DEAL GENTLY
HEBREWS 5:1-2 NKJV
1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.
This devotional is a good example of how God's Word can speak to us in different ways.
The Book of Hebrews is contrasting different elements of Christianity with Judaism. This chapter begins the contrast between the Jewish high priest and Jesus as our High Priest. The Jewish high priest was chosen from men to represent men before God. He would take the gifts and sacrifices for sins and offer them to God on the people's behalf. But because he was also a man and not perfect, the Jewish high priest had to offer sacrifices for sins for himself. Jesus, being sinless, did not have to offer a sacrifice for Himself. He was God's sacrifice for all of mankind.
However, this is not the key point of this devotional. In verse two, the Jewish high priest can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray. Because he is a man subject to weakness and frailty as high priest he can understand the weaknesses that are in man. And because he understands he can have compassion on people who are going in the wrong direction. The word compassion literally means to deal gently with.
So here is the big point. We should deal gently with other people when they are ignorant or going in the wrong direction because we have weak areas also. This is simple yet profound. Because we are forgiven people, we can forgive. Because we deal with weak areas in our own lives, we are not quick to pass harsh judgment. Because we have done stupid stuff, we are compassionate toward those who do stupid stuff.
This does not imply that we condone behavior that is ignorant and going in the wrong direction. But when we approach the situation, we are not harsh. Instead, we deal gently.
When Paul wrote the church at Galatia, he encouraged them to restore someone who was overcome by a fault. And to restore them in a spirit of gentleness. The idea was to be gentle with those at fault and consider their own lives so that they would not fall to temptation. In this Galatians 6:1 verse, Paul prefaces this restoration by saying this restoration was to be done by those who were spiritual. So we can ascertain that one aspect of spirituality can be seen in how we handle someone who is at fault.
Not everyone will respond to the attempts to bring restoration. But their response is not our responsibility. How we handle them is. So be gracious, be kind, and deal gently with those who are not doing right. God has been that way with us, so we can pass it on.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to deal gently with others. You have been gentle with me, and I choose to extend that same compassion.