I care…
We are taught that we must pray for everyone. Not just the ‘deserving’, but everyone.
Christ Jesus, when asked why he sat with Publicans and sinners, stated, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”1
We need to see that as examples of the Christ we must care. To have great compassion for all of the people who have endured this heinous act, must include this young man, his brother, and their family. They were lead into temptation to be a part of this horrific act. But to exclude him from our prayers doesn’t serve our higher purpose.
It is hard at first to think of including ‘perpetrators of evil’ in our prayers. But over time it becomes natural. It is in our loving and compassionate nature. It is our duty. In the long run, through meekness, sincerity, and obedience, it becomes a part of our joy to serve ALL mankind. We do not actually get to pick and choose who deserves prayer.
What would happen if, as shocked as this young man’s uncle is, it was a family member of ours? Impossible? That is what this family was thinking as well. Wouldn’t we want to be included in the healing prayers of the Christ? Wouldn’t we want to be embraced by the ever forgiving Love of God?
In praying this week about this issue
the question came to me, “Does God love Jesus more than Judas?” At first the
natural thought was, ‘Yes.’ But then I stopped to think about Habakkuk, in the
Old Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. It reads, “The burden of Habakkuk the prophet
did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out
unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! …Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass
over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. Art thou not from
everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, thou has
ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou has established them for
correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on
iniquity:…”3
At first Habakkuk thought that all evil
was being seen and agreed with by God. This was upsetting to him until his
understanding changed. Then he realized that God is of ‘purer eyes than to
behold evil’ and doesn’t “look on iniquity”. This revealed to me that God sees all
of His idea, Man (and Woman), beloved, cared for, lifted above all wrongs and
evils, to His standpoint of thought and action. We may not see this occur in this young man, yet,…but we might. Look at the example of Saul who crucified Christians. He took them into captivity, abused them…he then was turned into Paul for God’s use to be a huge spiritual leader in the Christ activity later.
The answers to our prayers must come from a deeper study concerning God’s love. If God had favorites then God’s Love would be on the same platform as bad human parenting. If God loves one more than the other, then almost everyone in the Bible from Adam to Paul would have been condemned and pushed far away from Him. We all know what Adam did to get kicked out of the Garden of Eden (but that was for his own ‘protection’ according to the Jehovah God). Abram before and after his name change to Abraham had his wife lie. He had her say that she was his sister to save his life. But this just about got other men in terrible trouble. Moses killed a man prior to leading the Israelites out of bondage. David had a husband killed in battle so he could have the man’s wife. Jonas didn’t obey and spent time in a whales belly…Saul became the “vessel”2 of God even after he killed and took into captivity the very people that he later became, a Christian. His life turned from accuser to preaching and converting others to, Christianity.
In meekness we too can pray and serve this Higher Purpose who sees no iniquity in any of us. It is our duty our privilege, to serve this all-inclusive Love, who excludes no one and loves all. Some things we are taught and we must follow that may not always be very easy. But each command is important, imperative.
The sixth tenet in Christian Science is, “And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just and pure.”4
Let us do this always. Let us do it without personal judgment or simulation. Let us love Love enough to be ever vigilant and obedient. When we learn “Love thy neighbor as thy self” AND “Do unto others as you would have them do unto us” there are no clauses to who may be excluded.
1 The King James Version of the Bible Matthew 9 vss. 12 (They), 13
2 ibid Acts 9 vs. 15
3 ibid Habakkuk 1 vss. 1-3 and 11-13
4 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy 497 line 26
5 The King James Version of the Bible Ezekiel 33 vs 11 (As; to second ;)
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