Romans 2:25-29 (The Message and TNIV)
Who doesn't want to wrap up their week with a good discussion of circumcision? I mean, come on, knives and the most intimate of areas? While it's a bit uncomfortable to discuss and everyone has questions about the rite, it's right in front of us today and to be faithful to our reading, we must not cut away from the text. :-)
External Markers for Internal Commitments. For the Jewish male, circumcision was an external marker that they were internally connected to God as an Israelite. I'm not sure how this worked, though. It seems that in some weird way, this was visible to others when a guy walked into the room. I have to admit that I'm a fan of progress and zippers at this point. There were also other external markers that separated the Israelites from other races - they didn't shave their beards or their sideburns, they wore certain clothing garments, the women wore head covers.
We may not think about external markings for Christians, but they are certainly there in our culture. When I was a teenager, the "copy-cool-shirts-craze" began for Christianity. Someone had the brilliant idea to take a popular phrase or slogan and "baptize" it and sell it to Christian young people. The shirts became external markers for us. The Christian Bookstores have made a lot of money catering to our need for external markers - candy, trinkets, purses, paintings, clothing, shoes, bumper stickers, car decals, accessories, etc.. More extreme markers would include various types of body modification.
The Internal Commitment Trumps the External Marker. In any case, the internal commitment is primary otherwise you are a fake, a fraud, a poser, a wannabe. In the first century, Paul is making this point, by pointing out that certain people have the external marker, but don't obey the law. This is wrong. Others do not have the external markers but obey the law. This is better. Some have internal commitments that are accurately reflected by their external markers. This is best. It's easy for us, as for them, to hide behind our external markers and let everyone think we are something we are not. In the end, it's "the mark of God on your heart" that identifies you as a child of God, not the knife on your skin, shirt on the back or decal on your car.
What are some of your external markers? Would you share an experience with us?
I have purposely chosen to avoid certain external markers, like the fish on the car or the KSBJ bumper sticker. Mainly because I have been known to be a bad driver every once in awhile. Not violent or rude, but this is Houston afterall and you never know when someone will make you WANT to be violent or rude. And the stickers wouldn't make me act differently. They would only act as foder for those who are hung up on the Christian as hypocrite stereoptype. But I do have markers in my home- paintings, crosses, scripture written in pretty font and framed. I display these proudly, as I want people who enter my home to know I love Christ, but they also provide me comfort and encouragement.
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