I'm learning more and more, with much pain, what Jesus means by saying I must die in order to follow Him.
The last few days one part of one verse keeps coming back to mind. There is a verse somewhere (I'll look it up momentarily), which says "why not rather be wronged?"
Okay, it's in 1 Corinthians 6.
The context is instruction to the folks in Corinth because of disputes arising among Followers. They are scolded because they are filing lawsuits against each other, which leads to their having matters decided by judges who are not Followers.
They are slammed for what they're doing, and told that even the "men of little account in the church" are qualified to judge their matters. "Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and this to your brothers" is how this passage ends. They get totally railed for what they're doing.
Anyway...
That verse has been coming to me for the last few days, and it is amazing to ponder.
It doesn't say "Why not be wronged?" It says "Why not rather be wronged?"
To me, there is a huge difference with the distinction of that one word: rather.
These Followers are told "Why not PREFER to be wronged?" It's not being emphasized that they are being done wrong, but that they should prefer to be wronged.
Looked up synonyms for the word "rather" when used as an adverb. "by preference, by choice, willingly"
This stuns me, thinking about it.
Prefer to be wronged.
How much is this taught in the American Body in the 21st century? Would we hear this in even one pulpit in the U.S.?
I think back to several situations I've caught wind of among Followers in the past few months. I've heard many been told "hold your ground" and "stand up for the Truth". I've yet to hear anyone say "Prefer to be wronged."
My mind is racing a mile a minute now.
What would propel the Lord to instruct us to turn the other cheek when wronged?
Why?
• what is the reason for this?
• why this radical change from the Old Testament way (when the people of God went proactively and aggressively after the ungodly)?
• is this somehow tied to the "My power is made perfect in weakness" verse?
Let's look at that section:
""My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12)
Man, there it is again. I DELIGHT in insults. I DELIGHT in hardships. I DELIGHT in persecutions. I DELIGHT in difficulties.
There are parallels here to things worth pondering:
• Jesus' beating and death
• "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" (Isaiah 55)
• "there's a time to speak and a time to be silent" (Ecclesiastes 3)
• Jesus' silence at the end (Isaiah 53, John 19)
There are more, but that's all I've thought of here shortly.
Remember the Phillippians 3 blog from a couple of weeks ago. If we pray or commit to dying to self, be prepared for what's going to happen (hint: it ain't the kind of life being preached on tv or in a lot of pulpits these days).
I am a Follower in hell, and I have no interest in false, hollow or elementary cooings about Jesus. This is not a blog for diaper wearers or the spiritually sensitive. For those who wish to be goochy-gooed about Jesus, there are plenty of those types of blogs elsewhere in pattycake cyberworld.
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2 comments:
Yeah, I haven't heard much preaching on "Why not rather be wronged?" Of course, lately I haven't heard much preaching on anything except "Why God's law requires you to go to church" (but that's another can of worms). I started to say that avaoidance of being wronged comes from our culture--our American constitution with our focus on RIGHTS, our country governed by the rule of law, but I've seen it worldwide. Everyone claims their rights, and if they can't persuade their brothers and sisters, they'll take it to whomever they can.
I think it's something in fallen humanity. Even a child, if one parent says no, will turn to the other. It doesn't take them too long to figure out that they can plead their case over and over until they get the answer they want.
A man I greatly respect in West Africa, who has planted many churches, became frustrated because his wife couldn't give him a son. He has a beautiful wife and three beautiful daughters. He wanted to add a second wife, but the American missionaries told him it was a sin to do that. He asked them for proof, and they tried to give it to him. I don't think they have a very good case, actually. His position was that in his culture it was totally acceptable for him to take another wife, and it is only if he has a son that he can pass his estate. When daughters get married, the father is compensated for his economic loss, and she becomes property of the husband, similar to the Old Testament, and similar to the Old Testament, it is permissible to have multiple wives if you can support them.
I don't know exactly what the missionaries' objections were, but they were unyielding on this. I don't know the whole story or exactly what was said. But when he decided to take the second wife, they fired him as their language instructor, and kicked him out of the church.
The man continued to be condemned for his decision, so he finally divorced his first wife, and sent her and her three daughters back to her father, which is how divorce works there. Now, he had done the right thing, according to American standards. What would they say?
Well, the community of faith was furious and heartbroken. This man's wife is truly beautiful in body and in soul and in spirit, and she has written many of the songs that the churches sing in their native tongue. Now, at 40 years old (who knows? because they don't keep track of time there) she is back in her father's house in shame.
I'm tempted to judge the whole situation--judge him for his harsh and treatment of his wife, judge the missionaries and the churches for their rigid treatment of this man...but I'm several thousand miles and an ocean away. Frankly I'm frustrated by the Christians involved for taking a stand.
