Thursday, November 29, 2007

Suffering To Be Defrauded
The Art Of Brokenness

1Corinthians 6: (6) "But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. (7) Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?"

Recently, my wife was in a car wreck. The lady who hit her took the blame and filled the police report out to that effect. Later, she changed her story, blaming it on my wife, and trying to steer clear of any fault.

My initial reaction is to grow angry and "demand my rights!" But then, the Lord brought this text to mind. WHY DO YE NOT RATHER SUFFER YOURSELVES TO BE DEFRAUDED? Yes, primarily, I know that Paul was speaking to believers, however, there is a truth here which we as Christians miss:

The "statements" that we hear made in Christianity today, do not match up with those of Christ, or Paul. For instance...

1. "That's not fair!" (Us)
2. "I demand my rights!" (Us)
3. "Well, you know me; I speak my mind." (Us)

Contrast...

1. "For I am meek and lowly in heart." (Christ)
2. "Suffer yourselves to be defrauded." (Paul)
3. "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth" (Speaking of Christ)

OUCH!

Just how "Christian" are our attitudes? Why do we always think we have to be the one's who are "right?" Why must we have the final say? Why must we have it our way? Did Paul, James, John, or Christ?
Obviously, the answer is no.
I think an Historical look at Christianity would tell us that the Gospel might well be described as a story about "the Broken Lover." Here is a God, willing to give up His Son, for the ungodly.
Here is a story about a Divine Son, willing to give up his Divinity, willing to give up his Son-hood, willing to be rejected of His Father, willing to forsake all that is truly beautiful and wonderful, willing to be subjected to ridicule and scorn, and final crucifixion and death.
As C. S. Lewis said of Christianity, "everywhere, it is the concept of the Greater into the Smaller...More into less."
Christ, condescending to us.
So, what about us? When our first instinct is to get "fired-up" about something...will we remember the words of Paul, and allow ourselves to be wronged?
Or, will we stand up and say, "Not on your life! I'm a Christian, and Jesus promised me rights!"
Is that what He came to earth to do? To enable our rights?
Or, was it that whole, seek and save that which was lost, thing?
Oh well; I have to go write a scathing email to the Walmart Customer Service department because I stood in line for two hours today.