We’ve been looking at the Apostle Paul’s letter to the early Christians living in ancient Rome. These Jesus-followers did not have the Bible. They simply had heard the good news about Jesus Christ – how Jesus is the son of God and the Savior of the world – and they had believed. They had turned away from worshiping false gods and goddesses to worship Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to these followers of Jesus to instruct them in their faith, and to teach them how to live holy lives which would please God.
In Romans 12:13 Paul instructs them: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Just a few verses later he instructs: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
“The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ … Love is the fulfillment of the law.” – Romans 13:8-10
I’ve been thinking this morning about intense stomach pain. The kind of intense stomach pain which leaves you doubled over in terrible pain.
Someone whom I care for very much has been suffering with this type of pain for the last several months … to the point they no longer have any interest in eating … because eating often results in terrible, intense, doubled-over stomach pain.
But you have to eat. You can’t not eat. To not eat leaves you lacking nutrients. And without nutrients, your body cannot survive.
As I’ve been pondering God’s command to share with God’s people who are in need, to practice hospitality, and to love each other … I’ve been thinking about how some people are really hard to love.
When it comes to total strangers or people whom we hardly know, it doesn’t really seem that difficult to obey this command from God. After all, we don’t really know these people … so there is no “baggage” to get in the way.
But when it comes to people whom we are in relationship with … there can be “baggage” which makes it so much harder to give generously and love unconditionally. It’s usually the people who are the closest to us who hurt us the deepest … because they hold a piece of our heart that complete strangers don’t.
Here is a photo of the theater district of the ancient city of Pompeii. In the far distance you can see, on the other side of the wall, four modern scaffolding structures for lighting and sound system equipment … this is the large theater (which seats 5,000 people). Hubby and I were not able to peek into this large theater since they were setting up and getting ready for an event.
The open area in these photos, with standing columns for a covered portico, is just behind the large theater. This area served as the “foyer” or “lobby” where theater attendees would gather prior to the play, mingle during intermission, or seek shelter in the case of rain.
Here you can see the diagram of the theater district from the brochure I picked up.
Even though hubby and I were not able to peek into the large theater, we were able to see the small theater – Odeion (which seats up to 1,500 people).
The ancient Greek word “hypokrites” means “actor” or “stage player.” To be a “hypokrite” (aka: hypocrite) is to be an actor who wears a mask in a play.
Who the hypocrite is in front of the crowd (when they have their “mask” on) is completely different from who they are behind-the-scenes in real life (when they don’t have their “mask” on).
So we come back to the Apostle Paul’s command: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:13
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” – Romans 13:8
It is really really hard to do this when it comes to those people in our life who are hypocrites – they are one way (in front of a certain crowd of people) … but “behind-the-scenes” in real life (when they “remove their mask”) who they are is completely different.
People in our life who are two-faced make us feel in the pit of our stomach the way it feels when we have actual doubled-over stomach pain.
It is a “revolting” feeling.
It’s not that we hate them. It’s not that we harbor anger or bitterness against them. It’s more like the dread and “revolting” feeling of thinking about eating … because there is always pain associated with eating. To the point that you don’t even want to eat anymore.
This is what it is like when it comes to two-faced people in our life. We have a dread and a “revolting” feeling when it comes to being around them or interacting with them … because there is always pain associated with our interactions with them.
They act one way (to a certain crowd of people) in order to be approved and liked (and applauded). But yet who they are “behind-the-scenes” is completely different. When the mask is removed, the disparity between the two is “revolting.” It leaves us confused. It leaves us hurt. It makes us want to withdraw.
Then we read God’s instructions: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
When these people in our life are in need … God commands us to help them. To be generous towards them. To be hospitable towards them.
We read God’s instructions: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
God commands us to love them.
This is hard.
Just like it is hard to eat food when you most likely will experience doubled-over stomach pain … it is likewise hard to make ourselves vulnerable by loving these two-faced people in our life. Will they be the “person in the mask”?? Or will they be the “behind-the-scenes” “without a mask” person?
We never quite know.
But God instructs us to love. God instructs us to be generous.
And so we obey.
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
This includes people whom we don’t know all that well. And … this also includes those in our life who come with a lot of “baggage” and “masks.”
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
This includes people whom we don’t know all that well. And … this also includes those in our life who come with a lot of “baggage” and “masks.”
A life that is “marked” by Jesus Christ is a life which is characterized by generosity … and love. Even in spite of the “baggage” and “masks.”
