Give Them a Common Enemy

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What does it take to bring sworn, bitter, ideological enemies together?

A common threat.

Jesus was the common threat to the Pharisees and the Herodians.

What did the Hasidim, the holy, separate, pious ones have to do with those who collaborated with Rome? They both valued the equilibrium and stability of their measured, static, and adversarial rivalry. They knew each others' self-interests and limits and were unwilling for anyone to upset things with a radical and compassionate lifestyle message that could catch hold of the hearts of people and upset their carefully weighted system.

Jesus rocks some pretty big boats and those who take the calling and implications of Jesus' calling seriously today, do the same, and can expect to be attacked from all sides of the status quo.

If you want to bring some folks together, tell a truth that threatens their power, presumption, prejudice, and preeminence.

If you want to encourage them to be friends and allies, let them perceive you as an enemy.

I am not suggesting that this is an enjoyable exercise or an end in itself. It may just be the byproduct of doing and saying what is right. It may be the cost of justice for you - that those sworn to oppose you will unite ... because they hate you more than they hate each other.

"Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”

And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”

But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him." - Mark 3:1-6 (ESV)