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Truth #1: In life, during and through-out ALL relationships you are going to get hurt.  That’s how it is; accept it, live with it, deal with it.

Explanation: My pastor is far, far beyond me in developement and maturity(which is how it should be).  He is extremely kind, loving, gentle, humble, etc. etc. etc.   But even HE has hurt me; it is very rare but has happened.  Likewise, it is true that I have friends who have hurt me.  And because they aren’t as mature as my pastor it happens more often.  My wife, wonderful as she may be,(almost perfect)  (cha-ching just got some husband points), has also hurt me. 

Truth #2: The more intimate or involved the relationship the more you are going to get hurt. 

Explanation: My wife has hurt me more than my friends, not because she’s less mature but because I hang out with her more often.  Spending more time with her creates more potential for her to hurt me.  As well, she is more comfortable around me and understanding my faults causes her to be less focussed on politeness and perfection.  This level of comfort sometimes contributes to slackness and lack of caution with words and actions, thus causing me more pain.  I’ve never hurt her. 

Husband Points…0     Sleeping on couch points…100

Our Reactions to the Pain 

When we are hurt there are only two natural reactions that we can have.  We either become mad or sad.  There is no other NATURAL reaction that we can have(I capitalized ‘natural’ because it is possible to have a third type of reaction but this is spiritual and explained later).  There ARE varying degrees and combinations of madness and sadness, but it always boils down to the two basic elements of mad and sad.   In fact, almost always the actual reaction is a combination of mad and sad.

Here’s a scale so you can visualize the variations and combinations of mad and sad reactions.

I know; it’s complicated.

The temptation is to think that the scale displays how extreme of a reaction someone has.  For example, someone who gets completely mad, would start shooting people, or someone who gets completely sad, gets overly depressed and cries for three days.  But this scale doesn’t show that. 

This does.   

All the old people are scratching their heads right now thinking, ‘Straight up nuts, what the?’   Old People Translator: Straight Up Nuts=Insane.

Someone high on the intensity scale might start killing people or go into depression.  Often we are taught to work on our intensity scale by either holding the emotions in or toning them down.  This is a good plan.  If you currently kill people when you get hurt, I suggest you continue working on that.  But for those of us who think we might have a handle on ourselves because we don’t kill people, throw things, or cuss, there is a new level of maturity to strive for. 

Foregiveness.

Mmmmm, yummy word.  Webster’s 1828(Wonderful Christian Dictionary) defines forgiveness as such, the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty.

In my words, you let go.  You stop the hurt in its tracks and don’t allow it to make you either mad or sad.  This is the spiritual reaction which I spoke of earlier. 

When you harbor your unforgiveness and hold onto the pain, only evil occurs.  Either you get sad which hurts you and makes the other person feel guilty, or you get mad and hurt the other person with evil words or thoughts.  Nothing good comes from the natural reactions, so Jesus says “Don’t have them.”  I know, I know, you think, ‘that’s easy for Him to say, He’s Jesus.’  And that’s true, so I’ll sit Jesus down, have a chat with Him about this, and make sure He understands that He needs to make things a little less difficult for us<God Laughs>.  But until then, you can only work on you; you can’t work on Jesus(although it’s clearly more His problem than ours).  <Lightning Bolt>  “Alright, I get it not funny anymore.”  <Whisper> ‘Someone woke up on the wrong side of the cloud this morning.’  <Lightning> “ALRIGHT, I’LL QUIT WITH THE BLASPHEMY! JESUS!”  <Lightning>  “AHH!!”

Back on track…

It seems these things always come back to the Cross.  To be honest, I feel really good inside when I can relate things back to the Cross.  Because that’s what we should always look to.  Sadly, I don’t very often relate things to the Cross when I’m talking with my friends, but God seems to have a way with always bringing me around to the Cross on these revelations; it’s wonderful.

