An Inkling
We’ve all been horrified by the violent outburst in Tucson. God bless the survivors with healing and the grieving with comfort.
It’s amazing how quickly horror morphed into accusations, as political pontificators blame the violence on their opponents’ strident rhetoric. However tenuous the connection in any particular instance, it’s hard to argue against a reasoned call to tone down the stridency. Yet that won’t get to the root of the problem. At best it treats a symptom, and just for a season.
Jesus went deeper. You’ll find him diagnosing our malady in Matthew 5:21-22. You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder,” and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you say “you fool” you will be liable to the hell of fire.
As they say, with Jesus the heart of the matter is always a matter of the heart. And he diagnoses the underlying cause of both verbal and physical violence as a heart condition, namely the contempt we have for each other. The shooter held Rep. Giffords in contempt, and the various voices now casting blame obviously hold each other in contempt. And since I was holding both the shooter and the blame casters in contempt, I realized that Jesus’ words had found me in contempt as well. It must be contagious!
Jesus matches his in-depth diagnosis with an in-depth cure. He doesn’t just tell us to play nicely. Rather he took our contempt upon himself, both literally and effectively. The contempt of the religious leaders and crowds that screamed “crucify him” led to just that – he was crucified. He thereby bore their contempt (and ours) on the cross. And therein lies the hope of our cure. Having found us in contempt he saves us from contempt by taking our contempt upon himself.
Which means that for the first time in a long, long time – since Adam and Eve! – we can actually live without contempt. But only through Jesus. Though he finds us in contempt, he doesn’t hold us in contempt. Indeed he frees us!
Blessings,
Keith
