Thursday, September 19, 2019
“You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. “You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor. “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help. “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor. “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent. “Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. “You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. Exodus 23:1-9
A basic law of inertia is that
bodies at rest tend to stay at rest. The
opposite is also true, bodies in motion tend to stay in motion. A corollary to both is that the direction of
a body in motion is the direction it will continue. When it comes to slipping away from the
center of integrity, the opposite of upward character will always be
corruption. To put that in the context
of sound Biblical advice: Stay off
the slippery slope; it won’t end pretty!
Instead, always do the right thing and your character will grow strong
and straight. You’ll be a blessing to
your community, not a sorry influence!
Our reading here is part of a
commentary on God’s Ten Commands, how God’s children ought to treat everybody. Included are admonitions to tell the truth
always, resisting the comfort zone of agreeing with popular opinion, be fair to
everyone (even enemies), resist the temptation of a bribe, and being ready to
welcome the strangers among us.
Wow…that’s a bit much for a five-minute
devotion! So, let’s look at the larger
picture.
These basic rules are examples
of behavior that echo the greater rule…the gold one, to treat others
the way we would like to be treated. I’ve found there is nothing more wonderful
than being with someone you can trust.
My bride fits in that category; I can trust her with anything, and the
continuing effect on me is to want to be trustworthy. That is the inertia law corollary…a body in
motion towards trustworthiness will tend to grow more trustworthy. Practice kindness and your kindness will
grow. And so on!
The real test of character,
however, is practicing honesty, or kindness, or fairness towards a person who
is not exactly returning the favor. But
the Scriptures are clear at this point:
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. Lamentations 3:25-30
Jesus echoed this as our responsibility
and blessing in the Sermon on the Mount:
“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. Matthew 5:38-40
There is no sin or unfairness
in God. His character and nature are
sure and trustworthy, as well as unchanging.[2] When we learn to recognize the difference
between “up” and “down” in the movement of our character either towards God or
away from God, it becomes a lot clearer for us how to navigate a world that
largely is hostile to Godliness.
For You Today
This world’s ways, and people
who care little for honoring God with their behavior, will find ways to slap
you on the cheek today. What’s your next
move; up, or down?
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