Luke 18:38-39, “He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on
me!” Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder,
“Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!” (MSG)
It may be that some past battles help explain what's behind the actions
and attitudes of someone you're having a hard time dealing with. You simply
cannot understand why their attitude is the way it is; why are they so angry,
bitter, mean, and moody and the like. Well, let’s see what we can discover from
the Bible.
Jesus had the wonderful ability to
look beyond the Deeds of a person to their Needs instead. It's an outlook He
wants you and me to have as well. Luke
18:35-43 says this: "As He was
approaching Jericho [on His way to Jerusalem], it happened that a blind man was
sitting besides the road begging. Now when he heard a crowd
going by, he began to ask what this was [about]. They told
him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” So he shouted out,
saying, “Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” Those
who were leading the way were sternly telling him to keep quiet; but he
screamed all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then
Jesus stopped and ordered that the blind man be led to Him; and when he came
near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” He said,
“Lord, let me regain my sight!” Jesus said to him, “Regain
your sight; your [personal trust and confident] faith [in Me] has made you well.”
Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus,
glorifying and praising and honoring God. And all the people, when they saw it,
praised God." (AMP)
Now to the folks in Jericho that day, that blind man was a noisy,
stubborn nuisance. They want to make a good impression on Jesus, and here's
this man screaming in an outrageous manner. The people see nuisance. Jesus sees
need. He knows that behind those screams is a man with a desperate need. And
the man everybody else is trying to shut up Jesus stops for, responds and
reaches out to.
What I find amazing is that no one thought to ask him anything. Jesus
was the only one who asked the man, “what do you want from Me?” Everyone else
was simply concerned about the man screaming, but they weren’t concerned to
find out why he was? And many of us are just like that. There are people who
are in the church that are gravely misunderstood. However, instead of judging,
gossiping, ridiculing or shunning them, why not be a real brother or sister and
simply ask him, “what’s wrong? Why are you hurting? What happened? What can I
do to help? Help me understand so I can help you.”
That should be the response to seeing another person in pain. And yes,
sometimes it’s hard to get to the person’s needs, because you have to get past
their speech, attitude, or even their negativity and flaming temper. But at the
end of the day, you have your moments too as a person in pain. Be it physical,
mental, emotional, financial, or spiritual, you too battle hardships. So, why
not fight with your brother or sister, instead of fighting against them?
Listen up, understand that just like us, our brothers and sisters have a past. Some have had absent fathers or mothers; some weren’t encouraged; some have suffered grave losses; some have health challenges that are attacking their faith; some are trying week-to-week just to make it and put food on the table; some have been looking for a job for a good while now, only to still be unemployed (and surely bills don’t decide to be nice to you and suddenly stop coming just because you have no funds); some didn’t have the right men in their lives to support and teach them; some have been told practically from birth, you will never be nothing; some have insecurities and low self-esteem (believe it or not, but people struggle with these issues too); some can’t figure out how to raise their children in this crazy day and age; some are trying to breathe just one more breath of life into a marriage that’s one breath away from death; some are still trying to heal from family and church hurt that happened years ago; some look in the mirror and don’t like what/who they see; some have tried businesses and failed; some haven’t finished school and it’s limiting their promotion and increase on the job; some have finished school and can’t figure out where is the job they promised my education would grant me; some are trying to quit cigarettes and put the bottle down for the last time; some are trying to find just one reason to wake up just one more day.
In other words, people are reacting the way they are for a reason! Now
that you know that, it’s time to respond accordingly.
Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times. A brother is born to
share troubles.” (NLV)
There's probably someone in your world that needs that kind of
understanding from you right now. And be prepared and forewarned, it may be
someone who has hurt you deeply, mistreated you, used you, or even attacked
you. You may be increasingly annoyed or irritated or angry with someone whose
attitude or actions or approach really rub you the wrong way. But there's a
good chance there's pain underneath the way they are. Past battles that have
almost programmed them to respond in a way that they think will protect them
from more pain. So when your brothers or sisters start reacting negatively,
show them positivity. After all, how can dark drive out dark?
In other
words, you can’t respond with retaliation against your brother or sister for their
reactions. You need to help them, not hurt them further. Be the salt that
flavors him and the light that removes the dim feelings from their life.
Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth. If salt loses its
taste, how can it be made to taste like salt again? It is no good. It is thrown
away and people walk on it. You are the light of the world.
You cannot hide a city that is on a mountain. Men do not light
a lamp and put it under a basket. They put it on a table so it gives light to
all in the house. Let your light shine in front of men. Then they will see the good
things you do and will honor your Father Who is in heaven.” (NLV)
This is
what people need you to be for them. Salt and Light. Add things to their life
that help them to become better today than they were yesterday, and to be
better tomorrow than they’ll be today. They don’t need anyone else to point
fingers at them; to judge them; to belittle them; to shun them; to wash their
hands of them; to discard and discourage them; to criticize them. No, they need
a person who can undergird them to win the battle. They need brothers and
sisters that will hold their hands up in the battles of life, when they’re ready
to drop them, surrender and retreat.
Exodus 17:12, “Finally, Moses was so tired that Aaron and Hur got a
rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in
the same position until sunset.” (CEV)
Truth is, sometimes when people are bleeding emotionally, mentally,
spiritually, they bleed on us. But we’re not the ones wounded, they are. So why
not help them heal?
When you try understanding the
needs behind their deeds, you can finally respond as Jesus told us to: "Love
your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray
for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). The Message Bible says it like this: “To you who
are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the
best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with
the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand
there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, gift-wrap your best coat and
make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the
occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live
generously.” (MSG)
Listen, Like It Or Not, But Some Of The Brothers And Sisters Who Are
Hurting, Have Hurt You! Hurt People, Hurt People. But Does That Mean You
Respond The Same Way? Absolutely not, says the Scripture. You don’t show them,
themselves, you show them a better version, by acting like it. That person you
struggle with doesn't need any more wounds. No, they need someone who will, in
Jesus' love, help heal those wounds.
Blessings
J.P. Olson
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