Opposition and Cooperation

Nehemiah 2-3

            Today’s reading relates two competing phenomena in Nehemiah’s project: opposition and cooperation. The opposition comes from Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem—non-Israelites who hold secular power and influence in the region. Sanballat, at least, is a regional governor. Geshem may have opposed the strengthening of Jerusalem because it threatened his hold on trade in the area. This opposition will coalesce and organize in chapter 4.

            On the other hand, Nehemiah is at pains to show how the Judahites cooperated to rebuild the wall. He describes the work in a circuit around the city from gate to tower. In many cases, the work was right in their neighborhoods, near their homes. I suppose that shows that there’s often an element of self-interest in our good works. The more practical point, though, may be simply to note how much easier it is to do work close at hand. Indeed, it’s easier because of the proximity but also we bear more responsibility for the work close at hand. We have the greatest responsibilities to those who are nearest to us: family, friends, co-workers, people we see frequently. We have some responsibilities to acquaintances and people we see occasionally—at the clubhouse, at the children’s activities, etc. And we have some responsibility for those far away—foreign missions, for example. But the farther we get from our actual day to day life, the different the responsibility is. Unfortunately, too often, it takes less personal investment to support far away things. It’s easy enough to mail a check for foreign missions. It is a much different thing to share our faith with a co-worker. On the one hand, the latter is easier because we interact all the time; on the other hand, he is harder because it’s scary. It’s good to be reminded to ask, “What is the work at hand?”