This blog article unintentionally continues the topic of sacrifice. My
previous article was written a year ago and since then I have not felt the need
to write another article, until now. The previous article was written in
Afrikaans. For the English readers who cannot read Afrikaans, I will translate
that one on request.
As usual many of my revelations into the character of God comes as a
result of God leading me into situations to show me his perspective and for me
to feel a little of what He feels. The deeper truths of Scripture often does
not come from a plain reading or even analytical study of the Scriptures. Such
truths are often only revealed when we live life and only during or after our experience,
the Holy Spirit reveals to us the hidden truth in Scripture.
Earlier in this year I met a man who loves Scripture and who loves
Jesus. On the night we first met, and were visiting with some friends, a topic came up which I have studied, and are still studying
extensively and intensively. Much of what I understand about the topic did not
come as a result of studying Scripture alone, because often times Scripture alone
does not reveal hidden truths. Much of what I understand now came as a result
of meditating and praying about what I read in Scripture. When such revelations
come, my eyes are opened to see that those truths are in fact there, in
Scripture, but hidden in plain sight and is only revealed to us as we converse with
the Holy Spirit. Often times those truths are hidden because we have been
conditioned from childhood to believe things which are actually not in
Scripture. So, on this night, the topic came up, starting a conversation about
it.
I don’t try to force anything I believe to be the truth on anyone else.
If someone is not interested in what I have to say and wishes to end the
conversation or the topic, I respect that and I move on. But if someone wants
to talk, I talk, and I greatly enjoy sharing with others what I have learned. It
is to me like having found a valuable treasure which I should not be keeping to
myself. Often times I have shared in this way with friends who were willing to
listen. (I also enjoy listening to others, when they have discovered truths and
treasures which they have to share.) Their responses to my treasures differ.
Some of them see them quickly and appreciate my sharing with them. Others
struggle to see. As long as they are willing to continue the discussion
peacefully, by the grace of God I remain patient to explain to them what I see
and understand. When someone just can’t see what I’m trying to show them, and
they seem to give up or explicitly state that they choose to believe otherwise,
I respect that and would rather end the conversation and keep the relationship.
I have learned that no one will ever agree
with you on everything, but as long as there is enough common ground, we should
focus most of our attention on the common ground in order to maintain
relationship. In this way we will be rich in friends.
So, over the span of a few weeks, I have had a number of conversations
with this man about various topics, conversations we have enjoyed. We have much
common ground to stand on when it comes to our worldview and understanding of
Scripture. But four of those conversations did not end well. Two of them about
the topic of the first night’s discussion, the topic I have studied
extensively. Whenever a topic arises that he has already made up his mind about
(or was conditioned since childhood), but which he is interested in discussing
anyway, he tends to interrupt me often and starts to speak while I am still
speaking. He doesn’t wait for me to finish what I was busy saying, and he doesn’t
ask to interrupt. He just interrupts rudely. Because of this tendency, I have
not been able to give him the full picture, like I have given to others who
have listened patiently, who saw and understood, and appreciated the treasure.
I experienced this man’s behaviour towards me as utterly disrespectful.
Not because he has a different belief or interpretation of the relevant Scriptures,
but because he doesn’t respect me enough to even finish my sentences, while he
still wants to continue the topic. He has not been schooled formally in
theology, and so has not learned to treat another scholar’s work with patience
and respect. He came to the conversation with the assumption that his
understanding is correct and complete and therefore it is not possible that I
can have some knowledge or insight or understanding which he can learn from. What
another person chooses to believe is really none of my business. So I really
don’t mind him having a different understanding. What bothers me is the fact
that, because of his prideful assumption, he engages me in conversation, not to
gain understanding of my viewpoint or to learn something, but only to “correct” me
according to his understanding, and this while rudely interrupting me often. I
can maintain relationship with someone who believes differently than I do. It
is everybody’s right to disagree with another person. There is a way to
disagree respectfully. But a relationship with someone who continues to act
disrespectfully towards you, is nearly impossible.
As this situation bothered me and I talked to God about it, a great
truth about God’s character was revealed to me. What I value greatly, this man
has treated with disdain. As I explained in the previous article, when we spend
so much time, energy and resources on something which will ultimately benefit
someone else, it can be considered a sacrifice. Not only do I experience his
behaviour as disrespectful towards me personally, but also towards my
sacrifice. Even though he does so in ignorance (because he doesn’t see the
extent of my sacrifice) and unintentionally, his behaviour and attitude sends the
message that the result of my sacrifice, which is my treasure to share with
others, is worth nothing to him. This behaviour and attitude further implies
that he believes that I have not received my instruction from the Lord and have
therefore wasted my time. He must be hearing from God. Not me.