So imagine Jesus on the Cross.  He’s chillin’.   As always, bleeding, thorns in His brow, stripes on His back, can’t breath cause the weight of His body is crushing His lungs; you know, just a normal day in the life of a Savior.  Then here comes Mr. Hurt.  Jesus created us, now He’s dying for our mistakes, He’s about to go to hell for us and give us victory over death, and all we can do is mock Him and belittle His sacrifice.  I’d say there’s a good chance He got hurt.  But let’s analyze.  Did He get mad?  Nope, no fire, no brimstone, though we clearly deserved it.  Did He get sad?  Nope, He didn’t start crying, have a pity party, and give us guilt trips.  He just said, “Father, please forgive them.”  <And SNAP!>  He immediately cut straight through all the pain and let it go.  We’re happier, He’s happier, the Father’s happier.  It’s a win-win-win situation. 

Matthew 18
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

If He can handle the Cross, you can forgive your neighbor for letting his dog poop on your lawn; you can even forgive his dog.  Let it go, you’ll heal quicker. 

Ultimately, it’s all small stuff in light of God’s sacrifice for us.  This will be tough to read,(and I’ve never been in the situation so I can’t begin to understand the pain) but even if you’ve lost a loved one to the hands of a murderer; consider what your sin has done to God’s Son.  Did He deserve it?  Did His Father still forgive you?  Let it go, you’ll heal quicker.

For everything inbetween…Let it go, you’ll heal quicker.

One last bomb of exhortation, I’ll let the Word itself do all the preaching.  Remember, not my words, His. 

Remember to send all complaints to:

Jesus the Christ
P.O. Box 1
RightHandOfTheFather, Heaven      33333

23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

Ouch…

Neat Point: The servant owed the master ten thousand talents.  My pastor recently did a study on a “talent” and came to the conclusion that it was probably about a million dollars(in today’s currency).  So this guy owed ten thousand, million dollars or 10 billion dollars.  And my guess is that a denarii is in the dollar range.  He was forgiven a 10 billion dollar debt and went to demand a 100 dollar debt…WHAT AN IDIOT!  Oh wait, that’s me, oops.  Definitely a good representation of how much we’ve been forgiven compared to how much we are owed.  Good Job, Jesus. <Thumbs up>

Go. Pray. Forgive; and ask for forgiveness, for your unforgiveness.

As I was reading some verses God dropped some very serious stuff on my spirit.

Our western culture doesn’t allow us to truly appreciate the verses until we change our mindset to that of an eastern culture, so before I give you the verses I want to put a few things in perspective.

Consider The Goat

Consider what a goat meant to the average Jew.  My dad is from India, so I have been blessed with several trips to visit his side of the family over there.  Goats are important in India, not much to the moderized, westernized cities but to the small, poor villages.  I have had the opportunity to be around goats a decent amount.  Which only gives me a vague understanding of the important role a goat plays in their culture, but my guess is that the goat was similarly important to the Jews.

Food

Goats have meat.  You can eat meat.  Meat is good food.  Food sustains life.  (Thank you captain obvious)  Goats, also, make milk(like cows).  Milk is good with Frosted Flakes and Oreos both of which were readily available to the Jews at all times.

 Clothing

Goats are animals.  Animals have fur.  Fur makes clothes.  Clothes are good.  Thus, goats were helpful, once again.

Companionship

We have dogs.  They had goats.  It’s that simple.  The phrase used to be “Goat, a man’s best friend.”  They were shepherds; shepherds hang out with goats all day.  When you hang out with an animal all day you become very close and attached.  A fondness or even love begins to develope.  Similar to the love we feel for a pet dog or cat.

 The Cuteness Factor

Goats are ridiculously cute.  You might not think so right now, but watch these videos.  I promise, you’ll be convinced.  CUUUUUTTTEEE!!!

