(A Poem)
Oh, innocent victims of Cupid,
Remember this terse little verse
To let a fool kiss you is stupid
But to let a kiss fool you is worse.
(Readers Digest 2/77 p.103)
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, the Bible is just filled with kissing. They did a whole lot more kissing back then than we do now in our society - and kissing in that day indicated that a person LIKED you.
But back then there are certain kisses that you wouldn’t have wanted.
For example:
There are the kisses of people who would like to take advantage of you.
Back in the book of Genesis we read about the time when Jacob (who later became “Israel”) ran away from home. He’d lied to his brother and his life was in danger. So he traveled to his uncle’s house to find shelter there. His uncle Laban greeted him with a kiss. But it wasn’t a kiss of affection or love for a relative. It was the kiss of a man who knew he’d found a patsy. Laban saw in Jacob someone he could take advantage of… so he did.
And then, in Proverbs, we’re told of the kisses of the adulteress.
Proverbs 7 tells about such a woman catching the attention of a young man, and “She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:
"… I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.” Proverbs 7:13-19
She’s not a very nice person… but she knows how to kiss.
So the young man goes with her.
The writer of Proverbs tells us “Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.” Proverbs 7:25-27
So, there are the kisses of those who’d take advantage of you, and the kisses of adulteresses. But then there are the kisses of people who don’t like you.
In II Samuel 20, we’re told that there was a man who led a rebellion against King David. The general of the rebellious leader was a man named Amasa… who was apparently related to the general of David’s army – a man named Joab. When Joab met Amasa out in an open field, Joab pretended to be a friend of Amasa. “Then he took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.” II Sam. 20:9
AND… he took out his dagger and stabbed him to death.
And, of course, there was the most famous kiss of all… that which Judas used to betray Christ. Matthew 26:48-50 tells us “Now the betrayer (Judas) had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him."
Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.”
Our text this morning says this:
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Proverbs 27:6
This kind of enemy doesn’t just kiss you… he MULTIPLIES his kisses.
Now, in our day, people don’t kiss each other as much as they did back then. Back then an enemy would have kissed you to deceive you into believing that he actually liked you. That he he was your friend. That he wanted to help you.
Of course… he doesn’t. But he’d like you to think that.
One man observed: "Flatterers look like friends in the same way wolves look like dogs” (George Chapman)
It’s like our poem said at the beginning:
To let a fool kiss you is stupid
But to let a KISS fool you is worse
Back in Bible times enemies would kiss you - to fool you.
But nowadays, if an enemy started kissing on me I wouldn’t be fooled.
(Pause) I’d get weirded out, but I wouldn’t be fooled.
In our culture men don’t kiss on each other.
To have an enemy kissing on you today wouldn’t get the job done.
It won’t work today like it did back then.
So, if that’s true… how would an enemy succeed in fooling you and I now?
ILLUS: When I was a young man I took a girl to the county fair and as we were walking along the midway, one of the barkers who ran a game on the strip started complimenting me in front of this girl… and he kind of challenged my manhood.
“You’ve got this cute girl, why don’t you try to win something for her?”
He appealed to my pride and to my vanity.
So, I stepped up and took my hand at the game… and I lost.
I tried a couple more times… and lost.
I finally decided this wasn’t the game for me. But when he saw me begin to turn away, he played more on my pride and my vanity. But mostly… he just shamed me into it.
Before I knew it, I had spent $20… and I hadn’t won a thing.
I learned a lesson that night. I don’t play those kind of games anymore.
My point is this: while kissing doesn’t get the job done nowadays - flattery and smooth talking will. Flattery works because it appeals to the image we have of ourselves. When someone appeals to our vanity, they’re actually telling us what we already believe about ourselves, and wish others would notice.
Flattery works - and there are people out there who will use it against you, either because you have something they want, or because they’ll dislike you for something you’ve done, or said, or stand for.
