Living Out the Christian Faith
November 2023
The biblical text is full of people doing wrong and misunderstanding. Throughout history people have failed and continue to do so. We let ourselves down and we can let God down. In the Book of Amos (Chapter 5) we hear that the people have done wrong by God. For the 40 years their ancestors were in the wilderness they did not make sacrifices and offerings to God, so now the people attempt to make such offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and offerings of wellbeing, God will not accept them because of their wrongdoing. They have turned away from God, and God is angry. The festivals and offerings they make are hollow. They have no substance at heart. There is no righteousness or justice flowing from them. The people, and their ancestors, have let God down (Amos 5:21-27). But the people are still called to do good and turn away from evil so that they may live (Amos 5:14a).
In the words of Amos of hollow offerings and festivals we are reminded of Jesus challenging the Pharisees. Challenging them for creating a burden of the law, yet not practising it (Matthew 23). Offering and festival observance, and following the Law, mean nothing without a right heart, that is, without righteousness, and without justice.
In the Book of Ezekiel (v.33:7-11) however, we meet the God of second chances. The God of justice. God says we are to approach others if we hear of wickedness and reproach them. If we don’t, then we have not acted in faith. We have not acted with a right heart, nor with justice. Because when we approach and reproach, warn another for their ways, we act with justice, we give them the chance to change as God wants.
11As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die...? …14 Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right - 15 if the wicked restore the pledge, give back what they have taken by robbery, and walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity - they shall surely live; they shall not die. 16 None of the sins that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they have done what is lawful and right; they shall surely live.
But God also warns of the repercussions for our failure to act.
And so we come to 1 Kings, where we hear of Solomon doing wrong, even though he was considered wise. “Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” (v.30). Yet Solomon angered God, because “his heart had turned away from the Lord” (v.9). So how did Solomon fail? To accommodate the beliefs of his many wives, Solomon acknowledged other gods. The very thing he was commanded not to do, that is not follow other gods. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3), says the Lord. For this disobedience his kingdom was taken from him by God. So Solomon, in all his wisdom, failed.
By the time of the Psalms we hear again that the people are feeling God’s anger because of faithlessness (Psalm 85). God had pardoned the sin and inequity of the people in the past, so the Psalmist pleas for God to not be angry and to show steadfast love and grant salvation. In this case the people had done wrong, they knew it, yet they knew God had been merciful in the past. So they wanted God to revive them again, as God had been known to do before.
So the Hebrew scriptures are full of people doing wrong, failing, turning away from God, and potentially allowing the distractions of the time to interfere. And so we come to the Christian texts, all written in the first and second centuries of the common era. Here we learn of the Pharisees challenging Jesus; questioning him for healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-13), for fraternising with sinners and tax-collectors (Luke 15), especially when he ate at the house of Levi (Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:29-31; Matthew 9:10-13), and for not stoning a prostitute which was according to the law (although this story is uncertain) (John 8:2-11).
In the Christian scriptures we hear of the disciples failing much of the time, failing to understand. But we continue to be called to love. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, “to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (v.8b). Paul sees that all the commandments are summed up in, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” According to Mark, Jesus saw this actual commandment as the second most important commandment (Mark 12:29-31).
So among all the many commandments of the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus considered Leviticus 19:18 the second most important with Deuteronomy 6:4-5 the most important, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Although Jesus adapted ‘might’ to mind and strength.) But as Paul says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
So, where’s this blog headed?
The point is that we all make mistakes, do wrong, fail and do not love the way we ought. I am personally confronted by how many times I have failed; how many times, in oh so many ways, that I have not acted according to faith. I never wanted regrets, and I know there will be people who say regret is a wasted emotion, but regrets I have. When I look back, I shake my head with what has transpired over the years, when there is now no chance of addressing the situation, and I end up having to say “woulda, shoulda, coulda - didn’t”.
So I have at times been pained by regrets, my failings, even though I acted out of what I thought was ‘as clear’ a conscious as I could have had at the time. Obviously, there were reasons, but with hindsight, and maybe getting older, and time, I now would like things to have been different. It’s one of those, “if I knew then, what I know now, things would have, could have, been different.” But hindsight is always 20/20.
But if I had been living out my faith, if I was living the Christian scriptures, it may have actually helped.
Many of my regrets involve my family of origin. I grew up in what could be described, as a normal 'dysfunctional' family. One of the big issues was with one of my siblings. After my father was diagnosed with an undefined dementia, the relationship became more fractured, as we had very different views on dementia and what our father needed. And even though I tried at times to communicate with my sibling, it proved difficult.
It is interesting to know that research supports that familial relationships that were previously problematic can become worse when a family member has a dementia.(1) And this was certainly the case for me. But if I had turned more to my Christian faith at the time, and had a right heart, I would have had a path to follow as the Psalmist instructs, “Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps” (Psalm 85:13).
