Deuteronomy 27:18
“‘Cursed is he who misleads a blind person on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
This is obviously a cruel act, in which few of us could imagine doing. However, we can be guilty of similar wrongs. When we examine the situation, the blind person is near helpless and wouldn’t be able to identify the perpetrator. Those that are cruel or harsh tend to treat their family members poorly. Sometimes the victims are spouses, children or pets. The victims could be the lesser ones in our social group.
Why does someone mistreat the vulnerable? It’s usually because they have usually been mistreated as children. Thus the bad behavior was trained into them. They don’t know any other way.
Sometimes the harsh one has a kind appearance. I plead guilty on some level. I can recall hearing about the “preciousness of others”. I would pass that on to our family. However, I enforced it with harshness. It would have been fine to gently correct, but I recall being angry and enforcing it with too much intensity.
The perfectionist was exposed to “the tyrant” from an early age. Thus he internalized the tyrant. He was so used to being snapped at, that he began to snap at himself throughout the day. Even if the original tyrant was no where to be seen. Thus, those that he is comfortable with become victims of “the tyrant”. This is partially what it means when the bible says that sins are passed on to the children (Exodus 34:7).
Can these cruel and harsh ones be guilty when they were victimized as children? Yes. Romans 1:20 speaks of being “without an excuse”. It’s in a different context, but God’s fairness warns us all the time. We will often harden our hearts, so His voice becomes so faint that it’s difficult to hear.
As we walk with Christ, He will work kindness and mercy into our lives. The cycle of behaviors passed down to the generations can be broken.
David prayed a prayer of introspection in Psalm 139:24,25. Part of it was “see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” He admitted that there might be some bad thoughts or behavior within him, that he wasn’t aware of. We are the same. His prayer is a good one to adopt.
Jesus referred to “the least of these” in Matthew 25:40. We are to be merciful to these. It’s starts in our own homes. How do we treat the vulnerable? As we walk with Christ, He will work His kindness and mercy in us.
Lord, thanks for the kindness You work into our lives. Thanks that You are gentle with us as we work our some of bad thoughts and behavior.