I think a whole lot of us are going about this the wrong way. One look around should tell us. As we drift from any kind of standard for us to act, we’re left with a system that does nothing to hold anyone accountable. This could all be summed up in the recent acquittal of a man who was unmistakably guilty for inciting a riot…not to mention the rioters themselves. Or maybe we can see it now in the shifting values of social-media packs hunting through decades of old information to harass their victims (I kind of warned of this a while back).
But even worse for the Christian in all of this is the damage done by those who claim Christ and yet seem to forget the standard. We have “churches” peopled by hate-filled “Christians” defending a man who plays off of that hate in his moral bankruptcy. And since I don’t really hate to sound like a broken record I’ll say it (again) – the Bible goes right to it. In the 10th chapter of the Gospel as told by Matthew, Jesus uses a parable to do it. It’s the story of a man who’s forgiven an insurmountable debt but just doesn’t get how that should be reflected in his own life:
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,[j] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
How should a Christian live knowing that much?
We should be living a love for our neighbor that hurts. It should put our pride in ourselves – the pride that feeds this lunacy – out of mind. Again, the Bible says so much about it:
In 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.
We are free in Christ, but there are just some things that don’t help our witness for him. Would we rather fall in step with the racists and supremacists who are offended by people who think “Black Lives Matter,” or is actual compassion a better way?
What does one do with Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Sometimes people miss the bonus that Jesus gave his audience in Matthew 22:35-40.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
“Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” asks the lawyer. Of course, it is to love the Lord your God with your whole being. But where does this “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” come from? The lawyer only asked for the one, and after answering with the obvious, Jesus is telling us that there’s more, and that it’s like the first.
So how should we act?
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (from Matthew 25).
Far better than the alternative. Far better than what we’re seeing in some who claim “church”:
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
I would think the choice is obvious.