I’ve never counted, but I am pretty sure I have listened to over two thousand sermons since I began regularly attending church when I was fifteen years old. The preachers ranged from the world renowned to the unprofessional, but with rare exception their sermons all had one thing in common. They were forgotten by me within just a few weeks. Not because they were poorly delivered or boring, but because I am a human being, and human beings tend to forget such things.
We remember things we learned, such as two plus two equals four and George Washington was the first president, even though we have no recollection of when or how we learned them. For Christians the basic doctrines, Jesus as the Son of God born of a virgin, crucified for our sins, and risen from the dead, are common knowledge, even if the Sunday School lessons or sermons that provided the foundations of those beliefs have faded from memory. Most sermons are forgettable, yet every once in a while a pastor will say something so profound that it becomes permanently implanted in my memory.
I do not remember when he said it or which passage he was preaching from, but Charles Swindoll, my former pastor at the First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, said something over thirty years ago that I have never forgotten. In reference to Biblical truth, to the best of my recollection Pastor Chuck said, “I’m all in favor of increasing our knowledge, but most of us could spend the rest of our lives putting into practice the things we already know.”
Chuck’s words came to mind recently when a patient called the office asking for a refill on his medication. I did not need to look at his chart to know that he was overdue for a visit, because I hired him to do construction work on my daughter’s home last year and I had not seen him in the office since. I knew also that he would be hoping to either get the refill without a visit or receive a visit without paying, as he had recently told me that he did not have the money to purchase the supplies he needed to finish the job unless I paid him in advance for the remaining work. To make matters worse, he blamed me for his financial troubles, even though I had given him all but the final 25% due when the work was complete and he could not account for twenty percent of the funds I had paid.
The audacity of the man’s request stunned me. Even though he had breached his contract and caused me financial harm, he expected me to continue giving him free care! My initial response, which I relayed to my office staff, was that it was time for his free ride to come to an end. If he wanted to continue receiving care, I told them, he was going to have to pay for it. My staff accepted my announcement without question, agreeing that my stance was entirely justifiable under the circumstances.
Less than a day passed before a familiar passage of scripture, one I have known by heart for decades, stopped me in my tracks and reminded me of Chuck’s admonition. In the version of the Sermon on the Mount recorded in the gospel of Luke, Jesus told his followers, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
Multiple similar passages were soon bouncing around inside my head, including “Repay no one evil for evil” and “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” from Romans 12, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” from Matthew 5, and “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners (heathen) love those who love them,” from Luke 6. As I reflected on these verses, I realized that my attitude, as justifiable as it initially seemed, was contrary to Jesus’ teaching. As a Christian I am called to love others, even when they have wronged me.
Chastened, the next morning I sent the patient a text telling him that I would treat him the way I treat all established patients who cannot pay their bills. He would be asked to pay only what he could afford.
I wish I could say that my loving response led the patient to have a change of heart regarding the work he had been hired to do, or that my decision to treat him with kindness had brought me joy and happiness, but neither would be true. I’m still angry, and I still feel as if I was cheated, but it’s not necessarily about me. My decision to put my faith into practice sends a message to my staff, this patient, and others that there are still some Christians in this world who do what the Bible says. Even when they don’t feel like it.
Bart
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