All For One and One For All

April 2024

   When I say ‘three musketeers,’ what comes to mind? Perhaps a candy bar in the aisle of the grocery store check out. Or perhaps a vintage French novel about three heroic men in the king’s guard who fought for justice. It is the latter of which I speak.

   There was a famous quote from the book; that even if you have not read “The Three Musketeers,” you’ve probably heard… “All for one and one for all.”

   This phrase popped into my mind the other day as I was praying. I thought about what an accurate picture it is of the Church that God would like to see here on the earth. Not necessarily the Church that we are today, but something to strive for and aim for.

   All for one… Just like the shepherd left the flock to go after the one lost sheep, in the parable that Jesus told; all of us should be willing to fight on behalf of one who needs our help. It should not matter if there is fame or glory involved for ourselves, or a monetary compensation. All of us should look to the needs of the one who is hurt, broken, and lost. It should be our ambition, like the good shepherd, to bring those who need our help into the flock. To bring those who have wandered away from the faith back to the kingdom, and to bring those who are lost into the kingdom.

   And one for all …as an individual in the body of Christ, I play a role. I have been entrusted with spiritual gifts. But these gifts were not given to me for myself. They were given to me for the benefit of others. As is the nature of agape love to be poured out, not because others are worthy of it; but just because we have it to give, so is the heart of God for each of us in the Church. God wills that we would use what we have been given by Him on behalf of others, for the benefit of others, for the glory of God. We see this ‘one for all’ image in the Easter story best of all. When Jesus died on the cross, He did not do for himself, but He did for each of us. The One died for us all. He was given a role, an assignment; and fulfilled it….not because He needed to do it for Himself, but because He wanted to do it for us.

   So, in “The Three Musketeers,” I see a picture of the Church God wants us to be. All for one and one for all. But we seldom hear the rest of the words that complete this famous quote. “All for one and one for all. United we stand, divided we fall. “

   It is in the last part of this quote, that I think we see a beautiful reminder, merciful warning, and the completion of the truth. We are better together, but if we choose to deny that in our life, as the Church; we will see division and eventually destruction. We need each other. Not just because we are better together; but because by God’s design, we can only be His Church when we function as a complete body. Each part has a role that another part cannot fulfill. No part of the Body can pretend to be another. And the whole Body does not function properly unless each part does its job.

   Are you willing to be a musketeer with me? A musketeer for Jesus! Someone who fights for justice in the King’s army? We are better together by God’s design.

   “All for one and one for all united, we stand divided we fall.”

Chris McMahan
Email:
Happy1970@icloud.com