter. At the time I did not know much if anything about Baxter, nor that turbulent period of English history (1600’s) which was the time of their own civil war. Did you know that England had a civil war that was worse than ours? It is estimated that 752,000 people died in our civil war or 2.5% of our population. England’s civil war resulted in 868,000 deaths which was a staggering 11% of its population. Their war was fought between those loyal to the crown (King) and those loyal to Parliament and of course, religion was in the mix. Baxter was a pastor during this very difficult time.

A few years later, I was introduced to John Owen. I did not know much about him either other than he also lived in England in the 1600’s. Owen’s writings on The Death of Death in the death of Christ, The Mortification of Sin and (Cathi’s favorite) Communion with the Triune God are towering classics and have served (I would guess) millions of believers for over 300 years.

In my mind, these men are giants. So, I was really taken back to discover that while they lived at the same time, ministered in the same region, they did not like one another. In fact, they really did not like each other and at a time when the people of God in England desperately needed these luminaries of the gospel to shine as one, they allowed personal grievances to go unresolved and failed to give leadership that was needed. How could two titans of the faith, who agreed on so many important things, allow some smaller issue become such a massive wedge? The very gospel that these men loved and wrote about so powerfully was emptied (in a sense) of some of its influence by their failure to resolve some personal matters that were very fixable.

This hard history should cause us to be very cautious about our own relationships. Have I dug in my heels and refused to listen and learn from others? Is my opinion set because I am right, or because I am stubborn and refuse to be better informed? Do I look to be argumentative and authoritative, or engaging and helpfully convincing after I get all the facts?

None of us are going to get this perfect until glory. But all of us can take a page from history and let it be a cautionary tale for our own souls. Jesus put us in his body on purpose. We must never give up seeking the best for others. Pursue the truth in love.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 10.17-20

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