Years ago, Johnny Cash sang a song that began with these verses:
"My daddy left home when I was 3 and he didn’t leave much to ma and me… just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Now I don’t blame him cause he run and hid, but the meanest thing he ever did was before he left, he went and named me Sue.
Well, he must o’thought it was quite a joke and it got a lot of laughs from a lot of folks. It seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Some gal would giggle and I’d get red - Some guy’d laugh and I’d bust his head. I tell you life isn’t easy for a boy named Sue.
In Country & Western circles that song was really popular in its day because it seemed humorous to think anybody would call the son "Sue." But, as odd as that name may be, some parents have given their children names that are just about as peculiar.
One person told me of a girl they knew who was called Rusty Nail. Just in our area there are apparently two brothers named Michael Tri Angle & Justin Other Angle.
Years ago, I heard of a woman named Ima Hogg. And two preachers we’ve had in our brotherhood were Ivan Odor and Harry Pitts.
Why anybody would do that to their kids, I don’t know, but they do. And their names undoubtedly caused those children some very difficult and uncomfortable moments.
That brings us to the story of Jabez. I Chronicles 4:9 begins by telling us that Jabez was an honorable man – more honorable than his brothers… but then it tells us how he got his name. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." (Jabez literally means "to cause pain" or "painful").
She had had other sons, but something in Jabez’s birth hurt her. Perhaps she’d become injured in the delivery, or perhaps he’d been born in a time when times were hard. BUT, whatever the reason, Jabez’ mother was declaring to her family, to the people in her village, to all who lived around about: her child was a bringer of pain. And he grew up believing that this was his identity. This was his legacy. This is who he was. AND Every time he looked at his mother… every time he heard his name spoken… every time he would offend someone by his actions or his words… it drove home the image in his mind = he was bringer of pain. He was someone who hurt others… sometimes by just being around.
But why bother telling us the meaning of Jabez’ name?
I mean, every other time God’s Word stresses the meaning of a person’s name, there appears to be a reason. What reason could there possibly be to tell us why he had been given this particular name? I believe there is a reason here. The reason: knowing what his name meant was the key to understanding his prayer.
Reread vs. 10. Jabez asks for God to bless him, enlarge his territory, guide him with his hand and then he ends with this phrase: "Keep me from evil that I might not cause pain."
Jabez seems to have understood what many people never comprehend. Bringing pain into other people’s lives is a spiritual problem. In fact, when we offend others we can’t be pleasing to God, we can’t receive His blessings, we can’t take hold of his promises, we can’t have His hand guiding us in our lives.
Jesus goes so far as to say: "if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)
In the New Testament we get to look inside the church at Corinth, and in the first letter Paul writes to them we see a group of believers who seem to hurt each other every time they turn around. They are at each others throat on seemingly every issue. In I Cor. 11, they are told that when them to hurt each other and then partake of Communion they deeply angered God, so much so that some became sick and other died. Who caused them to be sick? God did. Who caused some of them to die? God did.
Jabez’s name was actually a blessing in disguise, because it helped him be sensitive to the fact that he did hurt people. We all do – sooner or later.
When Jesus established the Church, he gave one command AND it was repeated throughout the New Testament:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34)
"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
John wrote "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He that loves not, knows not God, for God is love." (I John 4:7-8)
And James summed it up: "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. (James 2:8)
Whenever God repeats Himself in Scripture, its because He wants to drive home a point. Why would He repeatedly drive home to His people the need to love others??? Because we don’t do it very well. Hurting other people comes all too naturally to us.
We hurt people when we’re angry. We hurt them because they deserve to be treated that way. Sometimes we do it out of selfishness or pride. And sometimes we offend others without even thinking about it. AND we often do it to people we really love most.
Kids hurt their parents. Friends hurt friends. Husbands hurt wives & wives their husbands.
ILLUSTRATION: A couple of kids were in their attic reading old letters their parents had written years ago. The boy said to the girl: "These aren’t the names they call each other now."
ILLUSTRATION: The German philosopher Schopenhauer realized this when he compared the human race to a bunch of porcupines huddling together on a cold winter’s night. He said, "The colder it gets outside, the more we huddle together for warmth; but the closer we get to one another, the more we hurt one another with our sharp quills. And in the lonely night of earth’s winter eventually we begin to drift apart and wander out on our own and freeze to death in our loneliness." (Wayne Brouwer, Holland, Michigan)
Now, that’s pretty pathetic… but apparently Schopenhauer had seen so much of this played out again and again by his friends and neighbors that this was how he perceived life.
SO ALSO, Jabez had seen enough of this hurting taking place around him, and because of him.
God wants us (Christians) to be sensitive to the pain we cause others because if we aren’t – then we can push others away from Christ and away from the God we say we love. Galatians 3:27 tells us that when you "were baptized into Christ" you "clothed yourselves with Christ." Thus, whenever we (as Christians) offend others… those we offend often only see "Christ" and they say to themselves "If that’s how Christ’s people behave, I want nothing to do with Him."
We would all do well if we had Jabez as part of our name… Jeff "Jabez" Strite… Jeff "Bringer of Pain" Strite. If we thought about it in that way then maybe we’d be more sensitive to the times when we offend those around us.
NOW here’s a test to see if you have the heart of Jabez in this: When I spoke of our tendency to hurt others did you think of how others have offended you… OR did you think of the last time YOU said something hurtful to someone else???
Jabez’ name was a blessing to him, because he often thought of his sins 1st. For a spiritual man like Jabez, I believe there may have been another reason for his prayer…
ILLUS: At camp this last week, on Thursday night, they showed a video of the crucifixion of Jesus and about 3 or 4 of the girls became so overwhelmed by the portrayal of Jesus being crucified – they began to weep… no they literally balled. One girl kept repeating over and over… "It’s not fair, it’s not fair…."
It was unsettling - it really was… In a way, though, I’m surprised it didn’t effect more of us that way. I’m surprised more of the staff and kids at camp weren’t almost inconsolable. Why? Because there on the screen was being replayed ALL THE PAIN THAT OUR SINS HAVE EVER CAUSED GOD.
In Genesis 6:6 we’re told that God saw the sin of man "and his heart was filled with pain."
When you think about it that way, Jabez’ prayer: "Keep me from evil that I might not cause pain" can take on a whole new meaning… "Keep me from evil God so that I won’t cause You pain."
One scholar looked at I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." This scholar that "confessing our sins" means that we "agree with God" about the wickedness of what we’ve done or thought or said.
I Believe that we can’t truly "Agree" with God about the wickedness of our sins until we truly realize how much our sins cause God pain.
As many of you know, Brad (our Youth Minister) and I have focused on praying for this congregation based on this four part prayer of Jabez.. Today I want us to pray that Christ might dwell amongst us so powerfully
that we become sensitive to times when we’re offensive to others, that we might be more sensitive to the pain our sins have caused God
PRAY
CLOSE: The importance of this prayer is that
if we become a people who are insensitive to the times when we offend others and if we ever become a church that becomes insensitive to the pain our sins cause God …then we risk losing out on being the Church Jesus died to create.
The story is told of the day a man went to visit a church. He arrived early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near him and the driver told him, "I always park there. You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That’s my seat! You took my place!"
After Sunday School, the visitor went into the auditorium and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, "That’s where I always sit. You took my place!"
The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing. Later, as the congregation stood, praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"
The visitor replied: "I took your place."
Other Sermons in this Series:
Receiving The Blessing 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
The Prayer That God Answers 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
God Helps Those... 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
Feel My Pain 1 Chronicles 4:9-4:10
