August 17, 2014

Empathy and Tolerance

We are almost at the end of this series that has been looking at Romans 12:9-16 as a way to live Pentecost lives that proclaim the presence of God. According to John Stott these 7 verses are guidelines to living just that sort of life.

Last week we noted that “Mother Teresa’s Prescription” included 10 tenets that followed St. Paul’s advice rather closely. Tolerance was number 7. Paul says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” This implies not only tolerance but empathy toward one another.

Jesus tells us “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). The New Living Translation of verse 12 says we should not “curse [our enemies, instead]; pray that God will bless them.” It is hard to pray a blessing on those who are mistreating us and even harder to pray for those who are killing those we care about. We have only to read the headlines of wars and atrocities to find plenty of opportunity for praying for our enemies.

It is not easy to look beyond the death and destruction caused by so many, too often in the name of religion, and to pray for them. Not easy, but part of our life as Pentecost people. I Peter 3:9 offers this advice: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

Peter and Paul are both reiterating our Lord’s mandate to “love one another, as I have loved you”. Jesus loved us to the giving up of His life. As followers of the One, we too are called to pray blessings on all of God’s children. Like it or not, that means every man, woman, and child on this planet! I wonder what the world would be like if we really tried praying for those who ‘persecute’ us-whether in physical or mental ways. Might it not be worth a try?

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary notes that we cannot make distinctions about when and how we pray and bless others. “Bless, and curse not. It means thorough good will; not, bless them when at prayer, and curse them at other times; but bless them always, and curse not at all. True Christian love will make us take part in the sorrows and joys of each other.”

The second part of this citation is really part of the same theme. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” says Paul to the Romans. If we really have empathy and tolerance, then we not only pray blessings for them, but we understand their joys and sorrows. As the old saying goes, we “walk a mile in their shoes” in order to see the world through their eyes. We might then feel the deep hurt that causes a teenager to brutally murder a homeless man. Perhaps we would get a glimpse of the devastating emptiness that makes a person take their own life. With empathy we might see through the eyes of the fanatic who believes that killing is the only way to cleanse the world. In trying to rejoice and weep with the joys and sorrows of others, we might discover that those we name ‘different’ really aren’t so very different from us.

It is easy to take up stones to throw at someone. Then Jesus looks at us and says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone”. We hesitate and realize that we are not without fault. Like the men who wanted to stone the adulterous woman (John 8), we go “away, one by one.” Then Jesus is left with the offender. In love we hear Him say “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” And He says the same to me and to you and to the murderer and fanatic and thief.

With Christ on the Cross we can and must pray “Father forgive, for they know not what they do.” And we must pray for the courage, wisdom, empathy and tolerance to do so and to pray blessings on those we fear and even hate.
Next time we'll take a look at Harmony and end the series with Humility.

 Let love be genuine (sincere, honest); hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are

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