Verse for the week of November 15th:
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds.
(Hebrews 10:24)
As the father of two children, I understand the notion of ‘provoke.’ It is amazing how sibling know how to push each other’s buttons and get under the skin of the other. Sometimes all it takes is a look to provoke the other.
I also know from personal experience, my sister and I used to get after each other and seek to provoke one another—attempting to get the other in trouble. After all, most of the time when I think about the word provoke it tends to be in a negative way. I think of it as attempting to bother someone enough that they respond back. And for me, it is almost always a negative thing. It is a way to irritate someone to the point that they respond.
However, in the verse for this week the Scriptures use the word ‘provoke’ in a different way. The author of the letter to the Hebrews is encouraging the hearers to work at helping others to love one another and perform good deeds. The author wants people to do whatever they can to get others to do acts that they may not necessarily do on their own.
It challenges us to live out our faith in such a way that it ‘provokes’ others to actions of love and service. There is a fine line when we seek to live this out.
When we seek to ‘provoke’ others, if we do it in such a way that angers or annoys others; our intention to encourage others may backfire and not inspire them to acts of love and service.
Sometimes, we may think that the easy answer is to attempt to guilt people into these acts of love and service. We work at making others feel bad about their current actions to guilt them into changing their behavior.
However, I am not sure that the overall message of the Scriptures is that we are to guilt others to different behaviors. Our motivation to service and love should not be guilt but rather compassion and the realization that we should do these things because of what Jesus has first done for us.
Thus, the question for us from this verse then becomes: How do we get others to acts of love and service? How do we ‘provoke’ others in a positive way to engage in acts of service?
Following this verse, scripture goes on to say “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” We as a Christian community should always be encouraging one another, even to the point of “provoke” if necessary, for the sake a following Christ. Meeting together at worship is a way of encouragement and should be “habit-forming” to help us in our daily life.
Word choices are always interesting to me. For example, in Sunday School one morning, we discussed “pride” in one’s position in life, whether poor or rich (James 1). Some gave pride a negative connotation, comparing it to arrogance. However, pride can also mean delight or pleasure, which reminds me of the baptism of Jesus when a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3).
The word “provoke” is also an interesting word worthy of discussion. As Pastor Steve described, it can have a negative meaning, which doesn’t seem to go along with the positive message of encouragement, love, and good deeds. For me, the word “provoke” is perfect in this context because it is a call to action on two levels. First, the author encourages us to ask others to do good deeds. If someone turns down an invitation at first, we shouldn’t make that person feel guilty. Instead, we should continue to provide opportunities for that person to get involved. The author also encourages us to take a look at our own actions. If we talk the talk by asking others to do good deeds, we need to walk the walk and do good deeds ourselves. Leading by example and providing opportunities to engage in acts of service are positive ways to “provoke” others.