Well-Meaning People

Scripture passage that caught my attention today: 2 Samuel 4:9-11 David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 when the one who told me, ‘See, Saul is dead,’ thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag—this was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more then, when wicked men have killed a righteous man on his bed in his own house! And now shall I not require his blood at your hand, and destroy you from the earth?”

Observation: The servants of David thought they were doing something he would like (killing relatives of his deceased enemy Saul). Instead, David was upset and had them killed as well.

Application: Somewhere I’ve heard it said, “Lord, save me from well-meaning people!” Personally, though I never really use it, I love the line “Oh, you really shouldn’t have!” It’s perfect for those occasions when a well-meaning person gives you something that they think you will like but you really have no intention of ever actually using and yet you don’t want to hurt their feelings. Still another line is; “He (or she) meant well.”

What does one do with well-intentioned people who tend to actually make things worse rather than better?

In Scripture such people are often not treated particularly kind. David, in the passage above, has his well-meaning servants killed. Jesus, in today’s reading from Matthew 16, calls the well-meaning Peter “Satan.” A few days ago I read the story of the weeds and the wheat in Matthew 13. There the well-meaning servants wanted to go in and pull out the weeds. Jesus said, “No” because in so doing they would uproot the wheat as well. Then again, when a well-meaning woman poured expensive perfume on him (which some considered a waste), Jesus praised her. Sometimes people get the benefit of the doubt and sometimes not.

From the health profession most of us have learned not to be in a rush to move someone who appears to be injured. Otherwise there’s a chance of making things worse even though we obviously wanted to make things better. Still, we have Good Samaritan laws in some places to help prevent well-meaning people from getting sued for helping in a non-helpful way.

I tend to find few points in all of this. First, if one really cares enough to help, one should care enough to learn how to help in a helpful way. Sometimes this as simple as asking what he/she can/should do. Second, whether one is actually helpful or not, God does not give up on us. Peter, for all of his failures, was still a major part of God’s work in the world. Third, God’s kingdom tends to be different that worldly kingdoms; it isn’t based on revenge and conquest, but on sacrificial service and devotion starting with Jesus himself. That’s a good thing because, well, I’m pretty sure Jesus has watched us thought to himself more than once, “Oh, you really shouldn’t have!”

Prayer: Lord, help us to be more of a help you your kingdom rather than a hindrance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Scripture Readings today included: 2 Samuel 4-5, Psalm 139, and Matthew 16)