Whoever says to the wicked, “You are in the right,” will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. Whoever gives an honest answer kisses the lips. Proverbs 24:24-26
What I’ve been musing on this week is how so many people around us are sold lies about what is right and what is wrong. The origin of all lies is Satan who Jesus described as the “father of lies.” But the lies are proclaimed by pop celebrities, college professors, parents, politicians, and ordinary people. Even in the Garden of Eden Satan lied and persuaded Eve that the fruit God said was forbidden was fine to eat. Many lies come as a steady stream through social media, funny tv shows and beautiful movies. The lies are eloquently told in best-selling literature. In other words, they are packaged nicely and told by winsome likable people.
They tell us that practices like cheating, stealing, fornication, lying, pornography, homosexuality, greed, pride, hate, unforgiveness, revenge, grumbling, gossip, and many other things the Lord condemns, are okay. We are told that these things are justified in certain situations. Or we are told that maybe it’s wrong, but it’s not a big deal. When a person does something that is a violation of the laws of God most people either overlook their behavior, downplay it, or approve it.
Tolerance
Tolerance is greatly celebrated in our culture and has become almost the supreme virtue in our day. We are taught that what is right for us may not be right for others. Therefore, we should never make a judgment about someone’s behavior. This thinking in society has greatly influenced the Church culture little by little. As Christians, we are often afraid to speak out against things lest we be guilty of violating this unspoken societal code. We misunderstand verses like, “Do not judge” and think we should just accept everyone and everything people do.
It’s worth mentioning that people break this societal code of tolerance all the time—especially on social media! People constantly condemn the behaviors of other people. They condemn men who mistreat women in the workplace. They condemn those who do not advocate for black rights. They condemn the systemic problems in the police force. They condemn corporate greed. They condemn those who believe abortion or the practice of homosexuality is wrong. They condemn anyone who pushes their religion. So there seems to be an interesting double standard. People do call out evil. But then they insist that everyone should be tolerant. It’s confusing. The fact that, in America, journalists, documentary makers, filmmakers, artists, writers, and many ordinary activists, boldly call out the evils of society is a good thing.
Wicked defined
What I want us to think about today is the importance of speaking the truth to those who are “wicked.” In the passage above this word is used twice. The word is used throughout the Bible in a very different way than our culture uses it. In the month of October, the word pops up a lot, maybe in movie titles, or wicked witch costumes. Maybe people think of the Broadway show Wicked. The only time someone would call a person wicked would be in an extreme case. Like someone who sexually exploited children or stole a widow’s fortune. But wicked in the Bible simply means someone who is living in a way contrary to God’s will. All people who are not in Christ are wicked.
Okay, I’m not encouraging us to start calling non-Christians wicked. That would be confusing to people since they define wicked as someone who behaves in an extremely repulsive and morally disgusting way. I’m explaining this because we’ll miss the point of the passage if we don’t understand that the Bible describes all people outside of Christ as wicked, evil, sinful, at enmity with God. It’s not that all sinners are equally sinful. Not at all. But the sin of all sinners is exceedingly sinful in the eyes of God, and God calls them wicked.
Cost of speaking truth
Now, in the passage, it says that whoever says to a wicked person that the way they live is “in the right” will be hated in the end. The Lord points to what will eventually be the result in the end for those who just tell people what they want to hear—they will be “cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations.” The Lord is saying that our well-intentioned efforts to overlook or approve people’s sinful behavior to keep the peace will in the end cause them to hate us. Malachi talks about how people, in the end, will feel rage against priests and pastors who strengthened them in their sinful ways.
I think there’s a place for Christians to speak out against the evils of society. For example, Christians have condemned slavery, police brutality, oppression of the poor, abortion, corporate greed, fornication, the mistreatment of women, abuse of children, sex trafficking, and many other things. The Church is often a conscience amplifier for the nation. Certain Christian leaders have functioned at times in a similar way to the Old Testament prophets. All this is good when done in the right spirit.
