Imagine visiting your local zoo.  As you approach the camel pen you see a big sign: “Don’t eat the camels!”  You’d likely laugh out loud.  Who would ever try to eat a camel?  Yet, Jesus posts just such a sign on the Christian pathway to spiritual maturity.  It seems an odd warning – but let’s take a look at its indispensable message.

Imagine the absurdity of someone trying to swallow a camel in one big gulp.  Clearly, not smart.  Certainly impossible.  Probably deadly.  Yet often attempted by stalwart religious people, according to Jesus, who described the ultimate theologians of His day as those who “who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:24)

His comment was probably a brief humorous illustration in the context of the most scathing sermon of His earthly ministry.  If you are feeling like you have some thick skin today, you can read the entire message in Matthew 23:13-36.  The common sermon title is “Eight Woes to the Religious Leaders.”  Our Lord preached it among a large crowd in the temple as He pronounced His judgment on the Jewish religious elite.  Some say it is in contrast to the eight blessings found in the Sermon on the Mount.  Preacher Jesus didn’t make any friends that day with his “woeful” sermon.

The sermon targets those who take great care to strain the small bugs out of their drinking water then turn around to gulp down a camel without even realizing the contradiction and hypocrisy of the experience.  We might call it a very bad case of spiritual myopia, packed with contradiction and leading to destruction.

Modern-Day Camel Swallowers

We’ve all seen camel swallowers in the church.  Maybe it’s an attendee who did not like a particular song in the service, then goes around slandering the music pastor and creating massive disharmony.  I’ve known people who want to go “deep” into the Scriptures and are critical of any teacher whose delivery doesn’t adequately meet their preferences.  Yet, in their own lives they tolerate sinful habits and consistently exhibit a caustic and unrestrained tongue.  I’ve heard stories of church leaders who create significant disunity within the leadership team over an issue of personal preference.  The examples could go on for miles.  The “Hall of Shame for Christian Camel-Eaters” is packed with ignoble examples.

Avoiding the Camel Choke

So how do we avoid choking our personal, family, and congregational vitality through camel swallowing?  As a pastor, I am responsible to encourage people to watch their dietary habits when it comes to gnats and camels.  As one who has a burden for the body of Christ in our nation, I hope we can have a diet revolution and learn to stay away from the camels.  As a follower of Christ, I pray for the personal wisdom to know and discern my own ways in order to please Christ and honor His character.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Learn to discern. There is a difference between a legalistic approach (creating false standards of spirituality, and then judging others by your preferential standard) and a truly biblical approach of personal discussion (vs. open criticism) with a loving attitude.  The only way to do this is to know the Scriptures enough to discern between myopia and maturity.

2. Check your motives.  Is your heart motivated by grace, coupled with a passion to edify others and build up the body?  Or is your approach simply a desire to control others (or even the direction of the church) through complaining and criticism?

3. Look in the mirror first.  It’s been said that the critic who begins with himself will have little time to take on outside contracts.  Are you careful to first evaluate your own heart, life, and words before launching your campaign against another brother or sister?

4. Invite accountability.  We can often get so caught up in the subjectivity of our thoughts and feelings that we can’t even see the camels we are feeding on.  Ask a truly godly, discerning, and courageous brother or sister to give you honest feedback about your behavior and words.  Then, be ready to humbly listen and accept responsibility for whatever they tell you.

5. Keep a clear conscience.  If you find out you’ve been gulping camels and have hurt other believers or a group of believers, demonstrate the sincerity of your self-evaluation and repentance by confessing it to the Lord and humbly seeking forgiveness from those you’ve hurt.

6. Remember eternity.  All camel-eaters will ultimately be exposed.  Eternity is a long time to live with the regret of a silly camel diet.

Let’s keep Jesus‘ warning about hypocrisy and myopia always in mind.  It helps underscore our own desire for spiritual authenticity.  It’s a great idea for parents raising their children in a spiritually confused world.  It is an essential principle for our dealings with one another.  It is crucial for church leaders. 

When asked, “How do you eat a camel?” I hope our answer will always be, “We don’t. It is no longer on the menu.” 

Some months ago I had the joy of preaching at an installation service for a dear friend of mine.  He is a young, up-and-coming pastor with great potential.  I spoke from 2 Timothy 4:5.  The message still captures my heart as follower of Christ and leader of His people.

This verse is Paul’s final admonition to Timothy, and the final advice of his life. (The remainder of this chapter involves a personal commentary of Paul’s faith and various reflections about a wide array of people.)  Shortly after he wrote this last section of his letter to Timothy, he was martyred and his earthly ministry was terminated.

We are all aware of the potency of a person’s “famous last words.”  We should be particularly attuned to the final words of unambiguous challenge from Paul to his “son in the faith” – and to each of us.

Paul wrote, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.“  Four ultimate concerns mark this passage and need to move our hearts.

Be Watchful

First, Paul says, “Be watchful in all things.” Other translations read, “Keep your head in all situations,” “Be sober in all things,” and “Keep control of yourself in all circumstances.”  It is the idea of keeping a clear mind in order to properly control your behavior.  Satan targets our minds with lies, doubts, condemnation, and temptation.  The world targets our minds with distorted values, lusts, and false gods.  Our flesh battles against a clear mind when we succumb to discouragement, fear, self-reliance, and pride.  The list goes on.  Paul learned, and so must we, that our primary concern is ourselves, because as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

Endure

The second challenge says, “Endure afflictions.”  The Message says, “Accept the hard times along with the good,” while the New Living charges, “Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord.”  Those who live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL suffer persecution.  At the end of Galatians, Paul’s ultimate mark of credibility resounded in these words: “Let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of Jesus Christ."

The Bible places great value on “those who endure to the end” as a mark of real salvation.  We do not find “three easy steps” to avoiding affliction.  Instead, we are called to walk in His steps as we bear up under the pressure of suffering, with the result of becoming more like Christ, deeper in our character, and more fruitful in our lives of service.

Stay on Mission

Third, Paul calls Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist.”  We say it so often: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  Cultivating a constant burden for the lost and striving toward consistent witness keeps the heart in touch with the heart and mission of Jesus, who came to “seek and to save those who are lost.”  It is easy to get so absorbed in keeping the aquarium that we lose our passion to fish for men.

Finish!

Finally, Paul says, “Fulfill your ministry.”  We are told to perform our whole duty – to complete the ministry God has given us.  Someday when we get to Heaven we will be asked, “Did you fulfill the unique ministry I gave to YOU?”  We will not be responsible for living life in the pattern of some other person, or imitating another individual.  Rather, we will want to stand before the Savior and say, “I completed the special and unique ministry You entrusted just to me.”  What joy that will be!

So today, my friend, it comes down to these vital questions: Are you thinking clearly and biblically right now?  Are you keeping your eyes on Christ as you endure the disappointments and attacks of life?  Are you cultivating a burden and consistent witness to the lost?  Are you dialed in to what God has called YOU to do and seeking to stay focused on your specific race?  If so, Paul’s famous last words will bear fruit in your life for the good of others and the glory of Jesus.  When it is all said and done, this is what really matters.