Sacrifice

Being that goats were their livelyhood, shepherds often had to make great sacrifices for their goats.  If one was lost they had to go find it.  They had to provide protection from wild animals, as well as thieves.  Often shepherds would be risking their lives for a few or even one goat.  Craziness.  So goats didn’t simply play an important economic role they were necessary for survival and often were even considered pets.

Now, the verses…

Leviticus 4:27-29, 31c

‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering….So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.’

Let’s pick this apart.

If you sin, you have a list of things to do.

1. Get a kid(baby) goat that is a female.

2. Make sure it has no markings, bruises, cuts, scrapes, scars, or deformities.  In essence, it must be perfect, beautiful, having nothing wrong with it.

3. Take the baby goat to the temple.

4. Place your hand on its head.

5. Kill it. To be more detailed, with one hand is on the baby goat’s head, while the other has a knife, and you must slit its throat so that it bleeds to death.

That was graphic and for the girlies and children I apologize, but it is necessary to truly help you appreciate this revelation.

Everyone (man, woman, and child) had to do this if they sinned.

Why?  Well, most of you may know that this is a representation(type and shadow) of the cross, and how the perfect Jesus would be the sacrifice for our sins.  What you may not have realized is that this graphic and almost barbaric ritual had a profound effect on the person performing it.

Back to a previous point, their goats were like our dogs.

Ever feel bad after you spanking your dog for wrongful behavior? Me too.

Try this(please don’t)…really, try to picture yourself doing this…

Go spank your dog for doing nothing at all.  Feel worse? Me too.  Now, spank your dog because he loves you with all his heart.  You feel even worse.   It gets better.  Now, go do something bad.  Then spank your dog because you were bad, and remember, you are only spanking him because he loves you enough to take the punishment in your place.  Don’t anyone in anyway ever do this because we are covered by the blood of Jesus, but imagine, having to take your panting, happy, jumping around, chasing butterflies, in everyway perfect dog(which you raised from a pup) to the alter placing your hand on his head pulling out a knife and saying “You have to die because I sinned,” slitting his throat.  He bleeds to death, wimpering, scared, betrayed, and heart-broken because you couldn’t keep your eyes off that girl or you couldn’t control your anger or you forgot to tithe or you drank too much wine or you told someone a secret you shouldn’t have(gossip) or you told a white lie.  By the way, your dog you love so much just died with sin on his life, thus he is now in hell.  You will never see him again to apologize.

<Take a few moments for this to sink in>

The very thought of loosing my precious puppy that I love so much makes me cry.  Loosing my puppy because I sinned causes me to hate my sin more than is imaginable.  If I as a child or adult had to go through that ceremony the devil himself could never tempt me to sin again because the price would be too great.  There is no sin in this world that is worth a perfect dog with perfect love, gladly, dying in my place.

But this is a dog, replace it with a human, whose worth is much greater than any dog.  Don’t replace the dog with your enemy, but rather with the nice, old lady down the street or your favorite 3rd grade teacher or your kind, gentle, loving pastor.  Then replace that perfect person with God.  God whose worth is infinite compared to that of any man.  You have to take your perfect God who created you, who blessed you with everything you have, who loves you more than you can imagine; place your hand on his head, transfer your sin, and sacrifice Jesus on the altar because you sinned.

So after God gave me this intense and emotional revelation, He played this song on the playlist I was listening to and I cried.  The cross is so beautiful.  Listen to these words.  The lyrics are typed out below the player if you would like to read along.

We worship you tonight, Jesus. We lift you up God.

How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyong all measure.

That He should give His only Son,

To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away.

As wounds which marred the chosen One,

Bring Innocence to Glory.

Behold, the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders.

Ashamed to hear my mocking voice,

Come out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there,

Until it was accomplished.

His dying breath has brought me life,

I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,

No gifts, no power, no wisdom.

But I will boast in Jesus Christ,

His death and RESURRECTION!

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart,

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer.

But this I know with all my heart,

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Take the time to thank the Lord for His tremendous love and sacrifice.

This is why only He is worthy of our praise.