Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A soft answer turns away wrath

Proverbs 15.1 says,
A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

And then I remember Acts, in which the apostles often seem to be intentionally aggravating the religious leadership, telling them, as Steven did before he was dragged outside the city and killed, "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered." (Acts 7.52)

Didn't they read Proverbs? These guys are not softening their message one bit, and seem to be seeking out harsh words to say to the political leaders. They are getting beaten and killed as a result! The next verse in Proverbs may hold the key:
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,
but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

As Paul would later write in his letter to Corinth (I Corinthians 1, 2), the ultimate revelation of the wisdom of God is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, because in it God's depth of power, justice, mercy and love are all on display! So the apostles had to speak plainly the wisdom of God, or else foolishly soften it to make it palatable for the religious leaders.

I need to be more willing to tell the story about Jesus' death and resurrection plainly. It can be too easily misunderstood if softened, especially in the atmosphere of undefined spirituality today. Jesus makes clear that some will hate his plain message, but no one has a chance to love it or hate it unless they understand it.

God, help me to speak plainly of your wisdom displayed in the cross of Jesus Christ, and leave others' perceptions and reactions to you.