Blessing (Part 1)
Romans 12:14 Emmanuel Christian Church 8.13.23
INTRODUCTION: God wants to “trans” the world! From it’s current broken, distorted and sinful condition- back to the original created order He named “good”.
He challenges those of us who walk in His way, and call on His name, with these words:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
God’s Word tells us that one of our greatest tools for spreading that TRANSformation to this decaying world is the act of “blessing”.
PROPOSITION: Paul says it.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Bless those who PERSECUTE and CURSE us?
Peter echoes, and amplifies it.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with BLESSING, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
We were CALLED (by God Himself) to BLESS those who INSULT us? Where did Paul and Peter get this RADICAL concept?
The got it from Jesus:
Luke 6:28 “...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
And then, Jesus went on to paint a “word picture” of what this kind of RADICAL blessing looks like:
Luke 6:29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Jesus calls His followers to be:
Willing to suffer PERSONAL INJURY. (the “turn the other cheek”) Willing to suffer PERSONAL LOSS. (the “give the shirt off your back”) Willing to GIVE with an “OPEN HAND”.
Most people would call this “crazy”! For sure, the army of “personal injury” lawyers, would!
The cynic would chime in and say “Nobody lives like that!” And, the unbeliever would add: “This is precisely why the Bible is irrelevant today- it’s just WAY OUT OF TOUCH with the “real world”!”
Really? Well, let’s hear a real story, from the real world...
The date is October 2, 2006; the place is Bart Township in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At West Nickle Mines (Old Order) Amish School, the children have just returned from morning recess.
The exact time is 10:25 when Charles Roberts entered the classroom to confront teacher Emma Mae Zook- mumbling while clutching a 9mm handgun. Roberts ordered the boys in the classroom to unload his pickup truck carrying supplies for a siege. The girls in the classroom, ages 6 to 13, he ordered to line up in front of the chalkboard.
The first Pennsylvania State Trooper arrived on scene at exactly 10:42 am. By 11 o’clock the scene was crowded with law enforcement, first responders and residents from the Amish community. At 11:07 am the shooting began. Ten little Amish girls were summarily shot by Roberts. Five immediately perished, five were grievously wounded.
CNN reported: “During interviews conducted later it became apparent that all of the girls recognized the danger they were in. Some conversed among
themselves throughout the ordeal. Shortly before Roberts began shooting, two sisters, Marian and Barbara Fisher, ages 13 and 11, requested that they be shot first, so that the others might be spared. Barbara was wounded, while Marian was killed.”
Who would have ever thought that two little Amish girls would preach to us a sermon on what it means to bear up under injury and loss in the name of Jesus?
I am sure, that this week that you will experience some offense or abuse at the hand of another human being broken and demented by the reality of evil. I am equally sure that your injury will not compare to that suffered by Marian and Barbara Fisher that horrifying day.
What will you do in that moment? Will you bless, or will you curse? Will you repay evil with evil, insult with insult- or will you recall the example of Marian and Barbara and the words of Jesus Himself:
Luke 6:28 “...bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
News reports of the slaughter of innocents that day reverberated around the world. The wikipedia archive of those various reports records the aftermath:
“On the day of the shooting, a grandfather of one of the murdered Amish girls was heard warning some young relatives not to hate the killer, saying, "We must not think evil of this man".
Another Amish father noted, "He had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he's standing before a just God".
Jack Meyer, a member of the Brethren community living near the Amish in Lancaster County, explained: "I don't think there's anybody here that wants to do anything but forgive and not only reach out to those who have suffered a loss in that way but to reach out to the family of the man who committed these acts".
A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbor comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting and extended forgiveness to them.
Amish community members visited and comforted Roberts' widow, parents and parents-in-law. One Amish man held Roberts' sobbing father in his arms, reportedly for as long as an hour, to comfort him.
The Amish also established a charitable fund for the family of the shooter. About 30 members of the Amish community attended Roberts' funeral, and Marie Roberts, the widow of the killer, was one of the few outsiders invited to the funeral of one of the victims.
Jesus said: Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
It’s called “The Golden Rule”
- As a matter of navigating through daily life, we might call it a “good
idea” or even a “noble aspiration”.
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- But, in the face of personal injury and loss, it becomes a challenge to
our faith and the EVIDENCE of our witness.
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- It’s the practical expression of the SECOND of the “Greatest
Commandments” “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Why?” Because God wants to “trans” the world! From it’s current broken, distorted and sinful condition- back to the original created order He named “good”.
Which is more powerful “good” or “evil”? If we really believe that “good” is more powerful , we will not hesitate to take it up as our principle weapon in the contest for the broken souls of this wicked world! God’s Word clearly says:
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Jesus goes on to explain how that happens:
Luke 6:32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you
will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Marie Roberts wrote an open letter to her Amish neighbors thanking them for their forgiveness, grace, and mercy. She wrote, "Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. Gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.”
“Changing Our World” said Marie Roberts. Even in the face of horrific evil, the “good” of “blessing” was powerfully winning the battle!
So, how are we doing with this command of Jesus?
Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Back in 2000, Bruce Wilkinson published a book entitled “the Prayer of Jabez”. It was predicated on just two verses of Scripture:
1 Chronicles 4:9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
I remember being very perplexed by both the book and the response of Christians to it. To me, it almost seemed to be a celebration of spiritual narcissism!
Don’t get me wrong- I know God’s Word says that we are to make our requests known to Him, and to ask for our daily bread. And, quite frankly aren’t we pretty good at doing that already?
But does God call us to follow the example of Jabez? I find myself going back to the inspired words of the Apostle Peter:
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
As I wrestled with this text, and the call of God upon my life to BE a BLESSING to others, especially those who do not know God, or those who misunderstand me- it seemed as though the Spirit was saying:
“Do something today (in blessing others) to show Jesus you REALLY mean it when you call Him LORD!”