But what I failed to see was that Matthew, in the New Testament, provides us with actual stepping stones for how to approach someone, and how to elicit change (18:15-20). Something I failed to recognise. At the time there was a lot of poor communication and hostility. And I didn't have righteousness or justice in my heart. What I failed to know really, was how to communicate effectively when heightened emotions are involved. What Matthew provides us with though, is a template for just that; how to communicate.
15“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18: 15-20
So here are our stepping stones, a template so to speak, for help with positive communication in those difficult situations. Whether we need to address an issue, or challenge someone for their actions, we have steps we can follow.
1. Point out the fault, the issue, when the two of you are alone. (I might add, with sensitivity.)
2. If you are not listened to, invite one or two others to support you (so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses).
3. If that person still refuses to listen, tell it to the church (that is a wider trusted entity).
4. If the offender refuses to listen then there is nothing more that can be done (we need to shake the dust from our feet and move on - Matthew 10:14-16).
So with my situation, after taking several deep breaths to quell some of the antagonism and anxiety I felt, and remembering to have love and justice in my heart, I needed to find a way to arrange a time to talk with my sibling. First, just with him. But I needed to make if official. That we needed to talk, and to find a mutually acceptable time and place. That could have been in one of our homes, or elsewhere. But the important part was to make it more formal than the general informal, ad hoc talks that used to take place.
If after this initial discussion, we could not find some common ground, or if the issue at hand was not satisfactorily addressed, I then could have invited another one or two people to be present at another discussion. This could have been a friend of mine, or before Dad’s dementia had advanced too far, it could have been my father. But once again, it would have been important to formalise the discussion.
If satisfaction was not reached at this second step, then the next step would have been to ask a trusted person from another trusted entity, maybe the church, to come along to another discussion.
The important part here that I missed all those years ago, was to formalise a discussion. In so doing it could have brought a different focus to the issues at hand. Formally inviting other people into the discussion, could have also focused the discussion further. As the text tells us, there are witnesses then to the issue.
Finally, if there was still no satisfactory outcome, the last step would have been that I simply would have had no regrets. For I would have done all I could at the time.
But now, for me, it’s “woulda, shoulda, coulda - didn’t”. I have needed to accept what occurred all those years ago, with those fractured, failed relationships, as there is now no opportunity for change. My father has passed, and so has my sibling. And the issues are no longer relevant. However, the messages of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures can give us hope. We all fail. We all turn away from God at times, but with faith and love in our hearts we can change our approach and come to renewed relationships, with God and with others.
Keeping in mind that those of the Christian faith are called to follow the new commandment Jesus gave, "…that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love another" (John 13:34b). As Jesus loved, we are to love, even though this may not be easy at times. As the scripture says, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
I have learnt much since that time. I hope the message in this blog may help you too.
Leviticus 19:18
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Amos 5: 21-24
Ezekiel 33:7-9
1 Kings 4:29-34; 11:1-13
Psalm 85
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 5:23-24; 9:10-13; 10:14-16; 12:9-13; 18:15-20; 23
Mark 2:15-17; 12:29-31
Luke 5:29-31; 7:35; 15
John 7:37-39; 8:2-11; 3:34.
(The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible has been used.)
(1) Peisah, C., Brodaty, H., & Quadrio, C. (2006). Family conflict in dementia: Prodigal sons and black sheep. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(5), 485–492.
< Back
Images: Stock photos
In the words of Amos of hollow offerings and festivals we are reminded of Jesus challenging the Pharisees. Challenging them for creating a burden of the law, yet not practising it (Matthew 23). Offering and festival observance, and following the Law, mean nothing without a right heart, that is, without righteousness, and without justice.
In the Book of Ezekiel (v.33:7-11) however, we meet the God of second chances. The God of justice. God says we are to approach others if we hear of wickedness and reproach them. If we don’t, then we have not acted in faith. We have not acted with a right heart, nor with justice. Because when we approach and reproach, warn another for their ways, we act with justice, we give them the chance to change as God wants.
11As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die...? …14 Again, though I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right - 15 if the wicked restore the pledge, give back what they have taken by robbery, and walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity - they shall surely live; they shall not die. 16 None of the sins that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they have done what is lawful and right; they shall surely live.
But God also warns of the repercussions for our failure to act.
And so we come to 1 Kings, where we hear of Solomon doing wrong, even though he was considered wise. “Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt” (v.30). Yet Solomon angered God, because “his heart had turned away from the Lord” (v.9). So how did Solomon fail? To accommodate the beliefs of his many wives, Solomon acknowledged other gods. The very thing he was commanded not to do, that is not follow other gods. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3), says the Lord. For this disobedience his kingdom was taken from him by God. So Solomon, in all his wisdom, failed.
