Breaking Out of the Box

"Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God most high and he blessed Abram..." Genesis 14:18

Breaking Out of the Box
By Rev. William Dohle

We are all creatures of habit.

We hang out with the same folks we always have, forming and nurturing social bonds with very few strangers. We go to the same church we've always gone to and associate with friends with whom we share common interests, beliefs, and morals. We sit in the same pew in church, the same desk at school, the same cubicle at work. Seldom do we even rearrange the furniture in our own home. Seldom do we invite someone new in. It's just... habit!

We seldom venture far outside of our comfort zones. But what if we did? What if we set aside our own comfort and opened ourselves up to the wider world? What if we sat down and discussed politics with someone from another political party? Or religion with someone of a different faith? What might we discover then?

Perhaps we might discover what Abram did. That God is bigger than we can ever imagine.

Abram, after rescuing his nephew, Lot, from those who took him captive is greeted by the king of Salem, Melchizedek. The Bible tells us he was a priest of "God Most High" and he brings out wine and bread for Abram to eat.

Melchizedek is a foreigner, an outsider, and, in all likelihood, a pagan. He should have no knowledge of the God of Abram... should he? He doesn't belong to Abram. He isn't one of God's chosen people... but listen to the blessing he gives and see what you think.

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand."

Melchizedek is written of thousands of years later by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews who speaks volumes about him.

"Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!"(Hebrews 7:4)

This man, this outsider, was a priest, not because he was born into it, but because of his life. Because he was King of Salam (which means "Peace") and Melchizedek (which means "King of Righteousness"). And this outsider blessed the father of our faith.

So what does this have to do with you??

Well... what if Abram had stayed in his corner of the world, not venturing out, not risking his life for Lot and others? What if Abram had closed his mind to the possibility that God might be worshiped outside his circle? What if Abram had been as much of a creature of habit as you and I are.

God continues to call us outside of our circles, out into the larger world around us. We are called to converse with people different than us, to be open about what we believe and to share that open conversation with them. We are called to risk ourselves for our neighbor, to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, visit the prisoner, tend the sick. We are called to walk where others dare not trod, to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit wherever he is! We are called to be friends with Baptists and Jews, to speak with Methodists and Muslims, to associate with Mormons and Catholics. We are called to witness to our faith, to step where few have gone, knowing that the Holy Spirit goes ahead of us. Knowing that God has been there before us. And knowing that, priests like Melchizedek abound throughout the world, ready to bless with us God's blessing.

Lord Jesus, you are our high priest in the order of Melchizedek forever. Your living presence is active and alive in our world. And so we are blessed when we tend to the stranger. Open us up to different opinions and different ways of looking at the world. Help us witness to your life within us, through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.