And as a veteran who lost friends in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a grandchild who has lost a grandparent, someone who has lost friends to disease, suicide and murder I can say that holding back my feelings and not telling these people how I felt about them, how much I loved them haunts me because now it's too late.
The perfect moment to tell them never happened. I could have made it happen but I was holding back.
And of course there are the problems we see in our community, our state and our country but the very people who could do the most good so often hold back and don't get involved.
The reason I write about not holding back is that's the exact attitude Hesus had. His teachings were radical, His criticisms of the ruling religious elite, the Pharisees, put His life in danger and ultimately got Him killed. But He never held back despite the dangers. And neither should we.
Jesus' teachings gave us a higher law. What I mean by that is where the law of Moses said thou shalt not kill Hesus said this: 21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Matthew 5:21-25
Mosaic law says thou shalt not kill but Jesus says we should not stay angry that is an example of the higher law.
Jesus stood out amongst His contemporaries because of one simple thing; He preached being the best,doing the most and striving to be the most righteous rather than simply doing the bare minimum.
All of His contemporaries viewed Mosaic law in legalistic terms for every possible scenario. They preached the law in terms of doing at least this much or at the least that much but never doing the most as Jesus taught.
Peter asked Jesus how many times He was required to forgive and Jesus said this: 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
Seventy times seven is symbolic of infinity. And Jesus teaches here that we should be infinitely forgiving but He is also drawing a comparison to Lamech a character in the Old Testament who was considered by many to be the most evil of Biblical characters because He said 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. Genesis 4:24
Jesus is teaching that we should be the most righteous rather than the least righteous. Jesus is saying we should do the most rather than the least. Jesus is saying we should not hold back from being who we were created to be.
We would do better to remember who we are, who we were created to be and to guide ourselves by the principles Christ set for to love one another as He loved us, even our enemies, because if we live by that higher law, if we live by His principles we will always know what the right thing to do or say is.
There is a proverb about two wolves within us fighting for control.
ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLYCHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HISGRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THATGOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.HE SAID "MY SON, THE BATTLE ISBETWEEN TWO 'WOLVES' INSIDE US ALL.ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER,ENVY, JEALOUSY, SORROW,REGRET, GREED, ARROGANCE,SELF-PITY, GUILT, RESENTMENT,INFERIORITY, LIES, FALSE PRIDE,SUPERIORITY, AND EGO.
THE OTHER IS GOOD.IT IS JOY, PEACE LOVE, HOPE SERENITY,HUMILITY, KINDNESS, BENEVOLENCE,EMPATHY, GENEROSITY,TRUTH, COMPASSION AND FAITH."
THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUTIT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN ASKEDHIS GRANDFATHER:
"WHICH WOLF WINS?..."THE OLD CHEROKEE SIMPLY REPLIED,"THE ONE THAT YOU FEED"
We can't change our past or what we've said or done. But we can change who we become by nourishing the good within us. And we change the course of our lives, and the quality of our lives.
Jesus teaches this idea in a parable about seeds.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 13:3-9
We might not be in the best condition to start with but we can change for the better day by day until we become the fertile soil for Christ's gospel to take root and flourish within us.