Still, I think about this man, and I wonder--Why not rather be wronged? Yes, you have a right to take as many wives as you need to have a son. But is that right really so important? Is it really so important to leave an inheritance in your name so that your blood is tied to your land for future generations? Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather thank God for the spiritual sons and daughters you have given birth to, and leave a spiritual legacy? Why not use your wealth to bless the ones in your life, and leave it to the church when you die? Is it so great a wrong?
They say not to judge a man until you've walked a mile in his sandals. I have. Literally. We swapped sandals, and his are still in my closet. Frankly, they're not comfortable. But I don't judge him. I wouldn't. How could I tell him about the speck in his eye when I have these planks in mine?
The reason "Why not rather be wronged?" can work is because we are offered another way to interpret the events of our lives. That's part of the beauty of the gospel. Things happen, and there are many ways to look at them. God always gives us a beautiful way, in the end, of looking at them. I can be wronged because I can see beyond the wrong. Somehow being caught up in the Story of Jesus gives meaning to the wrong--it serves to advance the story and "fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church".
Keith Green once said that you don't need to be a Christian to give up your wrongs--there's AA, mediation, will power, all kinds of programs for that. It's easy to give up your wrongs. It takes Jesus Christ to give up your rights.
Yeah, I haven't heard much preaching on "Why not rather be wronged?" Of course, lately I haven't heard much preaching on anything except "Why God's law requires you to go to church" (but that's another can of worms). I started to say that avaoidance of being wronged comes from our culture--our American constitution with our focus on RIGHTS, our country governed by the rule of law, but I've seen it worldwide. Everyone claims their rights, and if they can't persuade their brothers and sisters, they'll take it to whomever they can.
I think it's something in fallen humanity. Even a child, if one parent says no, will turn to the other. It doesn't take them too long to figure out that they can plead their case over and over until they get the answer they want.
A man I greatly respect in West Africa, who has planted many churches, became frustrated because his wife couldn't give him a son. He has a beautiful wife and three beautiful daughters. He wanted to add a second wife, but the American missionaries told him it was a sin to do that. He asked them for proof, and they tried to give it to him. I don't think they have a very good case, actually. His position was that in his culture it was totally acceptable for him to take another wife, and it is only if he has a son that he can pass his estate. When daughters get married, the father is compensated for his economic loss, and she becomes property of the husband, similar to the Old Testament, and similar to the Old Testament, it is permissible to have multiple wives if you can support them.
I don't know exactly what the missionaries' objections were, but they were unyielding on this. I don't know the whole story or exactly what was said. But when he decided to take the second wife, they fired him as their language instructor, and kicked him out of the church.
The man continued to be condemned for his decision, so he finally divorced his first wife, and sent her and her three daughters back to her father, which is how divorce works there. Now, he had done the right thing, according to American standards. What would they say?
Well, the community of faith was furious and heartbroken. This man's wife is truly beautiful in body and in soul and in spirit, and she has written many of the songs that the churches sing in their native tongue. Now, at 40 years old (who knows? because they don't keep track of time there) she is back in her father's house in shame.
I'm tempted to judge the whole situation--judge him for his harsh and treatment of his wife, judge the missionaries and the churches for their rigid treatment of this man...but I'm several thousand miles and an ocean away. Frankly I'm frustrated by the Christians involved for taking a stand.
Still, I think about this man, and I wonder--Why not rather be wronged? Yes, you have a right to take as many wives as you need to have a son. But is that right really so important? Is it really so important to leave an inheritance in your name so that your blood is tied to your land for future generations? Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather thank God for the spiritual sons and daughters you have given birth to, and leave a spiritual legacy? Why not use your wealth to bless the ones in your life, and leave it to the church when you die? Is it so great a wrong?
They say not to judge a man until you've walked a mile in his sandals. I have. Literally. We swapped sandals, and his are still in my closet. Frankly, they're not comfortable. But I don't judge him. I wouldn't. How could I tell him about the speck in his eye when I have these planks in mine?
The reason "Why not rather be wronged?" can work is because we are offered another way to interpret the events of our lives. That's part of the beauty of the gospel. Things happen, and there are many ways to look at them. God always gives us a beautiful way, in the end, of looking at them. I can be wronged because I can see beyond the wrong. Somehow being caught up in the Story of Jesus gives meaning to the wrong--it serves to advance the story and "fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church".
Keith Green once said that you don't need to be a Christian to give up your wrongs--there's AA, mediation, will power, all kinds of programs for that. It's easy to give up your wrongs. It takes Jesus Christ to give up your rights.
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