Rev. Don Campbell
2 John; 3 John
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, DECEMBER 27, 2019
“DO YOU KNOW A DIOTREPHES?D”
In some churches, one can be haughty and hateful and still be sound in the eyes of the self-appointed keeps of orthodoxy. Diotrephes prated against John with malicious words, refused to accept those sent by John, and put any who disagreed with him out of the church (3 John 9-10). In his own eyes, Diotrephes and those who agreed with him were the only sound ones.
A church may be lifeless, loveless, or both, but declared sound by those with a sectarian mindset if it holds to selected dogmas. Ephesus had sound biblical doctrine, but Jesus condemned them because they were a loveless church (Revelation 2:1-5). The church at Sardis had a reputation that it was alive, but he said that they were dead (Revelation 3:1-3). They were like a hollow tree, still standing, still putting on leaves, but death and decay have invaded the heart and it is only a matter of time before it falls.
A doctrine may be inhumane and injurious, and still be sound and sacred to some. In Matthew 12:1-8, Jesus went toe-to-toe with the champions of pharisaical soundness who condemned the disciples for plucking grain and eating it on the Sabbath. Picking produce as one passed through another’s field and eating it was permitted (Deuteronomy 23:5). They were not accusing his disciples of stealing, but of violating the Sabbath by harvesting on it (vv. 1-2; Deuteronomy 23:5). Jesus did not argue that point but made a much bolder statement: David did violate the law when he and his soldiers ate the showbread (vv. 3-4). Jesus would not have cited this incident had he not approved of it. He then reminded them that the priests worked on the Sabbath, without any condemnation, and they were standing in the presence something greater than the temple. The temple was the symbolic dwelling place of God. Jesus was God incarnate (vv. 4-6).
Some lawyers will argue that this passage is not relevant to us because we are under the New Covenant, not the Old with its temple service.
Jesus went on: “And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless” (v. 7). After committing adultery with Bathsheba, killing her husband, and having Nathan point the finger of guilt at him (2 Samuel 12:1-13), David cried out: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalms 51:1-2). David knew that he had broken more than he could fix: “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalms 51:14-17).
James reminds us: “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:12-13).
CONNECTIONS
1. Some argue that my use of God’s forgiveness of David is not relative today. If that is true, then it was easier to get forgiveness under Law than under grace. What’s Paul’s position on this? (Romans 4:7-8)
2. Would you agree that sin cannot be undone, only forgiven?
