Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Nov 19, 2008 2:42:46 GMT -5
Brethren, hear ye the Word of the Lord...
"Take no heed unto all words that are spoken,
lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
For oftentimes also thine own heart hast cursed others."
- Ecclesiastes 7: 21-22
This Ecclesiastical proverb reminds me of a scene in the book THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, in which a little girl named Lucy is wisked away to the heavenly Land of Narnia and discovers a magic book there. While thumbing through the pages of the book, she comes across a page that resembles a comic book; only, instead of there being cartoons in the boxes, she see and hears real, moving pictures of a girl - a friend and school mate - who is chatting with one of Lucy's enemies. Realizing that she is watching a true event taking place, Lucy watches as her poor friend sqirms in her seat while the mean girl says very nasty things about Lucy to her. Lucy is not at all surprised by the mean girl's words, but what stuns and angers her is that her dear friend suddenly agrees with the mean girl. Lucy nearly hops with rage at the betrayal.
But suddenly the great lion, Aslan, who is meant to represent Jesus in this story, appears to Lucy and soundly rebukes and chastizes her for not only eavesdropping on her friend, but for her lack of mercy. Aslan explains to Lucy that her friend was weak in the presence of the over-bearing and mean-spirited girl, that Lucy had no business spying upon her to catch her in a weak moment, and that it was none of Lucy's business what someone else says about her. He then dares Lucy, with a threatening growl, against even thinking of turning away from her friend, commanding her to forgive her and love her all the more. Lucy is then overcome with shame and promptly asks forgiveness.
You see, we live in a world of wickedness because this is a fallen world due to sin. But though we live IN this world, we are not OF this world. As Christians, we are ambassadors and residents of the Kingdom of God, and therefore it becomes us to turn the other cheek when evil is spoken of us. We cannot let the filth of this world contaminate us. When your enemy curses you, Jesus commands you to bless them. When someone does evil to you, Jesus commands that you not return that evil. Your Father in heaven is the only Judge and the only Executioner of Judgment and Righteousness, and therefore it lies in His pervue alone to execute vengeance.
But the most important point which is made in this proverb is that WE are JUST AS GUILTY as they are, because we are not perfect. ALL of us have done SOMETHING bad to SOMEBODY, and that one act automatically strips us of any right to cast stones at ANYONE - even our enemies. The Scriptures tell us "laugh not when thine enemy falls", "speak not evil against thy rulers", "when thine enemy hunger or thirst, give them to eat and to drink", and, "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."
Have mercy and compassion on all people at all times, as befits sons and daughters of God. We must all stand individually before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, regardless of what someone does to YOU, there will be no excuse before God's throne for your vengful behavior to them. Their bad deeds are not a license to be just as bad back to them. Christ died for your enemies as well as for you, and it is the highest duty to forgive your enemies - no matter how great their offense - so that they might receive forgiveness from God and the gift of eternal life just like you. All sins are equally damnable, therefore all sins are equally forgivable.
Are we any less of a sinner than Adolf Hitler or George Bush? No, we and they are EQUAL SINNERS - our single sin will condemn us to hell as equally as Hitler's murders will condemn him to hell. It is only among Men that crimes and offenses are rated as lesser or greater evils, but with God all offenses are the same - a lie is the same as genocide, which is why both lying and killing are equally hand carved by God into the Ten Commandments. The difference is in what we have believed. Hitler rejected Christ and therefore he will have no forgivness granted to him and he will perish in the Lake of Fire; but we have believed in Christ and have therefore received full justification and forgiveness and will abide forever with Christ. Had Hitler repented and turned to Jesus and sought forgiveness from the Lord for his crimes, he would have been saved, just as surely as any one of us are forgiven and saved by turning from sin by asking God's forgiveness and following Christ. So do not judge any man or woman for anything they say or do, no mater how heinous their crimes, because, if they one day receive Jesus, you will look quite the fool on judgment day when your onetime enemy enters the Kingdom of Heaven and you are chastized by God for having condemned him.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with each of you.