The Bible warns us about such people. In Proverbs 26:24-26 we’re told:
“A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart he harbors deceit.
Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart. His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
Jude 1:16 says there are wicked people out there who will “boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”
Even people who are supposed to be Christians can do this to you. Romans 16:18 says:
“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
ILLUS: I was talking to a minister not so long ago. His church recently went through a church split. The split had nothing to do immorality or heresy. It had to do with power.
There were people in the church who wanted more power than they had, and so they quietly began to spread discontent in the congregation. But while they were criticizing the Preacher and the Elders BEHIND their backs, these individuals would be all hugs, and kisses and “words of love” TO their face.
They were all sweetness and light, and words filled with affection. Then – one Sunday – they just up and walked out of church as a group. And they made sure everybody at church KNEW why they were leaving. And they started a new congregation on the other side of town.
These folks gave kisses and hugs until they were ready to make their move.
They didn’t love the church they left.
They didn’t love the preacher or the Elders.
They had an agenda, and they were willing to do whatever was necessary to get what they wanted.
A flatterer gets you to trust them… and then they betray you.
You know, it’s tough when someone you thought you could trust BETRAYS you. Someone who was close to you, and then they hurt you. And when they hurt you badly enough, they become (pause) your enemy.
And now, you’ve got to figure out what to do with them.
You’re not going to trust them anymore.
Inn fact, you might (once in a while) start thinking about how to repay them for what they’ve done to you. You might give some thought on how to hurt them the way they hurt you.
Well, what should we do with these enemies?
How should a Christian respond to someone who’s hurt us as much as these people have hurt us?
Where would I look for answer to that question? (the Bible)
And who in the Bible do you think would be the one to give me the best answer to that question? (Jesus).
Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:43-44
Again, He said: “… love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back…” Luke 6:35a
Paul wrote that “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:20
Now – honestly – I’m not real keen on that.
If I dislike somebody bad enough to consider them an enemy… I’ve got a good reason for it. And if they’re my enemy… I don’t want to be nice to them.
They don’t deserve it.
They’ve hurt me and misused me, and even betrayed my trust.
Why, should I be nice to these folks? (wait for response)
That’s right - because JESUS said to.
He said, if we do these things for our enemies…
“Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35b
ILLUS: If you treat your enemies the way Jesus said to – you become like your Father. Like God. Now, most people don’t think like that. They view “godlikeness” to be the ability to stand in purity and judgment over those who… don’t measure up. Those who aren’t pure enough. Those who are not righteous enough. Those who have sinned more than they have.
And as God’s representative on earth, they view it as their responsibility to deal with lesser souls as any high and exalted God would: by crushing the impure and dealing judgment upon their enemies.
But Jesus said – that’s not what God is all about.
God is not in the business of destroying people.
That’s not His objective
And it’s not ours either.
ILLUS: The Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus planning to go to Jerusalem for the last time.
As they’re passing through Samaria, they entered a village to buy food… but were turned away.
Apparently, the Samaritans weren’t very nice about it, because James and John turn to Jesus and ask: "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" Luke 9:54 (NKJV)
But Jesus turned to them and rebuked them saying "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them." Luke 9:55-56 (NKJV)
(See Footnote at end of sermon)
When we became Christians, we signed on to serve Jesus in His mission.
AND what is Jesus’ mission: “Seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10
Are our enemies lost?
Are they going to hell?
Of course they are!
Worldly people we tend to look on our enemies as well… the enemy
They DESERVE to go hell.
ILLUS: On Facebook last week, I read about a comment a comedian named Kathy Griffin made back in 2007. She was at the Emmys receiving an Emmy for best reality program for her Bravo channel show "My Life on the D-List."
She held up the award and then said: "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus"
She cursed Jesus and then said “This award is my god now."
A few people were really angry about that.
And they said some very unflattering things about Miss Griffin
I mean –she’d gone out of her way to insult Jesus.
My best guess – she’s going to hell.
