Luke 23:33-34, “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”
I was thinking this morning, about how we as humans often fail to take the higher path than the lower path when dealing with others. I speak mainly to Christians. So often when people hurt our feelings we focus on the offense instead of looking beyond the offense to see a hurting person.
I think one of the greatest examples of the proper way that we should respond to offenses is from the dear Savior Himself on the cross. Pilate had just ordered Jesus' crucifixion and the soldiers carried out their orders. They were all just doing their job. I think most of us, if placed into Jesus' dire situation, would have cursed Pilate and the soldiers with bitterness and anger, praying for God to send them all to Hell to burn. You know it is true!
We see another Christlike example in the Scripture, Stephen:
Acts 7:54-59, “ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Just like our dear Savior, Stephen looked beyond his killer's offense and saw their need as people for whom Christ died on the cross. Aren't we so shallow at times folks? I think it is safe to say that all of us at times in our life have failed to look beyond the offense of others, zooming in on their offense and making a mountain out of a molehill. Our precious Lord, and Stephen who was filled with the Spirit of Christ, looked beyond the faults of their attackers and instead saw their need. What a great God and Savior!
I you want to become an understanding person, then learn to LOOK BEYOND the superficial hurtful behavior of others, and their offensive remarks; and instead take it all to a higher spiritual level by seeing their lack of God's love, their lack of spirituality, their need for humbling from God, perhaps even their need for salvation, and may we pray for them instead of lower ourselves to their shallow level.
I speak of pastors as well as Christian layman, and lost people. It was the religious crowd, the Pharisees of Jesus' time, who caused Him the most grief and injury. Ultimately it was the Pharisees who had Jesus' falsely accused and crucified on a cross. My biggest enemies over the decades in my ministry have not been the unsaved heathens, but the saved heathens! I have learned to look beyond their lack of maturity in the Lord, and to rise above with God's love and compassion, even for my own backslidden and shallow Christian brethren.
I don't claim to be a good Christian, but God has broken me as a man. I have been to the bottom of life, losing everything near and dear. I know what rejection feels like. I know what it means to have burdens come that will never go away. There's just something about being utterly broken that drastically changes a person, humbling them to never look down on another human being again. Very few Christians can relate to my adverse experiences in life. They don't know what an ugly and costly divorce feels like.
They don't know what utter loneliness feels like. They don't know what group rejection for several years feels like. But I sure do! They don't know what it feels like to work in a Hostile Work Environment for years. They don't know what it means to truly suffer in life, not for days, weeks, months or even years, but for decades! I know, all too well. God has used these hardships, inexplicable pain of both body and soul, to conform me more into the image of my blessed Savior! ...
1st Peter 1:7-9, "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
Unshakable faith comes from having our faith shaken. Faith is like film, it develops in the dark! When people hurt us, ignore us and narrow in on our faults, failing to LOOK BEYOND and see our hurting soul, burdens and need to be loved; we need to LOOK BEYOND their shallowness, immaturity and lack of compassion, and realize that they haven't suffered as we have and cannot reciprocate our depth of love and care for them.
When our Lord was crucified, the Roman authorities and soldiers who killed Him failed to LOOK BEYOND the blatant false accusations and see Who He really was, the Son of God, the Christ. But Jesus did LOOK BEYOND their blindness of heart, their callousness and their cruelty as they spit upon Him, mocked Him, stripped Him naked and then nailed Him to a wooden cross. Jesus saw their lost condition, realizing that they didn't know what they were doing. 1st Corinthians 2:7-8, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
I admit that at age 54, and having been saved for the past 41 years since age 13, I still need to work on LOOKING BEYOND the offenses of others. 2nd Corinthians 12:15, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” The Apostle Paul had suffered MUCH throughout his saved life. Before he was saved Paul (Saul) was living large, as a high ranking Pharisee. Paul literally gave up everything to follow Jesus when he got saved in Acts 9:1-5. Paul suffered much, and as a result the broken apostle had learned to love and care like no one else could in his time.
I know how Paul felt. God has allowed me to suffer MUCH in my lifetime, mostly in my latter life. My chronic neck pain 24/7 is a permanent thorn in my flesh. I have suffered so much over the years, some things which I won't even talk about. As a result God has given me a depth of understanding, compassion and care that few Christians can reciprocate.
That is why I am one of very few fundamentalist Baptist preachers who whole-heartedly supports Pastor Steven Anderson and his ministry. I LOOK BEYOND his faults and see a truth-teller, an aggressive soulwinner and a man who is helping tens of thousands of people. I thank and praise God for the suffering in my life, which the Bible says is worth more than gold which perisheth, because it has given me more understanding and love for people.
I am far from perfect and I don't claim to be a good Christian, but I am 100% pure of heart and my intentions are only to be a help and blessing to the cause of Christ. My constant toothache-like neck pain, and feeling of burning throughout my nervous system, and a feeling of having inflated arms, and the right side of my body always feeling half asleep, keeps me humble. I believe God has used this heavy burden in my life, so that He could bless my ministry. 2nd Corinthians 12:7, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
I am not a happy man. Happiness is what “happens” to us. I am not happy most of the time, admittedly, but I have joy and peace flowing in my soul like a river. I always have God's love shining on my face. I am joyful always in the Lord, knowing that my name is written in Heaven in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that God is using a broken redeemed sinner like me to reach the lost for Christ, and to edify the saints.
“No one is any better a Christian, than they are kind.” —Dr. David Gibbs Jr. (a quote from the beautiful sermon “HIS VOICE” about loving the unloving with God's love!)
“Do you want some advice about depression—if you're depressed, love your way out of it! Love your way out of it!—You say, 'What do you mean?' LOVE GOD! And if you'll love God, then you'll do what God commands, and you'll do what God wants, and you'll do what is best for God; and staying in that state is not best for God. Love your way out of it!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, a beautiful quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.”“Those of you who are down, love will get you up!” —Pastor Jeff Owens, an awesome quote from the sermon titled, “God Knows The Truth About Your Love.”
Love and understanding go hand in hand. The Pharisees hated Jesus and had no understanding. When you love others you want to understand them and their situation. When you love someone you care. When you love someone you don't ignore them. Love is patient, kind, gentle and esteems others better than our self. Jesus is precious!
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