Tug of War

The Rev. Joseph Winston

June 20, 2010

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.1
At one time in our nations past, you could walk onto the playground and
actually watch children playing together. These boys and girls of yesteryear did
not need anything fancy to have a really good time. You certainly would not find
them huddled around the newest hand-held game console, a 3DS, oohing and
aahing over the three-dimensional graphics that seem to pop out at you. You did
not see anywhere on the field the telltale signs of an iPod nor heard a single note of
the latest music blaring out of their white earbuds. No one sent messages to their
friends what is happening during recess by texting them. All that they needed was
a strong piece of rope along with enough people willing to play a game of tug of
war.
The objective of the game is very simple. Pull the opposing team from their
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3.

1
side of the field over to yours. The actual rules depend on the level of play. If a
group of people are out having a good time, then just about anything goes. All
you need to do is to evenly divide up into two teams, take a hold of the rope, and
pull until one group wins. Heated competition is another matter altogether. Here
you have long and complicated regulations on the combined weight of the team,
how one must pull on the rope, and the duration of time a player may spend on
the ground.
Tug of war serves as a visible reminder of the importance of working together
because a single player, no matter how strong they might be, cannot defeat a united
team. Maybe that is why the activity has survived for so many years. Archaeolog-
ical records show the playing of the game in the ancient empires of China, India,
and Egypt.2 The Vikings participated in a version of tug of war in the regions sur-
rounding Scandinavia and Germany. Near the end of the Middle Ages, the people
of Great Brittan and France competed in matches. Tug of war was even a part of
the Summer Olympics from 1900 until 1920.3
Paul recognizes the importance of the Church working together as One Body.4
2
Anonymous, Tug of war, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_war.
3
Idem, Tug of war at the Summer Olympics, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_
of_war_at_the_Summer_Olympics.
4
Pauls model of unity includes phrases such as (One Body in
Christ found in Romans 12:5), (One body used in Romans 12:4; prostitute I
Corinthians 6:16, 10:17, 12:12, 12:13, 12:20), (The Body of Christ
spoken of in Romans 7:4; I Corinthians 10:16, 12:27), (One in Christ heard
in Galatians 3:28), and (The phrase in Christ found in Romans 3:24, 6:11, 6:23,
8:1, 8:2, 8:39, 9:1, 12:5, 15:17, 16:3, 16:7, 16:9, 16:10; Galatians 2:4, 2:16, 2:17, 3:14, 3:26,
5:6; I Corinthians 1:2, 1:4, 1:30, I Corinthians 3:1, 4:10, 4:15, I Corinthians 4:17, 15:18, 15:19, I
Corinthians 15:22, 15:31, 16:24; II Corinthians 1:5, 1:21, I 2:14, 2:17, I 5:17, I 5:19, 12:2, 12:19;
Philippians 1:1, 1:26, 2:1, 2:5, 3:3, 3:9, 3:14, 4:7, 4:19, 4:21; I Thessalonians 2:14, 4:16, 5:18;
Philemon 1:6, 1:8, 1:20, 1:23).

2
He addresses this specific issue in his letter to the believers in Galatia. Some-
one or perhaps some group want to come in and then add a new requirement on
all the faithful (Galatia 2:3-4, 2:11-14). This severe problem demands immediate
attention.
After a traditional greeting, Paul begins his epistle with the message that this
new demand made on the Christians in Galatia is deadly.5 It adds an additional
prerequisite to the Gospel that never existed before.
All by itself, this one modification is a serious problem (Galatians 1:6-9). It
completely changes the Good News from a free gift given to you by now demand-
ing that you must do something. With this single change, it is possible that you
never know how much is required of you. There might be one more thing you
must do before the Gospel actually benefits you.
Then there is the issue of ability (Galatians 2:3-4). Your nationality, your age,
your position in life, or your gender could prevent you from doing what someone
else wants. The reality that you see played out in everyday life that some people
are left out means that the Gospel now totally depends on who you are. By this
definition, it is only open to a select few and you might not fit in.
Just as important as the other two issues, the stipulation that you need to fulfill
at least one more condition before the Gospel applies to you completely calls into
question the work of Jesus (Galatians 3:13, 20). For some reason, God could not
These phrases are not analogies but instead they are to be taken literally since the
(Church) is the (body) of Christ. Keith F. Nickle; C. F. D. Moule et al., editors, The Collec-
tion: A study in Pauls Strategy, Volume 48, Studies in Biblical Theology, (Naperville, IL: Alec R.
Allenson, Inc, 1966), p. 117.
5
The Greek word epistle () means sending news.

3
or did not do what is required for your salvation. This means that Jesus is either
powerless against the forces of this world or that Jesus is incapable of telling the
truth. Neither answer is useful for you because it exposes God as a total fraud that
cannot be trusted with your future.
In the lesson for the day, Paul continues with his argument against adding a
new law required for salvation by describing for you the benefits of being One
with Jesus. He opens with an image many people of the time would have been
familiar with: a teacher (Galatians 3:23-26).6 The actual word used in the Greek
is still with us today. It is pedagogue () and it is composed of two
Greek words. The prefix means child () and the suffix to lead ().
Its use during Greek and Roman times is associated with a male slave that travels
with a boy to school. This older male instructs the younger one on the important
facts of life that includes manners, respect, along with providing assistance with
schoolwork. This man is someone who the boy looks up to, he trains the boy to
become a man, and he challenges the boy to do more than he thinks he can.
Because of Jesus, you have all the rights and responsibilities offered to Gods
Son. You now have the best that the world has to offer. That is why Jesus is your
new teacher that replaces your old one. It does not matter if you are a man and
have outgrown your previous instructor. Jesus travels with you down the roads
of life all the way to the end. Jesus also does not care if your family is too poor
to provide their male children with a tutor. Jesus comes to you and teaches you
6
This translation found in the NRSV (custodian in RSV) reveals the bias that the translators
have against the law (). The noun in question is pedagogue () and it is used only
three times in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 4:15; Galatians 3:24; 3:35).

