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by Kevin Pauley
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the LORD's mouth. They keep on saying to those who despise Me: The LORD has said: You will have peace. To everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they have said, No harm will come to you." - Jeremiah 23:16-17 HCSB
A doctor was in charge of a study for a new drug that held great promise in the treatment of a mental disease. Millions of dollars were riding on this study. People came from far and wide to be a part of his program, in the hopes that the miracle drug would improve their lives. One after the other lives were changed. The drug seemed to be doing exactly what it promised.
One young man, however, did not seem to respond as well. He still heard the voices. He still felt those strange compulsions. The doctor had already begun to receive perks from the company responsible for the production of this wonder-drug and greed had settled into his heart. This one young man was ruining his study - ruining his chances at fortune and fame. So he fudged the records. He made it seem like the young man was all right when the truth of the matter was that the young man had a tumor that caused resistance to the drug. Because the young man's condition remained untreated, he went out and, in his mental confusion, killed someone. The doctor, in his greed and desire to be famous, had effectively killed two people.
Pastors, are we equally guilty? Are we not telling our people the truth, for the sake of peace and quiet, or for the sake of our pensions? Many Scriptural passages bring great comfort to the grieving and peace to the disturbed of mind. There are fine, thrilling verses about the love of God and His graciousness to sinful man, but the Bible also has much to say about the dangers of sin. It diagnoses the human condition as inherently sinful and bound for an eternity in hell if we do not believe in and obey Christ. If we truly stand in the council of God, we will announce His words to His people, turning them back from their evil ways and from the evil of their deeds.[1]
Our ministries include the responsibility to comfort and bring safety to our flocks, but our flocks cannot be truly safe if we do not occasionally warn them of the wolves. We are doing them a disservice if we, as under-shepherds, do not from time to time also use the "rod and staff" that are the true source of comfort.[2] Only such spiritual surgery can cure tumors of the soul.
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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