This condemnation of societal evils may be partly what the above passage is talking about. But I believe it speaks of a more personal confrontation. We can only kiss one person at a time, right? I believe it’s talking about people the Lord has put in our lives: family members, friends, coworkers, classmates, teammates, and so on. When we get up close to people, we begin to see things clearly. Sin destroys people. So, when we see sin in someone we love, we naturally want to help them to see it so they can get rid of it.
Why we hold back
It is, however, a massive temptation for us, as Christians, to avoid speaking truthfully to people around us practicing wicked things. If we confront people about their sin, in most cases, it will not go well. It will be disruptive. It will strain the relationship. We could lose our jobs. We could be socially marginalized or “canceled.” It could provoke the person to anger or even rage. It could result in them physically attacking us.
My point is that, in the short term, speaking the truth about a person’s sin can have very negative effects. The Bible is full of examples. Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. Isaiah was sawn in two. Jeremiah was hurled into a cistern. John the Baptist was beheaded. Stephen was stoned to death. Paul was beaten and imprisoned multiple times. Peter was crucified upside down. They suffered in these ways because they called out the wickedness of their day.
It’s understandable that we would avoid telling people we know and love the truth about their sin. We don’t want to stir up conflict. We don’t want to hurt them or upset them. Our avoidance of speaking the truth is well-intentioned. When we see someone we know doing something that isn’t right we are tempted to overlook it, downplay it, or even condone it. Why? Because we want to please the person and keep the peace. And in the short term, it works. In fact, the person may increase their affection for us because we affirm their sinful behavior. They might even praise us for not being one of those judgmental Christians. And that feels good at the moment. It feels right.
Why rebuke is good
In this passage and throughout Scripture the Lord calls His people to a very different way of dealing with sin. We are called to expose it. We are called to confront it. To “rebuke the wicked.”
It’s a challenge, but we have to forfeit short-term peace with people for the sake of preparing them for eternity. Yes, maybe most people will not respond positively to a rebuke of their sin. But some will. A rebuke can save someone’s life. A rebuke can shake a sinner’s fragile justification. A rebuke can cause a person to tremble and break before God. A rebuke can set someone off into an existential crisis that leads to repentance. A rebuke can be life-giving for those who receive it. It can raise a person out of bondage and bring them into a relationship with the living God.
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:5
The word “rebuke” means to express sharp disapproval for someone’s actions. That doesn’t mean it’s demeaning or in a scolding manner. To rebuke someone isn’t to get in their face and raise our voice at them. The kind of rebuke God calls us to is tender. It’s fatherly. It’s clothed with compassion. A godly rebuke is often born out of tears of love. Jesus instructed us that if we are going to remove a speck out of someone’s eye, we must first remove the plank from our own eye. In other words, we shouldn’t be rebuking someone when we are blind to our own sins. A rebuke should be done humbly and in a way that the person feels we are for them.
Promise of delight
The passage offers a tremendous promise to us if we are faithful in the call to rebuke the wicked. It says that we will have delight and a good blessing will come upon us. It doesn’t mean that we will delight in upsetting people. The delight I believe speaks of the pleasure of God. When we speak truth to people about sin, the Lord Himself makes us know His pleasure. We sense His hand upon us in confronting evil. It says “good blessing” will come upon us. That is clearly something from above. Peter in his epistle describes it as the Spirit of glory coming upon us. So, speaking the truth may cause backlash from people, but it will cause the Father to be pleased.
The writer in this passage then employs an image of a kiss to really drive home his point. He says an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. A kiss is something tender, affectionate, a gesture of love. The epistles say, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” My mom’s side of the family is Italian and kissing was a big part of the culture. As a kid I would be smothered. And would have to wipe the lipstick off afterward. God is saying that an honest rebuke is like a kiss on the lips. Telling someone the truth about their sin is an act of tender love. Pray for courage to speak plainly. Ask God for a heart of compassion. Don’t hold back.
Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. Proverbs 28:23