Oink

          It’s been about a year since I wrote Opportunity Jesus and it’s 52 chapters of Jesus’s life.  As I’m teaching (or rather leading the discussion) in Opportunity Jesus elective class I’m reading these chapters again.  Well one of them knocked me on my butt.

          Chapter 18- Interactions.  Did we do any judging this week?  I normally read that and I think, well not that much.  I know God loves us all.  I’m generally fair.  But then I kept reading.

          As Jesus got into His sermon on the mount I found these things He talks about and I’m that I know people that are doing that exact wrong thing right now!  I mean exact!  Gosh what is wrong with them?  Then I got to Matthew 7:1 “Do no judge…”

          It didn’t mean much at first.  Ignorant of my judgment of others three seconds earlier I continued.  Eventually I get to Jesus warning not to give pearls to pigs that they will trample them and trample those who give them. 

          I had written this…

          He (Jesus) knows us and He knows our situations.  Jesus doesn’t work in a church but He serves near synagogues.  He understand there are people who just look to make a mess.  They don’t know who they are; they are dogs, and they are pigs.  These are people who already may have given their lives to Christ, but they are not open to His Way in their lives.  They stay pigs.  In fact, these dog and pig people, may be the ones doing the most judging.  “This is not right.  I don’t like this.  I don’t like you and the way you do this.”  They want to be involved in the things of God, but they shouldn’t be because they are still pigs.  They will trample the ministry or whatever thing of God it is, and look to chew you to pieces too.

          What a beautifully painful ah-ha moment.  I had originally written these notes when I was a senior pastor at a small rural church in Illinois.  I was the ministry wielder and I had some pig people that were just looking for destruction.  But now I realize in my current situation I am the pig person.

          I am always saying, “This is not right, I don’t like this, I don’t like you and the way you do this.”  And I don’t.  It’s genuine, and in fact I’m still convinced that I’m not wrong, HOWEVER if I am right I am being right in a very wrong way.  I may feel something is corrupt/broken/misguided but for me to make that judgment is one thing, to then attempt to project/enforce that judgment upon others is my attempt to clean them.

          Over the last couple years I have become fully convinced that sinners can’t clean sinners.  Only Jesus cleans us.  Yet, in my anger and frustration, and JUDGMENT I have tried to clean with my piggy behavior. 

          “Give me this ministry and I will clean it!” I’m screaming with my attitude.  “Listen to this awesome opinion of mine and it will clean you!”  Oink, oink, oink.

          If someone wants my opinion, I will share.  If I am the teacher in the situation I will direct.  If I am the shepherd I will share to protect.  But if I’m the pig, and I want to say “This is not right, I don’t like this, I don’t like you and the way you do this.” I need to shut up and love that fact that I’m free from trying to change other people.  I might be wrong, they might be wrong, Jesus is right.  I’ve gotta trust Him.  I can be free of shaking my head at people who I think just don’t get it because if I try to make them get it with an oink it is destructive. Besides they are equally convinced they are right or they wouldn't be doing what I think is wrong.  If they are wrong, ultimately it will be Jesus that shows them.

 In the meantime the good news is the next sentence in that chapter reads…

          Jesus doesn’t say, once a pig always a pig, so label them and push them away forever. 

          Thank you Jesus for your kindness, I don’t deserve it.  I’m gonna use my new Matthew 7:1 filter and trust You more.  Only you can change this in me. And if I still have something wrong here, please keep teaching me.