You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.
Ezekiel 34:4
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
Ezekiel 36:26-27
God directed severe words of warning to the shepherds of Israel. God said they had:
Abuse in any form is a great injustice. Enabling those who cause harm and failing to tend to the wounded is continuing the abuse.
You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
Matthew 23:26
The Church should be a safe place: Clean of heart on the inside, and reflecting God’s heart for the wounded.
God Himself will care for the wounded: So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. (Ezekiel 34:22a) I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 34:15)
“Any church leader who feeds themselves rather than feeding the sheep is a counterfeit shepherd. Anyone in a position of power within the body of Christ who abuses a lamb or hides the abuse done to one the Good Shepherd knows and calls by name profanes the name of God. God stands against them just as he did the shepherds in Ezekiel 34. Should not his church stand with him against such shepherds?” Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg, p.138
Clean the inside. Make the Church a safe place. Tend to the wounded.
If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, or your own local DV shelter.
Other resources that may be helpful:
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