Just leave them alone.
That’s often the advice given when someone is picking on you. Rather than engage them in conflict and get in trouble or get hurt, it’s best to just leave the other person alone. As we keep our distance from them so we can use the space to paint the pictures about them: how horrid they must be, how cruel they are and that’s got to be because they just don’t have a good bone in their body. It must be their upbringing that’s messed them up to be that bad. Tney are not pleasant at all and it wouldn’t be too bad a thing for them to get a bit of their own medicine.
We can entertain those thoughts now that we’re a safe distance from them and hopefully we can avoid them as much as we can.
That’s the way way we used to be able to deal with it …
Then Jesus came on the scene and introduced a different way to engage with those who give us grief. First of all, for a Saviour, He did not assure us that being rescued meant we were free from people who would give us a hard time. In fact, He stated clearly that indeed following Him would put us in the sight of others who would acctively oppose us, resist the message and provoke hostilities in our direction. It’s good to know what you’re getting into, for sure, but that wasn’t the only thing He told us.
Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Luke 6:32
What’s that, Jesus? Say what, now? Those who curse me and abuse me? Those people who to put it politely are clearly not the nicest people I’ve ever met, I’m suppposed to bless them? It’s better to avoid them isn’t it? They’ve done so much wrong to me, when I think about them I get a horrible feeling inside. Bless them? Do you know what they did to me? Pray for them? Do you understand what they did? You must be kidding. Let me just get them out of my mind as much as I can. Let me avoid them as much as I can, please. I don’t like going to those thoughts or feelings.
But no. In case we think Jesus is asking for something that’s beyond our capability, He expresses it Himself. Even at the point of the cross, as those who mocked and spat on Him and jeered Him carried on, His thought and desire was for them to be forgiven. In case we think it was just about those people who did those nasty things, we’re later informed that our rebellion and hostility to Him is something He died to repair and reconcile. He knew what it was to pray for those who abused Him.
It’s alright for Him, though, so the excuse goes. He is the Son of God, He can do those things. Yet there is an episode recorded earlier in the history of Israel. Elisha was pinpointed as being a nuisance to those who sought to degeat Israel. So the enemy tracked him down ready to deal with him on the matter. The armed forces surrounded him, but by the power of God He was able to turn the situation around and from him being surrounded, he led them to be surrounded by the far larger Israelite armed forces. It was all set for the people to deal with the enemy and give them a crushing blow. In that setting when the king of Israel looked for permission to wipe out those who had particularly opposed the prophet, Elisha instead called for these men to be given food and drink and then sent back to where they came from. His enemy were at his disposal and Elisha blessed them – that act in itself led to a brief respite in the conflict between the two forces.
Going onto show that the ability to pray for those who abuse you is something we are able to practice since Jesus, there is the example of Stephen. There’s no doubt that he faced those who persecuted him. There’s no doubt they were out to abuse him once he had clearly outlined what the reality of Jesus meant to the status quo. Dragged out of the Sanhedrin unceremoniously and duly battered with stone after stone, he would have been well within his rights to rain down curses on tthose who were doing that to him. It would be totally understandable if his thoughts towards those who were causing this degree of harm were as violent and hateful. That was not the way for him. The revelation of who Jesus is meant so much to him that his heart was about those who brought this harm to be forgiven. Among those who endorsed and supported the stoning of Stephen – those who he looked to be forgiven – was a man who later on would appreciate this forgiveness. Indeed the impression this act would have on him would lead him to encourage a gathering of believers to recognise that what made them clear followers of Christ was their ability to …
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Romans 12:14
It is certainly an outstanding quality. It take something outstanding to be able to have that approach to pray and bless. It is only too easy to avoid or dismiss, but actively engage with the situation looking out for the best from those who oppose and are hostile truly takes something to have a new view on those who cause harm.
As we view them through God’s eyes. As we see those who mistreat us as beng in need of the same grace and mercy that we are in need of, so we can get past avoiding them and go beyond pictures that we paint about them needing pity and reach the place where we are keen for them to receive from Jesus what we have received. So we can with the heart and mind of Christ look for their blessing rather than bring a curse upon them. It is not easy. It is not straightforward. It is, however, is the way of Christ.
This is a mark of a true Christian in true Christian community.
(This blog series was inspired by the Christian meditation on The Marks of a True Christian from the Encounter podcast.)
(Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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