And so I realized that this is exactly, and much more so, the way God
feels when people treat Christ with disdain. Even though they may do so in
ignorance, being blinded by satan, we read in Scripture that God resists the
proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Now I understand why God relates
to prideful people in this way. Jesus said “Do not give
dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may
trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matt 7:6).
God’s greatest
gift to the world is Jesus, his only Son, conceived by himself. The rest of us who
came to God through Christ, are all adopted. For those who are still
unbelievers, the only way to receive this gift, the Son, is to come to God
humbly, believing that without Jesus, they will remain dead in their sins. If
they don’t believe that they need Jesus, they can never receive Him. God the
Father will never force Jesus on anyone. Only when their spiritual eyes have
opened up and they begin to see glimpses of the value of his Son, are they able
to receive Him. This is why Jesus said that “it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom
of God.” (Matt 19:24). [Someone explained once that in the Middle East in
Biblical times, camels had to crawl on their knees through a small opening (called
“the eye of a needle”) in a wall to the holding where they stayed overnight.
All the luggage on their backs had to be taken off in order for them to fit and
crawl through the opening. In this way a rich man often has to throw off his
worldly possessions and get on his knees in a humble position before he can receive
Christ and enter into the kingdom of heaven. (I have seen such an “eye of the
needle” in a wall in Egypt, at the pyramids.)] Those who do not come to God humbly
to receive, will receive nothing. God’s great gift to the world will not be
forced down the throats of the proud. But the gift of life in Jesus Christ is a
free gift to all who humbly recognize the great sacrifice of the Son of God,
and acknowledge their need of Him. If
they don’t take the humble position and allow themselves to be informed by the
Word and Spirit of God, there is no way they can be reconciled with God. They
will be lost forever. Those who think that they can have a relationship with
God apart from honoring and worshiping his Son Jesus, is greatly mistaken!
Those people are ignorant and self-righteous (they don’t believe that they need
Jesus to be right with God – they believe they are right in themselves). They
honour their own thoughts, opinions and assumptions above the Word of God. But
the voices that they are hearing are only the voices in their heads and not the
voice of God, because God resists those who do not honour his Son. Those who
have not bowed the knee to the risen Son of God, will not get any revelation
from God. God will not speak to them, because He will not share his pearls with
swine. He has already spoken to us through his word, the logos who became
flesh, Jesus his Son. If we don’t receive Him, no other treasure from heaven
will come to us. The first treasure we need to receive is the Son. Once we
honour, respect and worship Him as our Saviour, more treasures will come as we
spend time with Jesus, in his Word and with his Spirit.
And since we were created in the image of this God, we too, when we have
submitted to God’s will for our lives and sacrificed our comforts to benefit
others, desire to share our treasures with those who treat them with respect. Jesus
is the only one who should be worshiped for his sacrifice, because He is God.
But we can expect respect from people. Now I understand why Paul says to wives
to respect their husbands. Because the husbands (are supposed to) lay down
their lives for their wives as Jesus gave his life for the church (Eph.5:25).
Husbands must take the humble position, like Jesus took the humble position, to
serve and love their wives. For that, they need the respect of their wives. Children
need to respect their parents because they sacrificed a lot in order to raise
their children. Patients must show respect to the doctor because the doctor
sacrificed much in order to get trained and equipped to care for the sick and
injured. Members of a church should respect their elders who sacrifice much in
order to serve and care for their members. School pupils need to respect their
teachers who work until late at night to mark assignments and prepare lessons. It
is your human right to disagree with someone else, but at least give your
leader the benefit of the doubt and show them respect and appreciation for the
sacrifices he has made. When we respect someone else, we acknowledge the
sacrifices they have made to benefit others, and when we respect them, we open
the way for them to share their treasures with us.
What I believe
the Holy Spirit is saying to me, is that I don’t have to tolerate a
disrespectful brother. Because if I tolerate him, he will not change his
attitude. Loving my brother in Christ in this instance is to distance myself
from him for a while (which I have done after obeying the instruction of Christ in Matt 18:15, but without fruitful result), while also praying for the work of the Holy Spirit in his
life.
God, please help
me to show proper respect to others simply because they were created in Your
image.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated.
