Ezekiel 33:7-9/ Romans 13:8-10/ Matthew 18:15-20
Driving a car in Singapore is certainly not an easy thing. Because in order to drive a car, we need to have a car. And in order to own a car we would need to strike it big at the lottery (since Singapore is the most expensive place to own a car).
And in order to drive a car we need to have a license, which is not that easy to get and it can be quite costly too.
There is this joke about a man who won the first prize of a brand-new car.
But he had no driving license and he was anxious to get a driving license as he wanted to be the first driver of his brand new car.
So he called up the driving school and he told the receptionist that he was desperate to learn how to drive, and that he wanted to learn how to drive in just 15 minutes!
The receptionist thought for a while and then replied him: Well sir, there is a “crash” course! : P
Learning how to drive a car is one thing; being a good driver is another.
When we are on the wheel, something strange happens to us. We turn into some kind of ugly monster.
We become a speed-demon and a road-bully. We will scold and curse other drivers.
No wonder there is a prayer for blessing of cars. So many sins are committed in the car.
We may try to be a good driver, but what about those who road-hog, or suddenly cut into our lane without signaling, who tail-gate, who show us bad signs, and who drive recklessly.
And then there are those who text while driving. There is this warning: Pray if you love Jesus; text while driving if you want to see Him! : 0
In times like these we wish that the traffic cops are around to catch those drivers.
But most of the time we end up scolding and cursing those kind of drivers in the confines of our cars, with the windows rolled up.
What we won’t think of doing would be to track down these reckless drivers and confront them. Oh no, we won’t do that.
Jesus said in the gospel that when your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone.
But whether it is our brother or sister or stranger, we would avoid having it out with that party concerned.
That is too risky and we might end up getting traumatized.
We would rather complain about that person to others, gossip about his wrong-doing, and slime his reputation.
And if we want to be more vicious, we will write an anonymous poison letter to some people of authority about that person’s wrong-doing. Or better still, use a pseudonym and splash it all over social media.
To say it all in one word, it is about taking revenge but without confrontation. The human way of “correcting” a person is to “criminalize” him in order to teach him a lesson.
But the way of Jesus, the Christian way, is not to teach the person a lesson but to help him learn a lesson.
There is a big difference between teaching a person a lesson and helping a person learn a lesson.
To help a person to learn a lesson in order to correct him is certainly a more difficult way, but it is the Christian way.
As Christians, we have to be good and it is also our duty to help others be good.
There is no need to teach others a lesson in order to correct them.
Rather we must help them to learn a lesson in order to correct them.
That would mean that we ourselves must learn the lesson of correction.
Jesus says this in the gospel: I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For when two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.
It means that first and foremost, we need to learn the lesson of prayer.
There is no crash course in this kind of prayer. Praying for the correction of others demands love and faith, perseverance and persistence on our part.
When we learn that lesson of prayer, then Jesus will show us the way to help a person learn a lesson in order to correct his wrong doing.
We just do the praying, and Jesus will do the correcting.
Let us remember that when we are united in prayer, what we ask for will be granted to us.
And Jesus will also fulfill His awesome promise to us – and that is He will be there with us.