I'm definitely not the world's best golfer nor batter nor pool player.  Sometimes I manage to actually hit a double that gets me on second base or the long drive that puts me easily within range of a good putt or sink the eight ball in exactly the right pocket.  Those are the times when I feel focused, sharp, at attention, and concentrated on the clearly definable objective.  Those times, however, when I strike out, slice into a sand trap or scratch the cue all boil down to one reason and one reason only: I've taken my eye of the ball.  My mind wanders for one moment, I lose concentration and I miss making my goal.

Unfortunately, many of us Christians today have fallen into this trap-not staying focused on the goal.  We spend our time and (worse) energy on other things: what worship music we can't stand, services that are longer than one exact hour, the color the new hallway carpeting must be, gay marriage, abortion, proper display of patriotism, "illegal" immigration, and vying for power and attention (among too many others).

We've got to be extremely careful not to get caught up in Satan's pernicious trap of divide and conquer, for that is the devil's favorite and most successful ploy for killing the work of Jesus and those who he's called to follow him.  Matthew's gospel says Jesus "went throughout Galilee, . . . proclaiming the good news of the kingdom" which he has already stated: "Repent [in other words, be forgiven and made whole], for the kingdom of God has come near."  Paul has his eye solidly on the ball when he says, "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel. . . ."  Stay focused on this, for to this alone we have been called and nothing else. Remember: Jesus leads and saves while Satan divides and kills.

 

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

  Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
  on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
  the people who sat in darkness
  have seen a great light,
  and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
  light has dawned.’

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen.  And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

 

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you should be in agreement and that there should be no divisions among you, but that you should be united in the same mind and the same purpose.  For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.  What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul’, or ‘I belong to Apollos’, or ‘I belong to Cephas’, or ‘I belong to Christ.’  Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?  I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.  (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)  For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. 

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written,

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’