It Doesn’t Matter
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Romans 15:1 NASB
The weaknesses – Who determines where you put your effort? Do you perform the cost/benefit analysis before you commit?
“How do I know that the beggar at the intersection will really use the money I give him for food instead of drugs?”
“Helping those people is a waste of time. They don’t have a chance.”
“I want to use my assets wisely. Why should I commit them to a project I know will fail?”
Perhaps Paul has some Greek words for you. anthenimata ton adynaton —the weaknesses of impossible. According to Paul, we are obligated to pick up and carry what appears to be hopelessly helpless. We owe those who are impossible cases. Anyone might be willing to help another who appears to strive for improvement. But who among us would willingly put effort into the hopeless cases? Who will carry the terminally ill, the constantly addicted, the mentally disabled? Who will lift the suicidal, the chronically depressed, the raging anti-victim? Is anyone really ready to take on the burden of the truly sinful?
Like you. Like me.
It’s so nice to think of ourselves as well, as functional, as sufficient, but the truth is far darker. We were once the anthenimata ton adynaton. If you thought for a moment that Yeshua called you because you demonstrated your worthiness, how mistaken you are! But if you are a leper, a scapegoat, a pauper, an outsider, a turncoat, a failure, then he came for you—and not for the powerful. He lifted you when you were impossible—and now, you must do the same.
It doesn’t matter how you evaluate the situation. Your opinion doesn’t count. What matters is the condition of the one in need. This isn’t hesed. This is hen. Grace! Effort poured out solely on the basis of need, so help us God. In fact, it is because He did help us that we are obligated to do the same for those just like us—pitiful, helpless, unworthy.
If there is any comfort, if there is any consolation, it is this: The Messiah came for the unrighteous—you and me—and because he did, we are carried. The comfort is that God is able when we are not. In fact, He is able to give us strength so that we can be the ones who lift those who are just like we were. Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to the household of the helpless.
Topical Index: the weaknesses, impossible, anthenimata, adynaton, Romans 15:1
The Starting Place
~ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11.36)
Grace meets need. He looked beyond my faults, and He saw my need. He lifted me (Love lifted me) out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a Rock. I now have a place to stand; a very firm foundation, a very practical, functional “biblical worldview.” “What does God say about it?” or (more clearly) – “What do the Scriptures say?” and again *You [Carl] do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” and again, “Your word have I hid in my heart [in order] that I might not sin against You.”
Yes, Give a man a fish.. or teach a man to fish. Which is (with apologies to my English teachers) “more gooder?” We report, – you decide.
Love is both an attitude and far more cogent, an action. Love is a choice. “Just do it.” or “The Just (My righteous ones) will do it.”
Love God. Love people. It’s what we do. Is it really this simple? Ha! “To live up above with those that we love, O that will be glory! But to live down below, with those that we know — well.. that’s another story! Love is a challenge!
Friend, “by this” [one thing only!] shall all men know that *you [You talkin’ to me?] are My disciples.. “if” you have love [And again Adam, … —Action!] one to another.
Love is patient – love is kind.. (remember?). We (who are His) now have the mind of the Messiah! (1 Corinthians 2.16) A Servant’s heart.
How may I serve you (my neighbor) today?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTBFo2bs_O8
Thank you for this and the song. I so enjoyed it.
Gal. 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Gal 6:5 “For every man shall bear his own burden.”
What?! So which is it?
Ok, so the world does not know what to do with the imperfections and the suffering and the fracture of others (not to mention its own). On the outside, we have lots of social welfare programs, which are attempts to stop the hemorrhage, but I wager that not one approach the world has ever come up with has ever resulted in a lasting change in the condition that resulted in the problem in the first place.
In my line of work, I have attempted to de-clutter the lives of others time and again, but for the life of me, have not been able to get them delivered of the mindset and the severe trust issues that were clearly driving the problem. Nope, they just don’t want to go there! Conversely, I have worked with those to whom their world could never be controlled enough: the house is never clean enough, the problems have never been secured far enough away, for them to relax and get well. Both camps are just as sick, and with the same problems, even though the symptoms of the need generated by that broken heart may look the opposite.
The question then becomes for me: what constitutes the REAL burden of the world? What are we all really suffering from? Do we stand with our fingers in the dikes of others, keeping back the sea one more day? Do we bridge the gap between them and reality for them so they can function? How? First, if broken trust is what drives disfunction, how do you get close enough to get around that mistrust to even help?
