Proverbs 27:5. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Nobody likes to be rebuked. Nobody likes to be corrected. I don’t know about you, but I keep my inner lawyer on retainer so that he is ready at a moment’s notice to refute any rebuke that comes my way.
In the book of Proverbs, rebuke is always presented as a good and necessary thing. Rebuke is a path of life, and the person who rejects rebuke is a fool. Open rebuke is rebuke that is not hidden. This does not mean that we should go around looking for things to rebuke others about. But it does mean that we must not withhold a necessary admonition or warning to those who are straying from obedient faith in Christ.
Jesus used open rebuke. He rebuked James and John when they wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans. Paul used open rebuke. He rebuked Peter for his hypocritical living in Galatia. Both Jesus and Paul tell us to rebuke those who are sinning, but never without forgiveness and reconciliation. Rebuke must always have the aim of restoration in mind. It must always be done gently, with patience, and free from a quarrelsome spirit.
2 Timothy 2:24-25 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Open rebuke also does not always mean public rebuke. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells us to go to our offender first alone. Then with witnesses. Then (and only then) you should bring it to the church (leadership? congregation?). Also, never forget that all scripture has been given by God, and is profitable for…rebuke (2 Timothy 3:16). Our rebuke must always be a biblical one. We must allow the Word of God to do the rebuking for us, giving it a chance to convict and correct.
It may seem strange that the “opposite” of open rebuke is hidden love. One way of understanding this may be in seeing that to not rebuke is often to not love the other person well. Why might we refuse to rebuke someone that we love? Most likely for fear of harming the relationship? I remember in middle school letting my best friend copy my homework for fear of losing the friendship. Eventually I told him he had to stop copying my work because I knew it wasn’t doing him any favors. He stopped copying my work and we remained best friends. Open rebuke was better than hidden love.
Union with Christ must be the motivation behind all rebuke. Why must our rebuke be patient and gentle? Because the cross demands it. You are no better than anyone you may need to rebuke. The cross, and our union with it, proves that. Christ had to die for you, and you had to die. If that’s not one big divine rebuke, I don’t know what is. Therefore, all our rebuking of others must be from love, the love of Christ, the gentleness of Christ, the patience of Christ.
Our desire must be Christ’s own desire – a repentance with knowledge leading to the truth (2 Timothy 2:25). What truth? THE Truth. The truth of Jesus and his unhidden love for us.
You: Do you tend to rebuke people? What is your motivation in rebuking?
You in Christ: How does our union with the cross keep us gentle and patient when we rebuke sinful behavior in others?
Christ in you: Has Christ in you been rebuking you through his word lately? Are you listening?
Pray: Father, being rebuked is no fun, but I know I need it sometimes. Help me to accept godly rebuke knowing that you are always for me. Amen.
To Live is Christ 