November 29, 2010
Follow-Through
The mothers of two young graffiti artist who used my newly poured cement driveway as their canvas are interesting opposites. One mother immediately brought her daughter to meet me and have the daughter apologize. I talked to the other mother on the phone and she said that she too would be bringing her daughter back to apologize…but she didn’t. In the Parable of the Two Sons a father asked his sons to go work in the vineyard. The first son said, “I will not,” but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Matt 21:28-32 NIV)
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Gail;
-----I think it is interesting to note that the Bible only uses the concept of apologizing once. The magistrates of Philippi apologized for beating Paul and Silas when they discovered them to be Roman citizens. Indeed, the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary shows the word coming to use in the English language about the sixteenth century. The culture of the great unwashed has a certain way of supplanting Biblical concepts with diversionary terms.
-----’Apology’ is one of those terms. In fact, it has two uses in our modern English, kind of like a coin has two faces. One use is the offering of a defense, not in the form of excuses, but rather a logical reasoning in support of a held position. That is the sense in which we hear of Christian apologetics. And from the other sense, many get their hackles up over that usage. For this other sense is the admission of having done wrong embedded within a expression of regret. And that is all.
-----But God’s Word calls for a more complete action in response to having done wrong. Admission and contrition are front and center to this response, but the completion of the response is not fulfilled until there has been restitution. “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that men commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person is guilty, he shall confess his sin which he has committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it, and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong’” (Num 5:5-7) Although we no longer serve God through the Law given to the Israelites, that Law was fashioned by God’s character, and His character has not changed. It is not by Law that He now desires us to make full response to our wrongs, but by love for one another. Love can not bear with the loss suffered by the one loved. So it will, in whatever way it can, seek to restore.
-----Jesus taught this more full response. “So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Mat 5:23-24) Reconciliation is the end of the matter. That is what all of this concept is about. Assets and things are certainly important to survival. Try living without a shelter or clothing, especially this time of year. But then try living with all life’s comforts, yet without any loved ones. Although both of these are important, loved ones are the more important. As for the one wronged, there is an opportunity to not only demonstrate God’s forgiveness, but also to demonstrate His mercy in seeking to make the restitution as easy as possible. So reconciliation may burn off some assets, but in the end it is about the retention of relationship and the purity of love.
-----The culture of the unwashed always tries to put on the clothing of godliness without acquiring the heart of it. Apologies look nice, and they do serve a partial purpose. But its failure to address the damage is a failure to honor the truth about love.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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