Scandal is tragic. No, it’s not merely sad. It is that to be sure. Tragedy, however, contains within its meaning not just hardship, but the downfall of the once lifted up. It may be a tragedy when a white stag dies caught in barbed wire. It is not a tragedy when a cockroach gets stepped on. The Roman emperor being assassinated is a tragedy. An old man passing into eternity is merely sad.
In like manner, it is no scandal when a drug dealer gets killed in a deal. Sad, yes. The story of how he became a drug dealer may be a tragedy. But we expect the fallen to fall, not the mighty. The issue isn’t might or falseness. The issue is repentance.
Sometimes, however, we see something as scandal and tragedy because we forget that all of us are fallen, and not a one of us mighty. Ravi Zacharias, Steve Lawson, Doug Phillips were no more sinful than the half dozen pastors I know of that you have never heard of who got into trouble by straying from and betraying their wives. In the same manner, we somehow are stunned by David’s infidelity, while rolling right past Judah’s. The lesson from David’s sin isn’t that powerful people who present themselves well are all lying cheats. It’s that we’re all lying cheats, one way or another.
More recently we’ve been shocked and appalled at anonymous and inflammatory accusations from some at G3 Ministries against a pastor I respect and admire, Tom Buck. This after the board of G3 bounced its leader, Josh Buice, a few years ago for the same thing. The fallout at G3 and Pray Mills Baptist Church continues. Must be something in the water at G3, right? There is something in the water there- two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. The same stuff in the water we all drink. The problem isn’t the water, but the people that drink it. That is, all of us.
While we certainly ought not to accept scandalous behavior, we surely ought to expect it. From unknown people, the people we know, and the people everyone knows. Whatever the sin, our response ought to be “There but for the grace of God go I.” I am not above either plagiarizing sermons nor above falsely accusing a brother anonymously. Nor of accusing a brother of falsely accusing a brother anonymously with insufficient evidence. Not because that is the type of person I am, but because I’m the type of person they are, as are you. It’s the kind of people we are. We, if we rest in Christ, are better than we once were. We continue to get better. But we are most certainly not well.
What kind of shysters parade about as godly men while cheating on their wives? What kind of hypocrites fire one man for doing what they themselves do? What kind of heartless person kills his own unborn child? What kind of monster shoots up a worship service or a school? The same kind of shyster, hypocrite, heartless monster I am. The kind Jesus came to rescue. The kind who, because of Jesus, having embraced His grace, are forgiven, adopted and beloved by our heavenly Father. That, friends, is what ought to shock us.
“There is no sin I am not capable of.” Don’t recall who said it, but I stole it:)