The Garden of GethsemaneMatthew Henry says of this aspect of love: "It takes no pleasure in doing injury or hurt to anyone..." "...it wishes ill to none..." "Nor will it rejoice at the faults of others..." "It is the very height of malice to take pleasure in the misery of a fellow creature." "It gives much satisfaction to see truth and justice prevail among men."
The word for rejoice is chairei. It means, according to Zodhiates, "to be glad." Adikia is the Greek word for "evil" "wrong." Zodhiates says one of its meanings is "to injure someone."
The usage of the Greek preposition in this description of love is interesting. The NEB describes it exactly when it says that love "...does not gloat over other men's sins..." Scholors tell us that the usage of the preposition epi here expresses the cause of joy and rejoicing. So it is then that if agape love exists in anyone's life, evil or wrong or injury in another person's life cannot cause joy.
The sinister and dark behavior that produces pleasure because of other's shortcomings, failures, and injury might and often does occur, but if so love is gone and something else has crept into life to produce that corrupt atmosphere.
In Matthew 18 Jesus taught the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Here we find rejoicing over the finding of one lost sheep. The passage indicates that our Father in heaven "...is happier about(epi) that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off."(Mt. 18:13) (NIV) What an intense interest the Father had in that one sheep. But how different would have been His reaction if He had not loved that lost sheep. It would have been easy to say "let him go" "he wandered off" "it is his fault" "he was so negligent" "he deserves his plight." Love just simply would not let him go.
Scripture records two instances of Jesus weeping. One occasion was at the events surrounding the death of his good friend Lazarus. John 11:35 says simply "Jesus wept." Another time Jesus wept is recorded in Luke 19. The unselfish and magnanimous spirit of the Savior prevailed here for it was only a short time before he would die the cruelist and most painful death imaginable. And His death would be at the hands of the people he sorrowed for. Luke 19:41 reads: As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace..." (NIV) Jesus knew their coming plight. And He told them of it. "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side." "They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave on stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Lk. 19:43-44)(NIV) Jesus did not revel in all this. He did not rejoice in their plight. He wept over their self-imposed predicament.
In 70 A.D. Jerusalem suffered the very thing Jesus predicted. The Romans sorrounded the city. All supplies were cut off. The people held out for five months but ultimately resorted to cannibalism. Then total destruction came to Jerusalem and even the temple was desecrated and destroyed.
Jesus knew they were headed toward disaster. He was the omniscient One. He was the true King. He was the Lord of Lords. He was perfection sent down here to die for them and He remained perfection. He was tempted in every respect yet He did not sin. And ultimately He became sin for all people. Yet he wept instead of retaliating and rejoicing over their ultimate demise.
After His resurrection and before His ascension he commissioned some men to go forth a declare a message called the gospel. And they began reaching out with this gospel to the very people who crucified Him. (Mt. 28:18-20) And many of them were saved(Acts 2:47) because "God so loved the world..."(Jn. 3:16) He continues to reach out instead of condemn and rejoice over the evil in our lives. He says to all men: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and over burdened, and I will cause you to rest-I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls."(Mt. 11:28)(Amplified)
As we become increasingly aware of our wretched and sinful lives aren't we all thankful that "Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other men's sins..."(I Cor. 13:6)(NEB)
One point I don't want to miss here and one that gives me personal comfort is that not only did Jesus refuse to "gloat over men's" circumstances, he reached out and assisted them.
The very sad thing is that so many "Christian" societies have just the opposite viewpoint Jesus had and still maintain they are a loving society of Christians. That does not pass the "truth" test, if you will.
"The Most Excellent Way" would demand that we act differently for "...does not gloat over other men's sins..."
2 comments:
I just want to let you know how much I appreciate the lessons on "love". We tend to sometimes forget that it is not all about us, but how we show Jesus to the world.
Thanks
p.s. the picture you have on your front page is one of my very favorite.
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