Our Lord is a man of sorrows (Is 53:3); grief is His companion. He weeps over our sin and stubbornness (Lk 19:41-42) and He’s looking for us to be afflicted
with Him. (Ez 9:4)
Does human brokenness move us to grief, sorrow and weeping? (Ps 119:158, 136) Or does a certain smugness, contempt or disdain pollute us? When we sense someone’s in error, is our first instinct to triple-check ourselves, hoping we’re missing something? Or do we jump too quickly to find fault? When we must discuss another’s brokenness, is it reluctantly … with tears? (Php 3:18-19)
Loving our neighbors as ourselves means being as grieved in others’ failings as we are in our own. In seeking holiness and truth we often find ourselves confronting and exposing brokenness, but enjoying and feeding off of this is ugliness, enmity and pride. (Php 2:3) As C.S Lewis so elegantly observes, we must not wish black was a little blacker, for soon we’ll be wishing grey was black … and in the end inherit darkness.
The high calling of God is perfection (Mt 5:48), so through Christ we strive after it by faith. (Col 1:29) Christ’s love shines through holy sorrow (Ec 7:3); without it we’re nothing. (1Co 13:1-3) Let’s fellowship with Him in His suffering (Php 3:10), giving all diligence to add this virtue to our faith. (2Pe 1:5-7) It may not seem possible to get there from here, but God is willing and able to help us. (Ep 3:20)
Being sorrowful and grieving over sin does not necessarily preclude anger; God often grieves over rebellion angrily. “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” (Mk 3:5) But holiness evidently precludes all arrogant, contemptuous, self-righteous human anger.
As cultural norms continue to decline I am beginning to see more clearly that I should not in any way try to obligate people who do not know God to keep His standards. While it is true that righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach to any people (Pr 14:34), it is also true that no law ever made anyone righteous. I am not responsible for the sins of others, even if they commit them under my own roof, only to walk with God myself the best I know how. We should prayerfully grieve for the wicked, but let them be wicked: “Forsake the foolish and live; and go in the way of understanding.” (Pr 9:6)
Comment from Stephen:
“This has some relevance if not directly, a subtext perhaps: Amos 6
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.”
Our complacency perhaps, even lukewarmness