Over the past years I’ve come into contact with an increasing number of people who have been abused as children– physically, spiritually, emotionally, and sexually. Sexually abuse has been the most common.
A friend of mine made me aware of an alarming statistic.
1 of 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18.
1 of 6 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18.
It makes me want to scream. Children are so vulnerable, believing, and trusting. Sexual abuse wrecks their trust, shatters their world, and opens their vulnerable hearts to an array of lies from the enemy; leaving most with the deep conviction of their dirtiness and worthlessness. Does Jesus care? Does this break his heart?
Many kids grow up in loving homes with caring parents who may have no clue that their own child has been abused by another family member, friend or even stranger. Originally, I was going to address two things – how does Jesus feel about this, and what can we do. I’ve opted to stick to the first one, knowing that I don’t have the experience/knowledge to adequately address the second question (not that I could ever answer the first issue completely either). I don’t know exactly how Jesus feels about it, but his word gives us some clues to his heart.
Jesus was angry. The temple was his father’s place of worship. The moneychangers and merchants had overrun the temple with their dishonest dealings and commercialism. Jesus came in and saw what they were doing and he turns over the tables and drives the animals out with a whip. "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"His anger was not the anger we often see, the selfish, hurtful kind. It was pure, completely good, and full of true justice.
You may be wondering why I refer to this event. Jesus showed righteous anger at the men who turned the temple into a place of thievery and cheating. Anger is a characteristic of Jesus. In the following verses Matthew describes what Jesus did next; he healed the lame and sick, then listened to the children as they shouted praises to him. Jesus valued the hurting and the children’s praises.
In another verse we catch a glimpse of something else that makes Him angry.
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (matthew 18:6).
A few months back I read an exposition of this verse, I had never really thought much about it before. The book caused me to look further into the verse.
“offend”
1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which
another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend
1a) to entice to sin
1b) to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
1b1) to cause to fall away
The definition can apply directly to a child being abused. I think we can safely conclude, that from the word of God – to abuse a child is to cause them to stumble. Of course, the verse applies to anyone who leads a child astray, but for the topic’s sake, I won’t elaborate on that.
Jesus takes the offender’s sin very seriously. He is angry with anyone who causes a child to stumble, so much so, that he says it is better that they put a millstone around their neck and drown in the sea. The same anger that caused Jesus to throw the thieves out of the temple and will one day judge all sin with righteous justice, is seen in Hs words about anyone who causes a child to stumble.
Jesus cares. He cares very deeply about the pain that every abused person has gone through. He does not take it lightly. Matthew 19 contains the story of Jesus letting the children come to him and be blessed and cared for by him. The disciples tried to shoo them away, but Jesus said “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus always had time for the children, he loves them.
A while ago I was talking to a friend about abuse, we were both mad, and horrified at the wrongness of it all. The pain that ensues, the propensity for the abused to abuse others or retreat into their shells is inescapable. I said that I knew “Jesus hated this and was angry, and one day justice will reign”. After looking into God’s Word. I stand by that.
Psalm 94 starts with “O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.”
Later it says “They crush your people, O LORD;
they oppress your inheritance. They slay the widow and the alien; they murder the fatherless.”
*****
God’s love and forgiveness reaches out to all the guilty. Every one of us is in that number. His compassion and love reaches out to every person who has been hurt, whose hearts have been broken by sin’s work. His love reaches to every person that has hurt another person. He cared enough to place that sin on his dear Son. Jesus bore it all on the cross.
Jesus died for the abuser as much as he did for the abused. None are too far from his grace.
Isaiah 61 both captures the rightiousness of God, and his redeeming nature. He can take anything broken and restore it and an ugly thing and make it beautiful. He will rebuild the ancient ruins! The abused and the abusers have been ruined, but God loves rebuilding and healing broken people.
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.
