God’s Calling: Ezekiel—The Tough Conversations: Ezekiel 2; Gal. 1: 11-24
There are many times of life where we have to engage in difficult conversations. This past Friday I was trying an assault—a case where someone got shot in the head. I had to sit before the hearing with the victim and talk him through what was likely the worst moment of his life. We had to watch the video of him be shot together. We had to review his injury photos together. I’ll never forget the quiet way he asked, “Do I really have to watch the video?” We also had to talk about the fact that a bigger caliber bullet or a few centimeters to the left, and he’d be dead. And we also had to talk about the fact that this happened because this nice, respectful kid from the suburbs was selling drugs. He’s 21.
I realize that’s probably shocking and a bit more than you bargained for on a Sunday morning. But we’re all at the point in life where difficult conversations have happened or may have to happen in our lives. It may involve a bad diagnosis. It may involve the fact that there’s no longer enough money to pay the rent. It may be a break down in a relationship. Or it may be the very simple yet profoundly complex words, “I’m not okay.”
If we believe that the God of All is in us and working through us, then we must allow God to have the power and the almighty wisdom to guide our most difficult conversations in life. We’ve covered this scripture in Ezekiel from the point of view of standing for truth. But how do we speak the words and engage in the conversations we never want to have and don’t know how to begin?
In Ezekiel we see over and over this emphasis on him being called, “Son of man.” There is a clear distinction made between Ezekiel who is in many ways weak in his humanity versus the all-powerful strength of God. Ezekiel is being sent to prophesy in a way that has not be done before to the Hebrew people. Unlike the sadness of Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s words speak of hope in terms of anger, punishment, and destruction. There is little gentleness found in this prophecy. It is extreme, hard, severe, complex, and painful. If you think about it, the only real part of Ezekiel covered in church is the valley of the dry bones. The rest is not talked about, and historically, Rabbis had to be over 30 years of age to have the wisdom and fortitude to read and discuss this book.
God is sending Ezekiel as a prophet who will be rejected by the people. God is filling Ezekiel with a prophetic word that will not be heard by the people. But God makes absolutely clear the God’s word is spoken through Ezekiel. God figuratively places a scroll in Ezekiel’s mouth, which gives him God’s very words to speak. We must remember that when we have tough conversations, we must speak as we are led by God. When we speak from our own well of abilities, it is inadequate. At all times whether easy or hard, our conversations and speech must be the words of God from the Word of God.
But we must also remember in hard conversations that success is measured differently. God clearly told Ezekiel that his success as a prophet was not measured by how the people listened and responded. It was measured by Ezekiel’s own willing obedience to speak the words which God gave him. Tough conversations cannot be avoided, but they can be guided by the scroll of words God places in our own mouths as well as understanding that it is our willingness to engage in such conversations in a civil, faithful way which marks our success.
We come then to the wisdom Paul gives us in Galatians. The church there was in disarray because they were told by others that the gospel preached by Paul was too far away from the home faith of Judaism. Paul launches on this defense speech that basically boils down to the idea that whatever Paul said whether they agree or not was said as he felt led by God. Paul tells them that he was not brainwashed by Paul or James or other disciples in Jerusalem. In all that he said and did, Paul followed the guidance and inspiration of Christ.
Now, the lesson for us is that when we have to say things that are difficult or have a tough conversation, we must be careful whose advice we are listening to. There are some who mean well, but do not advise us in ways which draw us closer to God. And there are some who enjoy the chaos their bad advice brings. Paul says that he did not get brainwashed by Peter and James, but he is also telling the Galatians not to listen to the evil teachings of those coming around to stir them up.
God’s word in us and spoken through us is meant to be transforming, freeing, loving, and empowering to others. No prophet spoke a word of destruction and doom without telling the people of a way back—a way they could be made whole in themselves and in their relationship to God once more. It’s like the old saying that the truth shall set you free. Now, telling the truth doesn’t always spare you of the consequences for what you did wrong. We still must live with such things. But the truth unburdens us from the anger, the disappointment, the guilt, and the sadness that we live with when we don’t have the tough conversations we need to have.
This past week my team and I spoke the words we prayed for this victim to hear. It was horrible for him, and it was unpleasant for us. I have no idea if what he heard and saw in court will make a difference in his life or not. But the desire of someone to listen does not absolve us from the call to speak the truth with grace and compassion to others.
Ezekiel was sent on a mission to speak words of unbearable suffering with a final word of hope. He was told that his prophet work would be a complete fail and that the people would not listen to him. But God says to him, “Speak anyway.” The three things we must remember in our difficult points of life, and when the words we speak are hard to say are these: first, remember that success is measured by obedience in us and not the response in the listener; second, be careful of the advice that is received and followed that it focuses on Christ; and finally, in all that we say and do, we must listen to God and speak the words which God gives us. May God’s words be planted in our hearts and be spoken from our mouths each and every day.
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