- Rev. Jim Cunningham
"Take no heed unto all words that are spoken,
lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
For oftentimes also thine own heart hast cursed others."
- Ecclesiastes 7: 21-22
This Ecclesiastical proverb reminds me of a scene in the book THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER, in which a little girl named Lucy is wisked away to the heavenly Land of Narnia and discovers a magic book there. While thumbing through the pages of the book, she comes across a page that resembles a comic book; only, instead of there being cartoons in the boxes, she see and hears real, moving pictures of a girl - a friend and school mate - who is chatting with one of Lucy's enemies. Realizing that she is watching a true event taking place, Lucy watches as her poor friend sqirms in her seat while the mean girl says very nasty things about Lucy to her. Lucy is not at all surprised by the mean girl's words, but what stuns and angers her is that her dear friend suddenly agrees with the mean girl. Lucy nearly hops with rage at the betrayal.
But suddenly the great lion, Aslan, who is meant to represent Jesus in this story, appears to Lucy and soundly rebukes and chastizes her for not only eavesdropping on her friend, but for her lack of mercy. Aslan explains to Lucy that her friend was weak in the presence of the over-bearing and mean-spirited girl, that Lucy had no business spying upon her to catch her in a weak moment, and that it was none of Lucy's business what someone else says about her. He then dares Lucy, with a threatening growl, against even thinking of turning away from her friend, commanding her to forgive her and love her all the more. Lucy is then overcome with shame and promptly asks forgiveness.
You see, we live in a world of wickedness because this is a fallen world due to sin. But though we live IN this world, we are not OF this world. As Christians, we are ambassadors and residents of the Kingdom of God, and therefore it becomes us to turn the other cheek when evil is spoken of us. We cannot let the filth of this world contaminate us. When your enemy curses you, Jesus commands you to bless them. When someone does evil to you, Jesus commands that you not return that evil. Your Father in heaven is the only Judge and the only Executioner of Judgment and Righteousness, and therefore it lies in His pervue alone to execute vengeance.
But the most important point which is made in this proverb is that WE are JUST AS GUILTY as they are, because we are not perfect. ALL of us have done SOMETHING bad to SOMEBODY, and that one act automatically strips us of any right to cast stones at ANYONE - even our enemies. The Scriptures tell us "laugh not when thine enemy falls", "speak not evil against thy rulers", "when thine enemy hunger or thirst, give them to eat and to drink", and, "the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."
Have mercy and compassion on all people at all times, as befits sons and daughters of God. We must all stand individually before the judgment seat of Christ. Therefore, regardless of what someone does to YOU, there will be no excuse before God's throne for your vengful behavior to them. Their bad deeds are not a license to be just as bad back to them. Christ died for your enemies as well as for you, and it is the highest duty to forgive your enemies - no matter how great their offense - so that they might receive forgiveness from God and the gift of eternal life just like you. All sins are equally damnable, therefore all sins are equally forgivable.
Are we any less of a sinner than Adolf Hitler or George Bush? No, we and they are EQUAL SINNERS - our single sin will condemn us to hell as equally as Hitler's murders will condemn him to hell. It is only among Men that crimes and offenses are rated as lesser or greater evils, but with God all offenses are the same - a lie is the same as genocide, which is why both lying and killing are equally hand carved by God into the Ten Commandments. The difference is in what we have believed. Hitler rejected Christ and therefore he will have no forgivness granted to him and he will perish in the Lake of Fire; but we have believed in Christ and have therefore received full justification and forgiveness and will abide forever with Christ. Had Hitler repented and turned to Jesus and sought forgiveness from the Lord for his crimes, he would have been saved, just as surely as any one of us are forgiven and saved by turning from sin by asking God's forgiveness and following Christ. So do not judge any man or woman for anything they say or do, no mater how heinous their crimes, because, if they one day receive Jesus, you will look quite the fool on judgment day when your onetime enemy enters the Kingdom of Heaven and you are chastized by God for having condemned him.
The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with each of you.
- Rev. Jim Cunningham