"Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."
The word in Greek for "agree" in this passage is "Sumphoneo" (συμφωνέω).
Sumphoneo is a compound word of sun, meaning "together," and phone, meaning "a sound." Literally, it means “to sound together." In first century society, it came to mean "harmonious sound" in regard to musical instruments, and the common usage meant "to agree."
When I saw this Greek word, my musical brain immediately made the connection with our modern word "symphony." Obviously, musical instruments in the age of the Roman Empire were nowhere near as sophisticated as the ones we have today. Most were primitive string instruments resembling a guitar or harp, simple wooden flutes or horns, or drums and cymbals. Although the sounds they created were not as rich as today’s symphony orchestras, the concept of musicians playing together in unity and harmony was understood just the same.
One of the things I love about this musical metaphor is the PURPOSE of the unity among believers in Christ. Just as Jesus teaches in Matthew 18, God’s presence is essential in resolving conflict and maintaining good relationships, and our relational unity invites the presence of God into our communities,
There is also an outward focus to unity that this musical term suggests. Musicians don’t always get together to play their instruments harmoniously solely for their own personal enjoyment. There is an intentional desire to share their music with others, and this is only possible if there is unity, or "sumphoneo" between the members of the musical ensemble. No audience wants to be subjected to the cacophony of musicians playing completely out of sync with one another. In the same way, followers of Jesus who live in disunity repel, rather than invite, others into their communities.
There are a number of great results when we "make one sound" together …
1. We realign our hearts to match the perspective of God
2. We provide a Christ-centered foundation for our relationships with others
3. We push back against the darkness, as Jesus says in verse 1
4. We present an example of righteous community to the world around us
1. We realign our hearts to match the perspective of God
2. We provide a Christ-centered foundation for our relationships with others
3. We push back against the darkness, as Jesus says in verse 1
4. We present an example of righteous community to the world around us
I want to be a person who seeks out others I can make a beautiful sound with, together, for the glory of God—both in music and in life.
Brent
bmills@b4church.org
Brent
bmills@b4church.org
No comments:
Post a Comment