Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He
has redeemed from the hand of the enemy (Psalm 107:2)
Take the first part
of that verse and read it with a different inflection.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say, ”So?”
Please, allow me to
share an example.
In John chapter 2,
Jesus performed the first public miracle of His ministry by turning water into
wine at a wedding. (Don’t you just love alliteration.) This miracle was instigated by Jesus’ mother,
who was concerned that the happy couple would be embarrassed that the open bar
had run dry.
When Mary broached
the topic to Jesus (whom I maintain did not even want to accompany His mom to
this wedding), the Lord replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with Me?”
Mother Mary said, “They’re
out of wine.”
And Jesus replied, “So?”
There are times when
the most lovingly Christian reply is sarcasm.
Yes. Yes, that’s
what I said.
I’m not talking
about the kind of sarcasm that crosses or straddles the line into verbal
bullying. I’m talking about lovingly and
succinctly responding in a matter that communicates that you really don’t give
a crap what they think because God has made it clear what you’re supposed to
do.
Examine Jesus’
response in John 2 and you’ll notice that it involved:
-
No
personal attacks;
-
No passive
aggression to destroy the mood of the party;
-
No long
justification for his attitude;
-
No direct
or indirect efforts to grab attention;
Also, note that Jesus fixed the wedding couple’s wine problem. He did so quickly and rather
anonymously. We know that Jesus didn’t
draw a bunch of attention to Himself because John 2: 9, 10 says that the wedding coordinator thought the bride and groom had pulled the 2nd
batch of wine out of their secret stash.
Saying, “So” doesn’t
mean that you don’t care.
Saying, “So,” doesn’t
mean that you won’t help.
Saying, “So,” means
that you won’t argue.
Jesus-style sarcasm
requires that when it’s all said and done, you’ve DONE a whole lot more than
you’ve SAID.
Saying, “So,” doesn’t
mean shutting THEM up.
It’s means shutting
YOURSELF up.
In fact, a more
literal translation of that opening clause in Psalm 107:2 would read: Let the redeemed of the Lord say.
That’s it. End of sentence. Literally say------- NOTHING.
Maybe Jesus
discerned that the wedding party was too drunk to appreciate a theological
exegesis of the transformation of water into new wine. Maybe Jesus knew He’d just be casting verbal
pearls before drunken swine (so to speak).
There were many
times when Jesus meticulously explained His identity as the Messiah, the Son of
God. But not THIS time.
This time Jesus just
said, “So,” and worked the miracle. And
as far as we can tell from the text, after working the miracle, He said------
NOTHING.
The redeemed of the
Lord are they whom He has redeemed from
the hand of the enemy.
If WE understand who
we are then we won’t waste so much time trying to prove our spiritual credentials
to everybody.
Somebody needs to hear
your testimony, but everybody doesn't.
Everybody doesn’t
need to hear "your story" EVERY doggone time you perform a good work.
Sometimes they just
need sarcasm and service.
Say, “So,” and work
your miracle, and then just shut up.
Let your actions speak
louder than your words.
---Anderson T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and
consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T.
Graves II is pastor of
Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of
the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization
(SAYNO) and director of rural leadership
development for the National Institute for Human Development (
NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
You can help support
this ministry by clicking the
DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.
Support by check or
money order may be mailed to
Hall Memorial CME
Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
