EMPATHY AND THE NEED FOR BALANCE

Pastor Bill (not real name) made an important point at the beginning of his sermon. We are but babes in our understanding of God:

·       For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

The idea God’s transcendent ways is also echoed by Paul:

·       Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34)

Yet this very Paul balanced out his message elsewhere:

·       The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)

Consequently, we might be babes in our understanding of God, yet the knowledge He has given us is meaningful and necessary. Bill is highly esteemed as a sensitive, understanding, caring, and empathetic pastor. Therefore, I was interested to see where he’d go with his sermon, a model of empathy. However, I found that Bill wrongly concluded:

·       When I consider what little I know about God, I believe I hear the Inner Voice telling me not to waste time debating God but to get busy, while it is day, serving the loving God who is hurting with us during this terrible coronavirus pandemic.

Bill was placing his “Inner Voice” above the Scriptures. This “Voice” can mislead us. It is not omniscient. Instead, it is, to a great extent, the product of our cultural conditioning. It cannot judge the Word of God. Instead, the Word must reign over every other claimant to the truth, even over the most comforting, inspiring, and compassionate words:

·       For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

This makes me recall God’s Words regarding King David. The Apostle Paul had explained:

·       “And when God had removed [King Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” (Acts 13:22 NKJV; 1 Samuel 13:14)

To be a man after God’s own heart is to be a man who follows the Word of God, even though our understanding of God might be very incomplete. I think that this pastor has overlooked the fact that our “Inner Voice” is not only highly incomplete but is also very humanly corrupted.

Because of this incompleteness, should we conclude, as the pastor had, that there is no place to debate the Word of God? Of course, our “debates” should not become vitriolic. However, we are called upon to meditate on and to defend the Word (Jude 3). Even with our limited understanding, we are still required to correct others according to the Word of God:

·       All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Reproof” and “correction” may be messy business, but they shouldn’t be avoided. The health of the Church depends upon these. Paul explained that the elder had to engage in these activities:

·       He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. (Titus 1:9-11)

The Jesus and Apostles certainly did their share of rebuking. Besides, how are we to perform acts of love without the instructions that come from the Word? Therefore, Paul prayed:

·       Colossians 1:9-10 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Consequently, the knowledge of the Scriptures must precede the obedience of love.

There is definitely a place for empathy and personal warmth. However, this place must also be balanced out with the other teachings of the Scriptures.