So the Hebrew scriptures are full of people doing wrong, failing, turning away from God, and potentially allowing the distractions of the time to interfere. And so we come to the Christian texts, all written in the first and second centuries of the common era. Here we learn of the Pharisees challenging Jesus; questioning him for healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-13), for fraternising with sinners and tax-collectors (Luke 15), especially when he ate at the house of Levi (Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:29-31; Matthew 9:10-13), and for not stoning a prostitute which was according to the law (although this story is uncertain) (John 8:2-11).
In the Christian scriptures we hear of the disciples failing much of the time, failing to understand. But we continue to be called to love. Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, “to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (v.8b). Paul sees that all the commandments are summed up in, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” According to Mark, Jesus saw this actual commandment as the second most important commandment (Mark 12:29-31).
So among all the many commandments of the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus considered Leviticus 19:18 the second most important with Deuteronomy 6:4-5 the most important, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.” (Although Jesus adapted ‘might’ to mind and strength.) But as Paul says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
So, where’s this blog headed?
So I have at times been pained by regrets, my failings, even though I acted out of what I thought was ‘as clear’ a conscious as I could have had at the time. Obviously, there were reasons, but with hindsight, and maybe getting older, and time, I now would like things to have been different. It’s one of those, “if I knew then, what I know now, things would have, could have, been different.” But hindsight is always 20/20.
But if I had been living out my faith, if I was living the Christian scriptures, it may have actually helped.
Many of my regrets involve my family of origin. I grew up in what could be described, as a normal 'dysfunctional' family. One of the big issues was with one of my siblings. After my father was diagnosed with an undefined dementia, the relationship became more fractured, as we had very different views on dementia and what our father needed. And even though I tried at times to communicate with my sibling, it proved difficult.
It is interesting to know that research supports that familial relationships that were previously problematic can become worse when a family member has a dementia.(1) And this was certainly the case for me. But if I had turned more to my Christian faith at the time, and had a right heart, I would have had a path to follow as the Psalmist instructs, “Righteousness will go before him and will make a path for his steps” (Psalm 85:13).
But what I failed to see was that Matthew, in the New Testament, provides us with actual stepping stones for how to approach someone, and how to elicit change (18:15-20). Something I failed to recognise. At the time there was a lot of poor communication and hostility. And I didn't have righteousness or justice in my heart. What I failed to know really, was how to communicate effectively when heightened emotions are involved. What Matthew provides us with though, is a template for just that; how to communicate.
15“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. 16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18: 15-20
So here are our stepping stones, a template so to speak, for help with positive communication in those difficult situations. Whether we need to address an issue, or challenge someone for their actions, we have steps we can follow.
1. Point out the fault, the issue, when the two of you are alone. (I might add, with sensitivity.)
2. If you are not listened to, invite one or two others to support you (so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses).
3. If that person still refuses to listen, tell it to the church (that is a wider trusted entity).
4. If the offender refuses to listen then there is nothing more that can be done (we need to shake the dust from our feet and move on - Matthew 10:14-16).
So with my situation, after taking several deep breaths to quell some of the antagonism and anxiety I felt, and remembering to have love and justice in my heart, I needed to find a way to arrange a time to talk with my sibling. First, just with him. But I needed to make if official. That we needed to talk, and to find a mutually acceptable time and place. That could have been in one of our homes, or elsewhere. But the important part was to make it more formal than the general informal, ad hoc talks that used to take place.
If after this initial discussion, we could not find some common ground, or if the issue at hand was not satisfactorily addressed, I then could have invited another one or two people to be present at another discussion. This could have been a friend of mine, or before Dad’s dementia had advanced too far, it could have been my father. But once again, it would have been important to formalise the discussion.
If satisfaction was not reached at this second step, then the next step would have been to ask a trusted person from another trusted entity, maybe the church, to come along to another discussion.
The important part here that I missed all those years ago, was to formalise a discussion. In so doing it could have brought a different focus to the issues at hand. Formally inviting other people into the discussion, could have also focused the discussion further. As the text tells us, there are witnesses then to the issue.
Finally, if there was still no satisfactory outcome, the last step would have been that I simply would have had no regrets. For I would have done all I could at the time.
Keeping in mind that those of the Christian faith are called to follow the new commandment Jesus gave, "…that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love another" (John 13:34b). As Jesus loved, we are to love, even though this may not be easy at times. As the scripture says, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
I have learnt much since that time. I hope the message in this blog may help you too.
***
This reflection was stimulated by readings from three different church services preached in early September 2023. The following readings were referenced in this blog:
Leviticus 19:18
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Amos 5: 21-24
Ezekiel 33:7-9
1 Kings 4:29-34; 11:1-13
Psalm 85
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 5:23-24; 9:10-13; 10:14-16; 12:9-13; 18:15-20; 23
Mark 2:15-17; 12:29-31
Luke 5:29-31; 7:35; 15
John 7:37-39; 8:2-11; 3:34.
(The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible has been used.)
(1) Peisah, C., Brodaty, H., & Quadrio, C. (2006). Family conflict in dementia: Prodigal sons and black sheep. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(5), 485–492.
< Back
Images: Stock photos