Fragile! Handle with CARE! Valuables. Breakables. Do NOT bend!
Gentleness is a demonstration of love and patience. Psalm 103:10 says “God does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." Matthew 1 sets the stage for how God is going to put gentleness into motion by giving two important names to the baby born to Mary: Jesus: “He saves” and Immanuel: “God with us.”
The baby Jesus grew up and became a man. The values that he learned as a child would be put to the test. One of the most important attributes of Jesus’ ministry that would be tested to the very core was his gentleness. However, gentleness is one of the least talked about or even noticed abilities of his ministry.
There are three stories in the Gospels that give us a glimpse of how effective Jesus was in dealing with sinners and those who proclaimed self-righteousness.
The Well Water Woman - John 4: Through Jesus' unbiased and non-prejudiced attitude, He demonstrated the power of gentleness by treating her like a real person and not being judgmental even though he knew about her five marriages and living arrangements with the live-in boyfriend.
The goal was salvation, not condemnation!
Jesus, Lawyers, Pharisees, adultery - John 8: Gentleness? Yes! To a woman who had an affair? Yes! Sinner? Yes! Stoning rights? Yes! Were the law keepers and Pharisees sinners? Yes!
This scene of sinners is a teachable moment for those of us who are hard-nosed, judgementalist who think they have a market on rightness, holiness, and their own parking spot reserved for them when they get to heaven. Sounds harsh and with no evidence of gentleness, right? This is why it is so important to watch how we talk and treat others the way we want to be treated
Matthew 7 and 25 makes it clear that all judgment is reserved for Jesus, not us. Next time someone falls into sin, use it as a teaching moment, not a condemning episode.
The taxman and Jesus - Luke 19: No one likes a thief! The mentioning of the IRS will send chills down our spines. For Zacchaeus, he was the kind of man that took more than his share. He was disliked and avoided by everyone; well not everyone. Almost everyone. It is the Jesus factor. Jesus invites himself over to Zach's house.
That's right, the Messiah himself is now going to audit the taxman
This was no ordinary audit with calculators and spreadsheets, it was a soul-to-soul, heart to heart conversation about right living, not taking more than your share, and being fair and honest.
It had to be gentleness that broke through the barriers of Zacchaeus' obsession for money. He made a promise to Jesus that he would give money to the poor and repay those whom he cheated out four times the amount.
No recording of bad-mouthing the taxman. No condemning the thief. A simple conversation that resulted in Jesus saying to Zacchaeus, "Today salvation has come to this house."
gentleness was the means that opened up the opportunity for conversations, which led to restoration.
Remember, Be God Controlled!
Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment