The Root of Bitterness

 Hebrews 21:14-16 (NIV) “Make every effort to live at peace with all men and to be holy, because without holiness, no one will see the Lord.  And see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Paul uses extreme language in the Hebrews passage.  He doesn’t say if it’s convenient for you, or if you can find the time…or if your feel like it.  He says, “Make every effort to see that no bitter root grow up in your heart.”  Why such extreme language?  He tells us to make every effort because bitterness contaminates everything in our lives.  It can’t be compartmentalized.  It will always find a way to emerge and cause pain, either to you or the people around you.  It changes the way you think, the way you make decisions about everything. Bitterness does not stay isolated to the source or the cause. Unchecked, it spreads into and ultimately every other relationship.

Paul asserts that if we don’t deal with bitterness, it will infect and defile us. It will actually steal away our holiness. If we give it residence it will blind us so that we cannot experience God. We won’t be able to see God at work in our own lives or in others. When bitterness takes hold, it causes us to miss out on the forgiveness of God. When, because we are bound by bitterness, we are unable to experience forgiveness in our own lives, it becomes impossible to forgive others.  It creates insurmountable barriers between us and God, and us and others.

So, the question is how do we kill this root of bitterness? In Ephesians 5:11, Paul says, Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  The first task is to Bring the Sin of Bitterness into the Light!  Many times, the thing which is the source of our bitterness and pain is hidden well below the surface of our consciousness. When things happen to us… when people hurt us, either on purpose or unintentionally, the most common response is conflict avoidance.

The society around us has made a God out of the “live and let live” philosophy. We have been told that confrontation is evil and even though someone else’s actions may have caused us pain, it is always best seek out the positive and avoid any clash that might inflict similar pain on others.  The problem with that philosophy is that unresolved resentment just gets packed away. It doesn’t dissipate.  It is accumulative and it is a poison which begins not only to eat away at our ability to be in relationship with the person who caused to offense, it begins to breed and infect other relationships. It is like a virus.  Offense is actually the bait of Satan. So, it must…even when it causes further pain, be exposed.

   

Secondly, we are called to Forgive the Debt, to literally cancel the effect of the sin and the sinner's actions upon our lives. This isn’t just something nice to do, or good to do if you can find it within your heart.  It is absolutely necessary to your relationship with God and not only your, but also God’s relationship with the other person.  Your resentment and lack of forgiveness actually keeps them bound to the sin as well as you.  In Matthew 18, Simon Peter asks Jesus how often he must forgive a brother who has offended him.  Seven times seemed like a good boundary between seeking reparation and consignment of the person to hell as a lost cause. 
  
From a human perspective that is a lot of forgiveness. But notice that God has different standards. Matthew 18:22 (Msg) Jesus replied, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven!
God will deal with us in the same way that we behave towards others.  Mat.18:35 (NIV) This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.  We are not asked by God just give lip service to forgiveness. The only way for real forgiveness to happen is from our heart.  That only takes place when I completely give up my claim to revenge and blame…forever.

Thirdly, a good test of whether we are truly free from bitterness is found in our ability to Bless the One who Offended Us. Luke 6:22-23 (NIV), Blessed are you when people hate you,     when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Here is how we are able to bless our offender.  It comes from a rejoicing and thankful heart… a heart the leaps for joy. 

Not all offense is caused because of our faith. I get that. But, a lot of it is... and the point of what is being said here is that people of faith can expect to be treated badly by the world, and blessed immensely by God. Because we know that ultimately we are under God’s blessing and not the curse of the world or its fallen, we can with a joyful heart bless those who chose to cause us pain and offense. It is a witness to our faith.

In Luke 6:27-28 (NIV), Jesus said, But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. The Greek word we translate as "bless" is "eulogia", the root of the English eulogize. That person with whom we have a root of bitterness may well be a back stabbing hypocrite, a gossip and mean.  They may have totally betrayed you when you trusted and loved them.  Christ, however, is calling you to eulogize them, to literally speak well over them?  How is that even possible?  How do we cancel the debt of a person who is mean to us?  In short, you can’t, at least under your own power.  It’s not in you. It’s not humanly possible.  You do not have the capacity.  Even the best and most holy of us do not have the capacity to forgive someone else.  You can’t fabricate it.

This kind of forgiveness driven blessing can only happen through the grace of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life. True forgiveness is simply this, extending to someone else that which has been extended freely and unreservedly to you, grace and mercy.  Paul says we are to, Ephesians 4:32 (Msg) Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.  Forgive in the same way that you have been forgiven.  And it is precisely because we have been forgiven in this way that we have the capacity to extend the blessing of complete forgiveness to others. Notice that the writer say that we are to do it quickly, that is hold short accounts, and thoroughly, so that no offense remains.

Finally, my very favourite passage in Paul’s teaching comes from his letter to the Roman church. In Romans 8:1 (NIV), Paul says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  I believe that this verse extends in both directions.  It concerns you and me in as much as we are completely freed from any condemnation because of the blood Jesus shed upon the cross for us. All of our offense and sin is gone, completely eradicated. However, condemnation itself…the act of condemnation is also…or should also be completely eradicated from our person…no longer a part of who we are or how we behave.  As we are totally free from condemnation, no one is to be condemned by us.  

This message was prepared with thanksgiving using an outline created by