The Third Commandment of
Marriage: Compassion
The Trapped and the
Ill-Treated
The
prisons of ancient times had none of the amenities of the modern prison. There
was no thermostat, restroom, dining hall, television, or exercise yards in the
life of the ancient prisoner. Often the prisons were nothing more than a hole
in the ground. It was not uncommon for prisoners to die of starvation.
Incarceration back then was what humanity looks like when it is totally
stripped of rights and privileges.
The
text of the day describes the responsibility that we as believers have to the
hurting. It is very important to note that there is no mention of justice here.
There is no consideration of the possibility that some of these people are
merely suffering the consequences of their past behavior. They may have been
ill- treated because they were obnoxious or disobedient. They may be in prison
with just cause. Why they are there is not our business. Our business is
compassion. Our past and our future must be given to God. We are trapped in the moments of each day. We truly
are imprisoned by time and space.
I tell all
of the couples that I marry that they are entering a prison. The “I do” is a
key toss; there is no way to get out. You will be locked into that relationship
until you stand face to face with the death angel. There are many negative
surprises beyond the entrance to Holy Matrimony. In a Christian marriage, death
is the only door out.
This
message and next week’s message on thanksgiving are the bedrock of longevity
for marriage. If our character can become dominated by the two attributes of
compassion and thanksgiving, our marriage will last a lifetime. The Bible is
laced with instruction and commands concerning compassion. Without compassion,
Christ would never have left heaven for the cross, and without compassion, we
will never leave our sin-driven past and enter into a life of Christ-likeness.
Our
text guides us with its command not only in what we are to do, but how it is to
be done, and why. Some individuals are gifted with a natural proneness to empathy or compassion, while for others it is a bit of a
challenge. For all of us, it is a requirement. It is not optional. We are to
love the prisoner as though we were in prison with them. We are to love them
because they are part of the body of Christ.
When
one part of the body is hurt, the entire body enters into a reactionary mode.
Belonging to the body of Christ is at the heart of compassion for the
Christian. Likewise, within marriage, neither spouse can be wounded without a
severe impact being registered in the life of the other. In the words of our
Lord, the two are no longer two but one.
The Third Commandment of Marriage:
Compassion
The Trapped and the Ill-Treated
The Memory and God and Man
A.
B.
The Universal Prison
A.
B.
III. The Ill-treatment
of this World
A.
B.
IV. The Application to Marriage
A.
B.