How Good Are We At Treating People We Do Not Like?

Good Morning Friends,

This morning we tackle the thorny topic of checking the fruits and fixing the roots in our life. It is a process of getting right with God and others. And with Lent beginning next week, we will probably drill deeper in contemplation of whether we are really following Jesus over the next several weeks. Showing up is part of it, but it cannot end there. So today we look ahead to the challenge of fixing our own faith and fitness before we go around trying to fix others. We test our own vision and ability to teach and be taught and find ourselves lacking but the Spirit in us surprisingly strong. So, we commit to the process of sanctification in the hope of becoming good even though those around us fall short in ways that can only be called evil. We are in uncharted territory and this tipping point in our future success spiritually may boil down to this…How Good Are We At Treating People We Do Not Like?

Scripture: When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:54-58 (NRSV)

He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:39-45 (NRSV)

Message: Ok, we have the Golden Rule and the Silver Rule to guide us. But it is one thing to quote Jesus and another to correctly understand and put what he says into practice. Most people want to live the way they want to live and do not much care for hearing the truth of their lives or the lack of it put to the test. Judging rightly is the task, not judging at all is impossible. Helping others reach a creative conclusion that is healthier and gives them more abundant life is the challenge. To win a verbal debate regarding a person’s behavior when the internal status has not changed may feel good for a moment but is a bit unproductive. We are not to play this way. We are to be strategic and smart. Favoritism might well be a sin. A true disciple wants to be like Jesus and help people live more abundantly. What Jesus is saying is this: If you sit around complaining about how others have mistreated you then you will react to that person by being all mad and spiteful toward them. You will start talking mean about them. And if that is how you are going to act… then you need to understand that the result will be bad for all. To have a good result we must first become good plants to bear good fruit. We must learn how to recognize and draw out the best of others. We need to be all in for all.

And So, we are supposed to give to and love on the people we do not even like and would rather condemn so the world can become a better place and a little more like heaven than hell. And this is sure to draw out the worst in some people. The focus is not to be on doling out proper punishment but to reflect and draw out the Spirit of Jesus in others. Friends, when someone says that we cannot judge them because we are not perfect they in effect have judged the Spirit of Christ in us and in the process really are fair game for being judged. But let us not be so quick to jump in and point out others flaws. The desire here is redemption for sinners. And confession has its place, but it is pointless to confess someone else’s sins for them even if they are obvious to us. Yes, point out the sin but not the sinner. But always lead with love in recognition of the image of God in others. The problem arises when those leading are blinded by their own egos. So, the problem is made worse when we fail to love those we do not even like. The thing is that people can change for the better and we need to give them a chance. God has set the rules here…we are to love others as God has loved us. We are to forgive to be forgiven. We are to bear good fruit because the Christ in us is very good.

Pray we see more clearly and love more dearly. Pray we be present in the Spirit’s love and vison. Pray that though we cannot help judging that we do not condemn. Pray we forgive. Pray we beware of hypocrites. Pray we are not double minded ourselves. Pray we behold Jesus and behold the Christ in our neighbor, so we might all become more like the image of Jesus.

Blessings,

John Lawson