Earlier this year my youngest son broke his hand. Amazingly, after twelve years of raising boys, this was the first broken bone in our house! When the school called to tell me he was hurt, I honestly didn’t think much of it. This kid is my tough guy; my ‘brush it off and keep playing’ kid. When I arrived, my heart sank. He was pale and dirty. He was clutching his wrist and refusing to move it. He said very little, but his face said it all. When we saw the orthopedic doctor the next day his hand and wrist had to be placed in a very specific position to ensure optimal healing. This was extremely painful for my son as he had to hold this position for the entirety of the casting process. When it was finished the acute pain was gone, but he needed to handle his hand and arm with a lot of caution and care.
In Galatians 5 Paul took us through all the “works of the flesh” we should guard against, and the consequences of falling into these sins. As we kick off Galatians 6, he gives instructions on how to “handle” someone who has fallen into sin:
“…if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit…” (vs. 1)
The original translation of the word ‘restore’ is "katartizete." It means to set in joint, like a dislocated or broken bone. In most cases setting a dislocated joint is very painful at first. Then after, the joint requires tender care, with lots of ice and rest. I love this image when I think about this verse in Galatians. Calling out a sin in another’s life can be really painful at first. Keeping that in mind, our approach is direct, but takes methodical care like a specialized physician. We use caution to not injure our brother or sister further, while making sure they have the proper parameters in place to completely heal.
What a wonderful expression of Christ’s love to treat sin in the lives of our church family with the same compassion as a dislocated shoulder or broken leg. We address the problem with a thoughtful approach to bring them back into the fullness of fellowship with Christ and the Church.