This reflection comes out of Matthew 18:19-20,
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.
Two short verses but very insightful! Before reading the rest of the reflection though, I want you to review my previous reflections in this series:
There are two statements I would like to share with you in case you’ve not heard of them, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The other one is “I am because we are.”
They are originally from some African philosophy, but not scripture even though they support some biblical truths.
The Power of togetherness
The idea behind the above truths (drawing on the African philosophy) is what Jesus was implying based on Matthew 18:19-20.
Before delving into that, let me point out that it doesn’t really matter the reason you get together with others, but, just doing so makes you stronger when you operate as a community.
An example of that is the tower of Babel. Read the story in Genesis 11:1-9.
The people, according to Genesis, used to speak one language. One day, they decided to build a huge tower that could reach the skies. They wanted to make a name of their own. And, God, from the heavenly realms, noticed the people’s endeavor.
[bctt tweet=”When you do things as a community, it makes a louder impact even in the spiritual realms! ” username=”emmanuelnaweji”]
Human pride kicked God out of the equation since the people were building the tower for themselves. As a result, God had to stop them, and He made them start speaking various languages.
Because they couldn’t understand each other, and as a result of that confusion, they stopped building. They ended up going separate ways according to their languages.
Thus, the name “babel,” meaning confusion!
The concept of togetherness for the people, based on Genesis 11, as discussed above, missed the three key elements which we get from Matthew 18:20,
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
There are three things from the above verse:
- Two or three gather.
- They gather in the name of Jesus.
- There, am I (Jesus) with them.
That’s the foundation and power of togetherness, which lies in the third point: “there, am I (Jesus) with them.”
Jesus, when He is was here on earth, represented the physical and tangible demonstration of God’s presence. Today, we experience the tangible presence of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
[bctt tweet=”So when two or three (or more) of us gather in the name of Jesus, God is with us. When God is with us, we become unstoppable. We never lose any battles, and are always more than conquerors! ” username=”emmanuelnaweji”]
All the above is the result of the power that lies in the concept of togetherness (intentional community building), and especially when we do it in God’s presence.
The power of a community that’s grounded in Christ
Notice that earlier, I pointed out that when we gather in the name of Christ, we become unstoppable. And, we never lose battles again because God has made us more than conquerors.
That comes out of Matthew 18:19,
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.
Also, read verse 18,
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.
Both verses imply power in the physical as well as spiritual realms. But, that power lies in the concept of togetherness, which is grounded in Christ.
In verse 19, you have seen another element we add to what we’ve discussed above: “agreement.”
[bctt tweet=”The power of togetherness, or of any established community, lies in the choice to agree together on a common mission. ” username=”emmanuelnaweji”]
Bringing it together
When we agree together about anything we ask for or want to achieve together, God, our Father in heaven, will surely make it happen. Not only do we become unstoppable, as a result, but we also accomplish even the impossible because of God being present in our midst.
Instead of confusion (babel like in the Tower of Babel), we will have clarity about God’s vision for each one of us as we bind together with one another, and through chords of love that no one can break.
We may disagree on a few things, but when we choose to accept, forgive, and serve each other, no matter what, God makes us a thriving community nothing or no one can break.
