Looking For Something To Be Wrong

Looking For Something To Be Wrong

Intro

One of our challenges, as Christians, I think, is overcoming our God-given biological tendencies. That is at the heart of the fall, and original sin. And that is at the heart of the struggle to follow Christ.

Can we look beyond our wanted reactions, and get to Christ’s reaction. Can we look beyond hate, and look to love.

Can we look past those moments when we feel we are wronged, and continue on in love?

Biological stuff

Seeking differences

Facial

Cultural

Spiritual

...But that continues on to how we divy love too! We look for reasons, at times, to not love another person.

We might not think we do, but we do! Instead of thining, or even saying out loud, that we don’t love someone though, we say things like:

We just agree to disagree

We don’t see eye to eye

We aren’t getting along right now

They don’t know what they are doing

We just aren’t going to do life together anymore

All of those excuses mask a very real truth that we refuse to see, or that we couch in our Christianese - We don’t want to love them, because loving them requires too much effort.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes we need to find those differences!

That is what I wrestled with this week during sermon prep. I mean, surely we don’t offer a babysitting job to a murderer. We don’t give a serial embezzler our life savings! We don’t hang out, let alone overtly support, mobsters or shady folks who have no grasp of morality right?

So in a way, we keep a record of wrongs. And sometimes we keep it so that those we love are protected.

So can a person that thinks those thoughts, or takes those precautions truly follow Christ? Of course they can.

But that is the whole problem with love, on our own, it looks as flawed as us. It is only when we truly trust and love Christ that we can ever find ourselves loving others. Even those with which we take extreme issue.

But let me be clear here. You can’t do it by running away. You can’t do it by removing your presence or by acting holier than thou. Doing that is simply looking for something to be wrong. It is the result of a lack of love.

Think about it, when you kids do something wrong, do you stop loving them and write them off? Do you just walk away? Do you move to another house, or start another life?

Of course not! You look for a reason to love. You look for something to be right! And that, church, is what we are called to in this verse!

We can’t keep a record of wrongs! We can’t look at life - and at other people - in that primal biological way constantly hoping to find a problem! We have to look at people hoping to find common ground! To find a solution! To stop keeping a record of what you disagree with, what hurt you, what makes you mad, what you don’t like, what you think could or should be better or done your way - and start acting like the Christ we profess to love so much!

John 21:15–17 NIV

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

[setup with what the disciples did, refusing to even know the Savior that performed miracles right in front of them!]

Think about it, they had the benefit of direct evidence of God’s power and will and desires and commands and the absoluteness of all He is!

They saw it. They knew it. And still they messed it all up.

But we don’t follow them. We follow the one who knew all of that and loved them anyway.

He knew their shortcomings. He knew how much they disagreed. He didn’t see eye to eye with them - and still there He was, working to bring them to an understanding of the unlimited love that was waiting for them.

So to us, as to Peter and the rest that day, He asks us; Do you love me?

If you love Him feed His sheep. Love His creation. Stop looking for reasons to be mad, stop manufacturing drama, stop looking for something to be wrong and look for something to be right - look for the love that guides all that we are to guide all you do. Then you will be on the path of Christ.