"Don't Shoot the Messenger?"

Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
   but a faithful envoy brings healing.
A wicked messenger. We know there are wicked people, see them on the news every night. Murderers, bank robbers, thieves, adulterers, and many other kinds of wickedness exists in our society. However, we do not often associate wickedness with messengers. How can you mess that up? Obviously when this was written there was no postal service or pony express to deliver letters to people. There was no radio communication between military officers to co-ordinate attacks. There were no newspapers to keep people abreast of what was going on in the world. So if a message was to be sent it would be sent by a person verbally in most cases but on occasion it would be written as well. Give so and so this message for me, they put a stamp on his forehead and off he goes. How hard is that? How can that messenger turn into a wicked messenger?
* They can refuse to go.
* They can look like they are going, but stop once they are out of sight of the one who sent them.
* They can go but not give the message.
* They can give it to the wrong person.
* They can give the wrong message.
* They can change the message slightly. They change it so it makes better sense to them.
* They can tell only part of the message. They leave out the parts they think may offend the hearer.
* They can add their own personal opinions and ideas to the message.
* They can take the information and use it for personal gain or advantage.
Obviously this would be disastrous. You think you are getting a message that is true and unaltered and you act upon that information. But your decision was a bad one because it was based on faulty information given to you by this wicked messenger. When you find out what the messenger said was wrong or altered in any way guess what’s going to happen to the messenger. He will find himself in a heap of trouble. That’s why whenever your hear “don’t shoot the messenger” you can be quite certain it is the messenger doing the talking. Maybe that should be changed “don’t shoot the messenger if he’s gets the message right.”
It is one thing to lie or mislead people about earthly things and that is a serious matter. But what about those of us who have been given a message concerning eternal matters. Heaven and Hell. The gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said Go and tell this message. Are we doing it? Have we altered it in any way? Are we trying to make it more palatable to the hearers by watering it down so as not to offend anyone. If they believe what we tell them, is it a gospel that will save them. Is there a cross, repentance, substitution, holiness, is the message “Christ died for our sins…”? Is Christ at the center of our message? Sadly today there are many who are preaching a message that is popular but not one that saves. How great is that wickedness?

a faithful envoy brings healing. Faithful to the message. Say this and we say it. It may not be popular, but if you will believe the gospel of Jesus Christ you will be saved. The number one character trait of a messenger is to be faithful to the message. He does not have to be clever, funny, or good looking he just has to tell it like it is.
As we think about this obviously the gospel is a very important illustration of this principle in Proverbs. But it applies in all areas of our lives. What kind of messenger am I in everyday life. When people see me coming what are they expecting to hear? What kind of information am I known to give most often? Do the messages of life I give to others bring healing, are they uplifting and encouraging but most importantly are they true? There may be hard things that need to be said but they are given not to hurt but to heal. Faithfulness does not mean our message never hurts but it is given to bring healing. Faithfulness means our message is given in love for the good of the hearer. When people see us coming may they run to us not away from us. They will do this if they know we are faithful messengers. They will do this if they know we love them. They will run away if they know our words cannot be trusted or are just words that wound but never heal, words that are not based on truth but opinion, bringing a message meant to tear others down not build them up. We all know people that when you see them coming you know all you’re going to hear is bad news and probably wrong news about other people. May we purpose in our hearts not to be such a person. May we be found faithful messengers that bring truth and healing to our families and our churches. Where ever we go our may our words be true, loving, kind and faithful to what God would have us say. May we boldly, truthfully and lovingly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight O God.”