Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “Mercy and Justice in Psalms and Proverbs”. An interesting lesson. And is often the case, we sometimes depict God’s “justice” as more “vengeance” “… evil doers and the unjust… will be punished…” (Quarterly for Sunday, July 21). This quote could imply a vindictive God who punishes. But all God’s actions and allowings are from love. All are intended to be restorative. And God does not punish sinners in the destruction at the very end. Sin kills the evildoers and the unjust. God lets them have the self-centeredness they love and sadly lets them go to reap the natural consequences. God’s “vengeance” like His “love” must be interpreted in the light of scripture, not by an English dictionary definition. God’s “vengeance” like His “love” is always restorative… if we will.
Yet scripture is full of punishment. Full of harsh discipline. True. But punishment, even death as directed by God Himself, is not the final destruction, because all will be resurrected in the end. That final death at the end with all God’s children present and as witnesses, is not execution at the hand of their loving Father. But this is not what arrested my attention this week. I have surely emphasized the idea of the deadliness of sin often in these weekly “thoughts”. What arrested my attention is the idea that the “poor” have an additional claim on our love, attention, and affection. Is this true?
Scripture is replete with direction for all of us to attend to the needs of the widow, the fatherless, and the poor. And this is so true. In the land of plenty, we who are so bountiful must look-up and around us to those in need. God has used this means (we who have so much) to reach-out to bless those in need. But this idea of attention to those who are in need might be seen as showing partiality to the “poor”. And this is not scripture’s intent. Take a look at the following verses on “partiality”:
• “You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute” (Exodus 23:3).
• “These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show partiality in judgment” (Proverbs 24:23).
• “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law” (Malachi 2:9).
• “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11).
• “… but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9).
• “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:9).
Interesting is it not? We are not to show partiality, even to the poor… especially not to the poor. We are to treat all the same. We are to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) and all are our “neighbor”. In fact, sometimes the “wealthy” in this world’s goods are the poorest of all in spirit. Almost all of Christ’s sternest words were for those who seemed “wealthy” spiritually and materially. And stern words are sure evidence of love from our God of love. Soft words of love are reserved for those who are already responding to love. Stern words of love are for those farthest from love. Therefore are the most full of love, in order to retrieve those who are about to perish in their love-less-ness. Stern words are reserved for those who are most truly “poor” when soft words of love fail to elicit from them the response of love.
And so with “vengeance” too. “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). And when He repays, it is always to win back and to restore. Not to punish. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love” (1 John 4:18 NRSV). Our God is love. In Him is no punishment. His so-called “vengeance” is always to restore. And if the person will not, then His “vengeance” is still love. For He will not force us to love and respect Him. Love that is finally and irrevocably spurned will let the one loved go. There is no other choice.
So with the “poor” let us love truthfully and with no “partiality”. Because the “poor” are not necessarily “poor” where it can be seen by man. Those who are truly “poor” are those inside… not seen… but seen by the eyes of faith. Seen by “gospel eyes”. May we have “gospel eyes” and “gospel love” is my prayer for us all.
With brotherly love,
Jim