THE RISKS OF BEING RIGHT
You, sir, why do you pass judgment on your brother? And you, sir, why do you hold your brother in contempt? We shall all stand before God's tribunal. Rom. 14:10, N.E.B.
It would be hard to imagine that, among all the people reading this book, there would be a one who would wish to be found on the side of wrong. Virtually all of us want to understand and live by the principles of right. To think otherwise would be to deny all that we hold as real and vital as Christians.
Yet to be on the side of right has some very real risks. Consider, for example, what happens when you put a person who is "in the right" into a relationship with a person who is clearly "in the wrong." There will likely be two distinct sets of unenviable feelings.
The one who is in the wrong will likely feel, I've been a real fool. I feel embarrassed. How can I hold my head high in the presence of this person who can so readily tell me what I've done wrong? I'd escape if I could. Am I of any real value?
The one who is "right" also runs the risk of certain feelings. He may be thinking, "I'm so glad that I'm right. Being right is the fulfillment of my goals, the foundation of my self-esteem. I'm greatly relieved that I am not among the wrong!
This relationship would not likely be pleasant or enduring. It would be rife with intimidation and avoidance. Yet Jeus walked this planet as one who was constantly, absolutely right, and He mingled daily with those who were clearly wrong. To our amazement, the Bible reports that sinners heard Him gladly and found Him to be a favorite dinner guest. For Jesus not only spoke the message "I don't condemn you"; He lived it.
The one who is wrong cannot make the first peaceful move toward the one who is in the right. He is too intimidated. So Jesus' first goal was to break down the "I'm up, you're down" interchange, so that all of us who are in the wrong might let Him become our friend and transform us into those who love and do the right.
The more "right truth" a Christian grasps, the more essential it is that he have the "right spirit" as well: genuine compassion toward those who are in the wrong.
You, sir, why do you pass judgment on your brother? And you, sir, why do you hold your brother in contempt? We shall all stand before God's tribunal. Rom. 14:10, N.E.B.
It would be hard to imagine that, among all the people reading this book, there would be a one who would wish to be found on the side of wrong. Virtually all of us want to understand and live by the principles of right. To think otherwise would be to deny all that we hold as real and vital as Christians.
Yet to be on the side of right has some very real risks. Consider, for example, what happens when you put a person who is "in the right" into a relationship with a person who is clearly "in the wrong." There will likely be two distinct sets of unenviable feelings.
The one who is in the wrong will likely feel, I've been a real fool. I feel embarrassed. How can I hold my head high in the presence of this person who can so readily tell me what I've done wrong? I'd escape if I could. Am I of any real value?
The one who is "right" also runs the risk of certain feelings. He may be thinking, "I'm so glad that I'm right. Being right is the fulfillment of my goals, the foundation of my self-esteem. I'm greatly relieved that I am not among the wrong!
This relationship would not likely be pleasant or enduring. It would be rife with intimidation and avoidance. Yet Jeus walked this planet as one who was constantly, absolutely right, and He mingled daily with those who were clearly wrong. To our amazement, the Bible reports that sinners heard Him gladly and found Him to be a favorite dinner guest. For Jesus not only spoke the message "I don't condemn you"; He lived it.
The one who is wrong cannot make the first peaceful move toward the one who is in the right. He is too intimidated. So Jesus' first goal was to break down the "I'm up, you're down" interchange, so that all of us who are in the wrong might let Him become our friend and transform us into those who love and do the right.
The more "right truth" a Christian grasps, the more essential it is that he have the "right spirit" as well: genuine compassion toward those who are in the wrong.
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