“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:18-20 NKJV
And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Genesis 11:6 ESV
This week I was looking over some old notes concerning unity and praying in agreement. There was one essay from the series “Healing Help” that I liked very much. Here’s an excerpt from “Healing Help 25: A People of Power.“
“There is great power in agreement. When Jesus used the term in Matthew 18:19, we found that it comes from a Greek word “Sumphoneo.” It literally means to be harmonious. It can mean a business agreement or a general acknowledgment of some truth, “we agree that the sun rises in the east.” It can also mean that a group of individuals have come to an accord about some issue, “the homeowners association all agreed to a monthly fee of $100.” Our word “symphony” comes from this root. In a symphony, we’re all playing the same song, but each of us may be playing a different note or a different instrument, different parts but one beautiful whole. You might say what when we are in concert, there is power.
A survey of the Scriptures reveals a number of illustrations of this idea. In fact, I believe it’s obvious that you were never meant to live the Christian life alone. I would go so far as to say that it may be harmful to your health to try to live out your faith without a connection to the rest of the Church. Every illustration used in the New Testament to describe the Church demands the conclusion that we are in this together:
- We’re a body. Romans 12:4 says we are “individually members one of another (ESV).”
- We’re in an army. Paul tells us not to get entangled in civilian pursuits and to put on the entire armor necessary to pray for all believers, including him. (2 Timothy 2:3-4; Ephesians 6:11-19)
- We’re family. Those believers who have gone on before and all those who remain are brothers and sisters, part of the Father’s house. (Ephesians 3:14-15; Galatians 6:10)
When sickness or injury touches your body, all the other parts respond in concert to assist. Whether it’s the immune system sending antibodies to fight infection, or the left foot carrying more weight when the right foot is injured, the Body reacts in a God-given way to take care of the injured part, bearing their load, and working to restore the whole body to optimum function.
Armies in the field respond to the assault of the enemy in a coordinated way. It’s not “every man for himself.” Instead it’s “no man left behind.” Infantry rushes to recover and protect. Medics are sent to the scene to treat the injured. Command provides air cover. Intel reports on the schemes of the enemy. Artillery fire is temporarily re-directed to hold off the foe until rescue is affected. Leaders alter battle plans so the campaign can continue on its assignment.
In a close-knit family we see members coming to the aid of the one who is injured. Some bring food, some care for children or take care of household chores. Others provide transportation to doctors while others may provide financial assistance. You get the idea.
In every instance, there is agreement in purpose, we all pull together to provide the best opportunity for the damaged part to be repaired. In the meantime, we try to maintain the integrity and function of the system while the healing is taking place. The body still eats and sleeps and breathes. The army continues in its assignment. The family adjusts and takes care of its own. The overall purpose doesn’t change, but resources are diverted to cover and care for the injured member. In each instance, there is a sense that the attack is on the entire army, or body, or family. Each of these systems has some method of communication to let the other parts know the nature of the assault and what is needed to respond.
Jesus clearly indicates that there is great power in this kind of “symphonic” agreement. In fact when we gather in His Name, our petitions are answered in an unusual way. Matthew 18:20 implies that this is a result of His presence in our midst in some special way. There is power in the unified gathering of the saints. This isn’t supposed to be just a religious theory. We want it to be an experiential reality.”
I pray you experience the reality of being part of the symphony today. Let’s go be the Church.
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