4
want you need to know. Jesus is for everyone. He trains women and children too.
He gives you the proper education society took away from you because you are
female.
You have the same gift. Jesus tells you what you need to know so that you can
live.
Clothing makes the person. This is good news if you have the money to buy
whatever your heart desires or if you are the kind of person that looks absolutely
fabulous no matter what they wear. What about the rest of us? What do you do if
you cannot afford the latest fashion? What do you wear if nothing looks good on
you? What then?
Jesus is the answer to all these questions (Galatians 3:27). He gives you what
money cannot buy: the clothes He wears. No matter what the world or you do not
like about yourself, Jesus makes you look good. Now, you have clothes that others
can only dream about.
Baptism is the gift from Jesus that removes everything that divides one per-
son from the other.7 The implications are staggering. You are no longer identified
with your culture, your place in life, or even the natural order found in creation
(Galatians 3:28). You are One with Jesus.
This is not a hope that you will one day be the Body of Christ. It is not a dream
that someday soon you might be like Jesus. Instead, Paul speaks of a present re-
ality. Race, what you do, and even whom you might find yourself to be no longer
7
William H. Lazareth and Nikos Nissiotis, editors, Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry: Faith and
Order Paper No. 111, (World Council of Churches, 1982), p. 2.

5
matter at all. All these things that divide one person from another fade into noth-
ingness because you are One with Jesus.8
Everyone here has a body. More correctly, every human is a body. You know
all the shortcomings. You have those days when you cannot do the things you
want. You feel the pain that comes with aches that time can never heal. You see
the irreversible changes in your own life. You also realize that your death lies
ahead of you. Add in all the reasons you are too afraid to share with anyone else
and it soon becomes readily apparent why you do not want the Church to be the
Body of Christ. It hurts way too much.9
So you pull back. This weakens the Body that remains. Now, it is much harder
for the Church to do what needs to be done. Mission suffers. You neglect to serve
your neighbor. You ignore teaching them about Jesus. You do not invite them to
worship.
It is like dropping a player from one side of the tug of war. For a while, your
team might hold its own but sooner or later the remaining players will tire and
what you care about will be lost.
You probably can think of a thousand different reasons why you do not belong
in the Body of Christ. Yet, the fact remains. Jesus came and chose you to be with
Him forever.
8
To correctly understand Paul you must hold onto two ideas simultaneously that the Eucharistic
elements of bread and wine are Christs body and those called out are the body of Christ. Robert W.
Jenson, Systematic Theology: The Triune God, Volume 1, (New York, NY: Oxford University
Press, 1997), p. 205.
9
All bodies, including the Body of Christ, are vulnerable and thus they can be abused. Idem,
Unbaptized God: The Basic Flaw in Ecumenical Theology, (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress,
1992), p. 32-33.

6
 He can take your exhaustion. Give it to Him. He was tired in the past and He
still lives for you today.
He can bear your suffering. Let Him have it. He was in agony during His life
and He remains here with you right now.
He can carry whatever will happen. Hand it over to Jesus. He was fully aware
of the life He faced and He continues to love you.
He can take your death. Turn it to Him. He died and His death gives you life.
This is what it means to be One with Christ. You serve and you suffer but
Christ picks you up and you start over again.
Today, a game like tug of war seems rather old-fashioned. A match is normally
very slow and is nothing like a fast bicycle motocross (BMX) event. Tug of war
does not appear to us to be exciting as a skateboarding event. The game does not
even require anything as fancy as a computer. All you need to play is a heavy rope,
some space, and a group of people willing to work together.
Christianity suffers from the same shortcomings as tug of war and because of
this, it has always been out of step with the times. This is even more apparent
today. Consider the following. Traveling with Jesus is generally a life long calling
and this amount of work does not attract many followers. Serving your neighbor
is never exciting as doing what you like. Christians are not new and improved.
You are just forgiven. Then, there is this thing about getting involved with others.
This takes time, energy, and you will be hurt.
Despite all these problems, the Church on earth still is here. It certainly is not
our doing. The Church remains because it is Christs Body.

7
 The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.10

References

Anonymous, Tug of war, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tug_of_

war, Last accessed on June 19, 2010.

Anonymous, Tug of war at the Summer Olympics, http://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Tug_of_war_at_the_Summer_Olympics, Last ac-
cessed on June 19, 2010.

Jenson, Robert W., Unbaptized God: The Basic Flaw in Ecumenical Theology,
(Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 1992).

Jenson, Robert W., Systematic Theology: The Triune God, Volume 1, (New York,
NY: Oxford University Press, 1997).

Lazareth, William H. and Nissiotis, Nikos, editors, Baptism, Eucharist, and Min-
istry: Faith and Order Paper No. 111, (World Council of Churches, 1982).

Nickle, Keith F.; Moule, C. F. D. et al., editors, The Collection: A study in Pauls
Strategy, Volume 48, Studies in Biblical Theology, (Naperville, IL: Alec R.
Allenson, Inc, 1966).

10
Philippians 4:7.