“Let him who is without sin throw the first rock” (John 8:7).
Perhaps some of you have seen the 1967 comic phenomenon of
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner of the 1000 Year Old Man? This hilarious duo traded
thoughts about how cave men greeted one another. They would pick up rocks and
thrown them. Now they came to know that that hurts saying “Don’t throw that
rock at me.” It was funny, but I guess you had to be there. However, today we
still throw rocks at each other often. We exchange barbs and hide animosity or
low thoughts about others.
Recently God has been working on me about dealing with
difficult people. The challenges has been great and yet He is also giving me
clear Scripture admonitions to help respond in a more Christian manner. Why not
just Christian, because I do not always act like that, and you can find plenty
of witnesses for that. Above is a verse from the parable of Jesus with the
woman caught in sin in John 8. Now this was a trick of sorts by the Pharisees
to see how Jesus would respond to the Law, which of course Jesus wrote.
Now I too know the Law of the Old and New Testaments. This
story is not just about dealing with difficult people, but about the sin of our
reactions. You see we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. In Paul’s
letter to the Ephesians 4, he goes into depth on attitudes of the mind. He
speaks of our deceitful desires and sinful attitudes that are put off as we
become new in Christ. Righteousness and holiness are given to us, as we become
true Christians, trusting in Jesus and Savior and Lord. A key here is having
Jesus as Lord, which means that we are imitators of Him. Not that we consider
ourselves as equal, but just able to be more like Him through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
“Therefore
each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for
we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still
angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must
steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands,
that they may have something to share with those in need.
Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building
others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage
and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:25-32).
Now this
is hard teaching about forgiveness and attitudes of the heart. There is a real
devil who wants us to live in darkness. But “God is light and in Him there is
no darkness” (1 John 1:5). The Ephesians teaching goes on to say that “Once
you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what
the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes
visible. For it is light that makes everything visible…make the most of every
opportunity…be filled with the Holy Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:8-13, 16,18). I better pause with Scripture
before we become overwhelmed with guilt or shame, for shame is from the devil,
but truth and the light of life is from God.
Finding
out what pleases God is not as hard as some think. It is all in the Bible, the
will of God for us in Christ Jesus. Simply stated but impossible except through
the Holy Spirit. Being obedient is hard. Keeping dark thoughts in “secret” is
common but will be found out. Our thoughts are known to God before we speak or
carry them out. So confess and ask God to change you and make you new. This
still does not mean that being good to others is easy. Brotherly love is just
about as easy as eating a carload of Philadelphia (City of brotherly love)
Cream Cheese in love.
“If it is possible,
as far as it depends upon you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Readers will
recognize this oft quoted verse. It is very hard, but so are some people. God
is giving us not an out, but explanation on why we can’t be at peace with some
until they rid themselves of darkness and find the light. That helps me drop the rock in my hand. Yes,
I think sometimes I carry rocks, not literally, but having the same effect. No
it’s not funny like the 1000 Year Old Man. We need humor to see our traits at
times. We need humor to face them too. Deadly serious approaches only bring up
our own desires, not the desires of God’s heart for us. We can’t change on our
own, but only through His love and life in the light.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts.