Day 23
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” (or so the playground adage wants us to believe). While this proverb may have initially been shared to build resiliency in children and adults, the fact is that words do hurt and the shame that those words can instill in us have a way of lingering in our minds and our bodies long after. Anyone with access to social media has witnessed a phenomenon known as Keyboard Courage, displayed when people react to a post, article, or video more aggressively, negatively or boldly than they would ever have the courage to in person. Often hiding behind anonymity, their posts of harsh criticisms, insults and in extreme cases, public platform shaming from the protection of their own home and laptop, remove them from experiencing the immediate consequences of their words.
OR
I”m afraid that the term Keyboard Courage encourages folks to hide behind their keyboard spewing hatred, bigotry and judgmental insults. They feel proud of their courageous response and act as if their behavior does not have consequences. But words always have consequences. I’ve heard it said that it isn’t actually Keyboard Courage, but Keyboard Cowardice. When someone hides behind their keyboard because they are too afraid to personally confront the person or issue, that is called cowardice, the exact opposite of courage.
In today’s reading from the gospel of John, we look in on the scene following Jesus’ healing of the man blind since birth. Having just said that He is the Good Shepherd, His sheep hear His voice and follow Him, and even worse - His Father has given these sheep to Him - He proclaims, “I and the Father are one.” (10:30) That’s it! The talking is over! The Jews begin picking up rocks to stone Jesus. If we can’t force Him to submit by our verbal accusations, we’ll justify our angry and violent response by stoning Him. After all, claiming to be God is a crime worthy of death! So they brought out all of their weapons - words, sticks and stones!
Read John 10:31-42
The people’s angry, unleashed reaction to Jesus wasn’t about the works He was doing, at least that was their claim; it was for blasphemy - Jesus posing as God - that they were preparing to stone Him. Jesus doesn’t appear to be afraid in the least, even as they begin to encircle Him, stones in their hands, their faces contorted in rage. He simply continues to remind them of the truth by quoting Psalm 82, where God is calling “those whom the word of God came to, ‘gods.’” (v 35)
I wasn’t as familiar with this Psalm of Asaph and God’s use of the term “gods” when naming those undershepherds of His flock, but learned so much as I studied this plea for righteous judgement. It’s so important to understanding Jesus’ logical defense that I want to share it in full here:
A Plea for Righteous Judgment
Psalm 82, A psalm of Asaph.
God stands in the divine assembly;he pronounces judgment among the gods:“How long will you judge unjustlyand show partiality to the wicked?Selah
Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and needy;save them from the power of the wicked.
They do not know or understand;they wander in darkness.All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I said, “You are gods;you are all sons of the Most High.
However, you will die like humansand fall like any other ruler.
Rise up, God, judge the earth,for all the nations belong to you.
The first section of Psalm 82 highlights the job description of human rulers, “the gods,” especially those who rule God’s covenant people: they are to “provide justice to the needy and the fatherless; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and the needy; save them from the power of the wicked.” (vv 3–4) Far too often, however, they showed partiality to the wicked rather than protection from them.
Jesus’ logic is clear: God has set human leaders to care for His people as mini-representatives of Himself. He expects them to provide justice for the oppressed and marginalized. Jesus is claiming that He is the Son of God, but don’t take His word for it. Look at His works. What is He doing but rescuing the poor and needy? If they couldn’t believe that Jesus is who He said He is, at least believe in the works. Eventually, they would come to know and understand that “the Father is in me and I in the Father.” (v 38)
Again, this was too much for the Jewish leaders and those desperate for their approval. While they tried to seize Jesus to stone Him, He slipped away yet again and headed across the Jordan where many of John’s previous disciples were putting it all together. They were coming to know and understand that Jesus truly was the Son of God, “and many believed in him there.” (v 42)
Big Picture Questions for Today:
* How have you been impacted by Keyboard Courage or Cowardice? How has it made you feel, to witness or be the target of someone’s violent aggression through their words on social media?
* Psalm 82 exhorts those who hold social and political power to use that power in service to others, especially to protect those who are easiest to exploit. What positions of power do you hold? We all have positions of power and influence, even if it is simply within our own family. How are you following Jesus’ lead and example, protecting the weak and marginalized?
Pray for God to give you eyes to see the hurting around you and how you might lovingly and in person defend them.
