REFOCUS
One of the oldest “breath prayers” is the “Jesus Prayer.” “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
READ
Matthew 18:15-17
If your brother or sister sins,* go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
* Some manuscripts have “against you”.
Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you
24 Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Ephesians 4:15
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
REFLECT
Reconciliation and Cream Cheese
Quite a few years ago, as I sat with my family at a local breakfast establishment, I noticed a finely dressed man at an adjacent table. His Armani suit and stiffly pressed shirt coordinated perfectly with a “power” tie.
His wing-tipped shoes sparkled from a recent shine. Every hair was in place, including his perfectly-groomed moustache.
The man sat alone, eating a bagel. As he reviewed the papers before him, he appeared nervous, glancing frequently at his Rolex watch. It was obvious he had an important meeting ahead.
He stood up, and I watched as he straightened his tie and prepared to leave. Immediately, I noticed a blob of cream cheese attached to his finely-groomed moustache. He was about to go into the world, dressed in his finest, with cream cheese on his face.
I thought of the business meeting he was about to attend. Who would tell him? Should I? What if no one did?
The man was up and out the door before I could say a word to him, but as a pastor, I recognized the opportunity that the story presented to illustrate a biblical principle: correction can be an act of love. It may be difficult to see it that way.
Our pride can get in the way. When others offer correction we too often see it as intrusive or even an attack. On the other hand, when we are called to give it, we may shrink back, afraid that we will be rejected.
Sometimes this is rooted in painful experience with people who, in the name of love, have done great harm. Clearly, our prayerful examination of our motives, some skills, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and a bucketful of grace are the needed ingredients for correction to be transforming.
Still, I find myself wondering how many marriages could be strengthened, how many jail sentences avoided, how many lives saved, if only people gave and received correction as an act of love? As Jesus points out, reconciliation often starts with “going to our brother.”
The cream cheese caper didn’t end there. I used the illustration in a sermon and then sent it off to Christianity Today who agreed to publish it.
Several years later, I received a phone call from a lady in California inquiring about the story. She wanted to know if it had happened to me personally.
It turns out that her pastor had used it in a sermon but had told it as if he himself had observed the event. She would have never grown suspicious except that she had heard the same story told by a well-known radio preacher who attributed it to me.
The incident troubled her greatly. For her, it showed a lack of integrity and truthfulness in her pastor. It called into question his character, a man whom she had greatly respected. I spoke with her for some time.
The irony, it seemed, was the same as the illustration presented. He had done something she saw as wrong. Should she go to him and talk with him about it? I encouraged her to do that very thing as I tried to help her move beyond accusation to grace and see the experience as an opportunity to encourage growth in her pastor.
But the story continues. As I sat down to write this meditation, I looked for the illustration in my files. When I couldn’t find it, I turned to the Internet. It took only a few key search words and it popped up – in a book citation in which the author quotes someone using it as their own experience!
I laughed out loud at the irony. I’m thrilled that the story has been so useful. And yet, the ball is back in my court: should I contact the author to tell him? Just how far DOES this cream cheese spread?
RESPOND
Questions to Consider
- Is it easier for you to confront others with a correction or to be confronted? Is there something or someone you may need to go to?
Prayer
The first step is prayer. Ask the Lord how you should proceed.
REFOCUS
I’ve added another “R” to this devotional. It is not enough to know what you should do. Remembering and PRACTICING the above ingredients, make action your prayer. Go, and do it.
Blessings,
Rev. James R. Needham, PhD, MDiv