The Chapter 30 Diner (18)

  

“Do not slander a slave to his master, or he will curse you and you will be found guilty.” (Proverbs 30:10).

 

Why is Agur telling this to his friends? Why does it appear in this context? How are we to respond to it? What comes to your mind as you read it?

 

I am reminded of Proverbs 26:17; “Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles [infuriates himself] with strife not belonging to him.” This in turn leads to Proverbs 3:30, “Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.”

 

Of course, when we read “if he has done you no harm,” we also need to recall Jesus saying, “You have heard it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also” (Matthew 5:38 – 40).

 

Then we have, within the context of the Church, Paul writing in Romans 14:10 – 13, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this – not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” (See also 1 Cor. 4:5).

 

I am sure there are more facets to the above passages than I see, and there are certainly nuances to them. For example, as the Bible demonstrates, there are times when we need to judge others within the Church, as Paul clearly does in Romans and 1 Corinthians, and indeed, in most of his letters. Immature teaching is one thing, but false teaching and sinful living are another. BUT, and I think this is critical, such judgment is not for an individual to exercise so much as it is for elders. Furthermore, when individual judgment is demanded because of circumstances, it hopefully will be done on the basis of the individual’s position within the church, based on the office of the individual; for example it is the “pastor” or “bishop” or “elder” who is speaking responsibly – it is the “office” and not the individual.

 

Also, there may be times when we do need to bring the actions of an employee to the attention of an employer, just as there may be times when we need to become involved in strife not directly affecting us for reasons of equity and the protection of those who cannot protect themselves.

 

Life can be complicated and how we may respond to the above passages is not cut and dry, but we can trust our Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide us through life’s mazes and complexities.

 

I think the above passages can act like a governor on an engine, they can help us keep our speed below a certain limit and ponder what we see and how we see it and how we should respond. When we err in these things it is usually because we are too quick to speak and act and not quick enough to pray, ask God’s guidance, and submit to the Holy Spirit.

 

We don’t need to have an opinion about everything, we don’t need to judge everything. Paul writes, “For what have I to do with judging outsiders?” (1 Cor. 5:12). The world is the world is the world; we are called to worship God, edify one another in Christ, and make disciples. When Christians think it is incumbent on them to analyze the world by scrutinizing every political statement and every government policy and every corporate action, they are distracted from Jesus Christ and the Gospel. Consider that Jesus said, “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight.”

 

The above passages caution us not to live lives of perpetual judging. We can elevate our opinions and preferences into a sort of moral law, when they are really a simple matter of preferences and opinions – and this can be especially true when it comes to church matters, whether in a worship setting or in church governance.

 

We live in a world in rebellion against God (see Psalm 2); in a world in which no one is perfect – neither sinner (those outside Christ) nor saint (those inside Christ). We ought to have grace and mercy for everyone, we ought to make allowances whenever possible (see Matthew 5:43 – 48) and remember that we are the sons and daughters of God; we are not free to judge as we want, but we are free to show mercy and kindness and forgiveness.

 

Well, these are some of the things I see as I turn the kaleidoscope, what do you see?