I spent years on Alanon learning about how NOT to participate in the fracture of others. I learned that there is a wrong way to come alongside another, that results in even more disfunction. I become part of the problem, which results in sin for me. On the ground, the severe issues of those around me can be a daunting challenge to love. How to help without becoming part of the problem, not to mention being able to resist what Paul cautions in that same chapter “lest thou also be tempted” (sucked in)? I do think I know one thing, though, now. If I attempt to help another in my own flesh; that is, by my own inclination, and for reasons that have been spawned in my own humanity, I have no defense against the evil working in another. I am going to get snagged or even creamed. I cannot combat evil in my own skin. Yes, I must reach out, but not with my own hand. Still learning this one!
I heard a new phrase today. Learned helplessness. This seems to fit a lot of the personal, religious, social and political problems we have in this country today. “Learned Helplessness” as discovered by Martin Seligman in the 1960’s.
Shame left me last January, but there is still room for guilt, especially when my actions are not in alignment with what YHVH would have me do and more importantly be. Trust is tricky if there has been a violation of trust. But with those who prove themselves trustworthy, not a problem in my mind. What is way more problematic is vulnerability. Allowing people to see who you truly are.
From each according to his ability, to each according to their need?
Yes, but please think twice about using the beggar at the intersection as an example. As someone recently told me, “When you give money to the person on the street corner, you are NOT loving them, you are HAT
ING them,… you are killing them.” This is a family member of mine who works full-time trying get the homeless/addicted connected to services, housing, counseling, work-training, ect. The food, shelter, and services, are there (with the exception of single moms with kids, most of those places providing housing are full).
I was surprised by the weight of the words, but I think this person was exposed daily to the problems that this “generosity” caused. Poverty in the U.S. is a different sort of beast than elsewhere in the world. The truth is we can’t toss a buck at that person and still fool ourselves into thinking we helped. We need to take 1 Timothy 5 seriously – not in order to reduce our giving, but so that giving isn’t tainted. Overall generosity will be increased when people know it is actually helping the problem.
I was reminded today as I read psalms 3 where David declared that YHWH had struck all his enemies on the cheek teeth, that an enemy (aleph-yod-bet) is only one letter away from a father (aleph-bet). The picture is of someone DOING the father thing. Helping another is, more often than not, seen by those being helped as confronting an enemy. But a true father refuses to allow us to remain in our natural bent (even if it means beating it out of us 🙂 ) and is therefore our adversary. I suppose, that is the reason we can’t really “help” anyone, but rather can only be a conduit to others from the same father/adversary that we encountered.
YHWH bless you and keep you……
It is difficult to know what to do about some of the societal ills we face. I’ve always wondered why ‘Christians’ for the most part seem to beat up on the poor and disenfranchised, but seem to have no problem with those at the top and no problems with corporations polluting our environment. YHVH help us.
Might be true when the question is “what should government do about….”, but most Christians I know do feel a personal sense of responsibility to help the hurting and downtrodden. I think many just aren’t sure how to best help, which is where we need guidance and wisdom.
The Talmudic Sages said, “if a person shows pity to someone who is cruel, then they will come to treat someone who deserves kindness with cruelty.” The strength of God’s judgement puts boundaries around unlimited kindness. Kindness is a like a prescription — when administered in proper doses it is a source of healing, but the same prescription can kill the recipient if it is given either inadequately or in overabundance.
Wow!!!! I love that.
Again, Suzanne, well said!
Suzanne, do you know, specifically who stated that? thanks.
bp, though I’m not Suzanne, maybe this is what you’re looking for…. From the Talmud:
כל מי שנעשה רחמן במקום אכזרי
סוף שנעשה אכזרי במקום רחמן
Kol mi shena`asa rahaman bimqom akhzari
Sof shena`asa akhzari bimqom rahaman
All who are made to be compassionate in the place of the cruel
In the end are made to be cruel in the place of the compassionate
Qohelet Raba, 7:16
Actually looking for the specific source for the quote that Suzanne posted. I might know, but i was hoping she would be able to confirm.
I personally don’t like to post stuff i don’t know where it came from. The Talmud has more then a a few contributors.
I think writing a prescription for what ails a person is a little different than what ails a society at large. Too neat and tidy.
Is it possible that I would be able to put this on Facebook? With the proper credit of course!
Donita – not sure if you were asking this of me or of Skip for this TW post. But if asking of me: yes, of course.