She’s… lost.
And the thing is: Jesus came to “seek and save… the lost”
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that our battle is not against Kathy Griffin.
It’s not against this movie star, or that pagan singer, or that atheist, or that politician, or against someone who’s our enemy, or someone who’s betrayed us, or who has hurt us.
“… Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12
Our enemy is Satan! He’s the one we battle against.
Those of flesh and blood are merely those who he has taken captive to do his will.
We’ve got to realize that God so loved the world. He even loved our enemies. He loved them (and us) so much that “He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Did our enemies deserve Jesus dying for their sins? (OF COURSE NOT)
Did you and I deserve Jesus dying for our sins? (Well… no)
Well, that’s all well and good… but those enemies did something wrong.
They DO need to be punished (don’t they?)
Well, yeah… God promised Abraham:
“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse…” Genesis 12:3 (ASV)
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Romans 12:19 (ESV)
So, God is saying: don’t worry about it… I’ll take care of it.
When it comes to punishing your enemies, God’s is much more efficient than we are.
In fact, frankly… I would hate to be my enemy.
It’s just not healthy.
But there’s something we may be missing in our anger towards our enemies:
Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
“All things work together for good…”
“All things…”
How many things work together for good?
ALL things.
All thing work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
All things?
Even the kisses of our enemies?
Even the actions of those who’ve betrayed us?
Of those who’ve hurt us, and abused us and sold us out?
Yes. Even those.
ILLUS: Just by way of example, there’s the story of a young man named Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph was a good boy, and a Godly boy. But his brothers hated him. And one day they got him off by himself and they beat the tar out of him and then sold him into slavery.
They were people he should have been able to trust, and they betrayed him.
He didn’t deserve his slavery.
And he didn’t deserve the time in prison that followed.
But God lifted him up out from behind his bars and lifted him up to become the 2nd most important man of the world of that day.
Eventually, his brothers were reunited with him and they “made up.” But when their daddy died, the brothers got together and decided that their own days were numbered. Now that their father was out of the picture, Joseph had nothing to stop him from destroying them for the evil they had done to him.
Knowing this, Joseph called his brothers together and told them they had nothing to fear. "… You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)
In other words: all things worked together for good for Joseph, because he loved God and was called according to His purpose… even the actions of those who were his enemies.
Then there’s another story of betrayal.
The story of a kiss that brought death.
The story of Judas. A man you would have thought Jesus could have trusted. A man who instead took money to sell Jesus to be captured, tried, beaten. A man who’s kiss condemned Christ to be nailed to a cross… to be lifted up and hang between heaven and hell.
It was the kiss of an “enemy” that led Jesus to Calvary.
It was the act of a betrayer that led to our salvation.
All things worked together for good…
Now, one last thing. Do you think – if Judas had repented – Jesus would have forgiven him???? (Yes). How do we know?
Because Jesus forgave 11 others who turned their backs on Him at the cross. And the worst offender was Peter… who betrayed Jesus by denying Him not once, not twice, but three times.
And Jesus forgave him.
If Jesus could forgive those who betrayed Him, don’t you think we could forgive those who’ve hurt us?
CLOSE: Do you remember my telling you about the church where all those folks walked out?
They dealt with it Biblically. Pretty much from the time they left the church, the Elders prayed for that group of people. And they even went over to these rebellious people… and wished them good will … and even offered to pray with them.
WHY?
Because they realized that while these people treated them badly they served a Jesus who would have them reach out even to these who had betrayed their trust.
Footnote: Regarding the story of James and John’s desire to bring fire down on the Samaritan city – it’s worth noting that I only found this complete story in the KJV and NKJV. Apparently, most of the earliest manuscripts did not have most of this exchange between Jesus and the two brothers.
I however, have no compunction against using this passage because I’m inclined to believe that the Textus Receptus (on which the KJV was built) is a valuable resource, and the story may indeed be true.
