'WHAT GOD HAS PUT TOGETHER' PART 3(From my Tenth Wedding Anniversary Reflections)

I WILL CONTINUE USING THE SCENARIO OF AN INJURED MOTORIST, AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT FOR JUST A LITTLE LONGER!A legalistic takes the position that the casualty needs to be lectured on what he or she SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THE ACCIDENT. Afterall, folks are getting by without getting themselves involved in such accidents. A lot of casualties, whose marriage has broken down undergo lecturing until the last bit of life or hope of reconciliation is drained out!

You get an even worse treatment if you have been involved in a divorce, because believing folks take the highroad of judgement! You are written off in most cases!'Until you are restored' , which is another way of saying 'you are finished!'
So we need the help of our therapist JC. JC instituted the marriage covenant declaring 'WHAT GOD HAS PUT TOGETHER, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER'. We already have an idea of a legalistic interpretation of these words. But I would like to give an example of how JC handled one of his own pronouncemnts. It is on the issue of Adultery. The seventh commandment. A woman caught in the very act of Adultery was brought to Jesus. The story is found in the eigth chapter of John's Gospel
John 8

John 8

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

¹¹"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

My comment: Clearly, JC did not contradict the Torah(the Laws of Moses). However His interpretation was very clear. JUDGEMENT IS GOD'S JURISDICTION. IT SHOULD ONLY BE ENFORCED BY A FELLOW HUMAN BEING WHO HAS ALREADY ATTAINED THE LEVEL OF SINLESS PERFECTION THAT GOD REQUIRED. THE TRUTH THEN WAS , ONLY JC COULD CLAIM THAT LEVEL OF SINLESS PERFECTION. NONE OF THE LEGALISTS IN JC'S EARTHLY ERA HAD ATTAINED SINLESS PERFECTION. I AM YET TO HEAR OF A BELIEVER IN OUR ERA WHO WOULD ADMIT TO HAVING ATTAINED THE SAME LEVEL OF SINLESS PERFECTION. IF NO ONE WAS CONSIDERED 'MORALLY QUALIFIED' TO CONDEMN AN ADULTERER WHEN JESUS WALKED THE SEA SHORES OF GALILEE YEARS AGO, WHY ARE FOLKS GETTING DELUDED THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR A BIT LONGER THAN SOMEONE WHOSE MARRIAGE HAS FAILED, THEY HAVE SUDDENLY BEEN AWARDED THE DIVINE JURISDICTION TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN A WOUNDED COUPLE!

What was JC's approach. He advocated loving our hurting neighbour as a 'good samaritan' would do! Who is a good samaritan? Someone who has every excuse for neglecting the wounded. Because these particular casualty is not part of their 'preferred group' . But instead, the good samaritan sees beyond skin colour, denominational lines, ethnic differences, risk to himself and his reputation, endangers himself Just to help. In contrast, the levitical legalist is in a hurry to DO GOD'S WORK AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO SPARE THE MOMENT IN HELPING HIS FELLOW JEWISH BELIEVER(IN THAT PARTICULAR INCIDENT). Doesn't this sound familiar? Folks that is why I am writing this. Are you hurting? Recognise the support when it is God sent, because it may not always come through the doors of your local church community.

May I add this dear Christian. If you are hurting from a failed relationship, a broken marriage, separated, just beware of anyone obsessed by statistics of failed marriages. GOD DOES NOT SEE YOU AS ANOTHER STATISTIC, INSTEAD HE SEES YOU AS ONE OF HIS WOUNDED SHEEP....IN NEED OF CRITICAL CARE! GOD IS NOT TRYING TO IMPROVE THE BRAND OF HIS CHURCH IN THE WORLD! HE IS TRYING TO HEAL THE INNER PAINS OF HIS CHILDREN


Copyright(C)2010 John Agbenyega Williamson

'What God Has Put Together....' From my Tenth Wedding Anniversary Reflections.(Part 2)

A legalistic position is like this: It insists on lecturing a motor accident injury casualty on driving skills! Does it make sense? No! Why? Bad timing? Because the casualty needs basic first aid, prompt emergency treatment....Person may be in a critical state!

Well, if it doesn't make sense to an accident injured casualty, it shouldn't be the approach used in dealing with a range of situations involving Christian living. Yet, it is the preferred approach used within the so-called community of believers, when a brother or sister stumbles or falls. Today, I am highlighting this element in how separated/divorced christian couples are handled by other believers. One illustration of a legalistic position : Brother A and Sister A1 are married for years. They separate in the first 7 years. The community of believers, closely associated with their particular Christian denomination, hears about their situation. Immediately, a lot of pressure is piled on them with well intentioned scriptural admonitions such as 'GOD HATES DIVORCE' , 'WHAT GOD HAS PUT TOGETHER, LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER', and as if this is not enough they are also made aware scriptures such as ' HE WHO DIVORCES HIS WIFE/HUSBAND EXCEPT ON GROUNDS OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND REMARRIES COMMITS ADULTERY ETC'. Incidentally, that is the main focus of the admonishing received by folks who are on the firing line! My conviction is that, simply hurling such scriptural admonition at folks who are experiencing a troubled relationship is equivalent to 'lecturing a wounded motorist' about traffic lessons or driving skills'
Why? Just like the casualty, a wounded motorist needs prompt medical attention, folks who are separated or divorced are experiencing the trauma of an emotional or spiritual wound. If simply lecturing a wounded motorist on how to avoid the mistakes which led to the accidents isn't going to heal them, neither should we use such an approach when dealing with wounded or separated folks.
Our priority first of all must be to find them Nurturing, loving care, the kind we give a sick patient. What do we do to an injured motorist. We provide first aid, when their condition is stable, then the paramedics transport them as an emergency to the hospital, for skilled 24 hour care! It is only when they are out of the 'critical state' and stable that they are either transferred for gradual recovery or discharged home in minor cases. NOW, IF THE MEDICAL WORLD HAS THAT LEVEL OF NATURAL DECENCY OR COMMON SENSE, WHY DO SO CALLED BELIEVERS INSIST ON SHOOTING AND FATALLY WOUNDING FOLKS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE 'MARITAL ACCIDENTS'?



Copyright(C)2010 John Agbenyega Williamson