Day of Praise

Wed, 12/14/16, "Day of Praise"

"Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians," [Gedaliah] said. "Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you." - Jeremiah 40:9

Wait! Isn't Gedaliah one of God's people? And aren't the Babylonians the enemy? And Gedaliah's saying, "Serve the Babylonians"?

Yes.

I remember, years ago, facing the young man who had trespassed against me in a major way. Sinned against me in a major way. Hurt me in a major way. 

To be sure, there are nuances about the whole encounter that now, decades later, I'd do a little differently. But the major part of God's instruction to me was clear then and now.

Forgive the Babylonian, uh, I mean, forgive the guy who hurt you. Forgive your enemy. He's standing right in front of you, so stick out your hand. Greet him. Look him in the eye. And tell him that you forgive him. 

In so doing, you not only serve your enemy. You also serve yourself.

The rational (not emotional) decision to forgive serves not only your enemy. Forgiving your enemy, choosing not to pursue getting even, letting go of the figurative stranglehold on your enemy's throat, forgiving also serves the forgiver.

Forgiveness rids the forgiver of anger. And since anger can destroy the heart, ridding your heart of all anger, like sweeping away anything that feels like spider web when you unexpectedly walk into a spider web, rids the heart of all that would destroy your heart.

This is why St. Paul is God's servant to write in Ephesians 4:31, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." And in Colossians 3:8, "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."

This is why Jesus, in Matthew 5:44, says, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

Because loving your enemies, praying for those who hurt you, serving your enemies, and getting rid of the cancer of anger from your heart, they all go hand in hand.

To be sure, the wound will be poked and called back to mind by a song or a smell or a story or something, and the hurt that was inflicted on you will be stirred again in your heart and mind.

But when this happens, look up to God, call on God's name and say, "Lord, I'm so thankful that you forgave me an infinite debt for my sin and rebellion against you. May your forgiveness in Christ be my strength to remember that I've already chosen to forgive the person who hurt me. It was a decision. And even now, as the hurt was stirred back up, give me your strength to return to and keep my decision in place so that you and your healing forgiveness, not destructive anger and hurt, are the rulers and master of my life. In Jesus's name I ask this. May it be so, Amen."

Friends, a hurt will most definitely be stirred today. Like Gedaliah in days of old, serve the enemy. Pray for them. Get rid of all anger, like sweeping away anything that feels like spider web in your heart. And return to a decision to forgive, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris 
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson