Tough love
categories: Uncategorized |Tuesday December 8
“Arise and walk.” Mt 9:5 NKJV
Misguided sympathy is dangerous because:
(a) it enables someone to feel sorry for themselves, yet take no action to
change things;
(b) it digs the hole deeper, so they’ve less chance of getting out of it;
(c) it creates a “learned helplessness” guaranteeing they’ll feel even more
hopeless.
Sometimes tough love is what’s needed. Although Jesus had compassion for hurting people, He never merely felt sorry for them. Whenever possible He helped them to help themselves. Before He worked on their behalf, He often asked them to do something. And sometimes His instructions seemed radical. For example, He told a crippled man to rise, take up his bed and walk (See Mt 9:6). He told a man who’d received word that his daughter was dead, not to fret (See Mk 5:35-36). He spat on the ground, made mud and rubbed it on a blind man’s eyes. Then He instructed him to walk to the pool of Siloam and wash it off (See Jn 9:1-7). How could a crippled man rise, take up his bed and walk? How could a man who had just received the report of his daughter’s death be expected to stay calm? How could a blind man even see to get to a certain pool of water? Instead of merely feeling sorry for people, Jesus moved them to action. He helped them to get their minds off their problems, and motivated them to do something about them. At times we feel like we’re being unkind if we confront people who have problems, when in reality “tough love” is what they need.