Earlier this week I found myself feeling more and more anxious. Those of us tuned into anxiety or have a history with being motivated or manipulated by fear can and should notice anxiety or fear creeping in. The trigger for me was the complex and deadly situation unfolding in Victoria and bleeding out into surrounding states, with the all to real possibility of that transmission creeping northward. One consolation was that at least I would know what to do if we had a second phase. Nevertheless, even with that small consolation I noticed, thank you Jesus, that fear was creeping in. Where there is fear love goes. So I found myself looking at every number plate and passing judgement if they were the wrong flavour. Instead of ‘we are all in this together’ it was becoming ‘us and them’. The ‘them’ were for me our modern day lepers! We all know the best thing to do with lepers – identify them as ‘unclean’ , quarantine, isolation, and rejection.
I hope by now you can see where I am going with this! In the midst of my ‘creeping fear’ which was only ever reinforced by every conversation and news broadcast, God spoke very clearly to me. Firstly about my fear. I was reminded of one of my life shaping verses, 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made in perfect love.” Then I was reminded of another verse Matthew 7:2 “For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Dang, two strikes. Fear was creeping in because love was being forced out. The third strike came in via Revelation 19:10 “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” Holy Spirit asked, What was Jesus testimony about lepers? The answer is clearly described in the three synoptic gospels, not just one, but three! (Matthew 8 Mark 1 Luke 5) Jesus never identified anyone, especially lepers, by their condition and status; never labelled or rejected them; nor reacted with fear and punishment but rather moved toward them with perfect love, so that they may once more be included, that they may be healed and their real identity restored.
Fear was creeping in because of my judgement; my desire for judgment; and because I had forgotten the testimony of Jesus.
God in his goodness revealed some bitter roots that were yielding bad fruit. God in his mercy has space in his plan for repentance, not wanting to condemn but to forgive. God in his goodness spoke clearly to me and I had the chance to chose life by choosing the way of perfect love, the way of Jesus.
I know, from the conversations that I have had with many people, that I am not a ‘lone ranger’. I know that fear has crept in or is constantly creeping in. Many are living with an undercurrent of fear and some in full blown fear. Consequently we have judged the lepers and found them worthy of punishment.
So I guess the question is, ‘what are you going to do?’. Live in fear and be the judge and punisher of those who we have identified as lepers or live out the perfect love of Jesus, live and love as Jesus.
Listen to your heart, listen to the Holy Spirit, listen to your language and conversation. If anything will reveal your heart its what you say.
I know what I have done! But what are you going to do?