“Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed…He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue” (Proverbs 27:5, 28:23).
In a Top 100 list of things people enjoy, public rebuke would not make the cut. It would probably end up being ranked somewhere around a root canal and a lengthy bout with pneumonia.
But, like many of the medicines which are unpleasant to the tastebuds, rebuke can be quite healthy for you spiritually. Jesus rebuked Peter in front of the other apostles (in Mat. 16:23). The apostle Paul rebuked Peter to his face in front of the brethren in Antioch (Gal. 2:11-14). In both cases, Peter was out of line with God’s will and was willing to repent.
Because of Peter’s genuine desire for righteousness, open rebuke did not quench his spirit; rather, it redirected him to the paths of righteousness, and he returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of his soul. Peter did not resent Christ or Paul for their open rebukes.
How highly do you esteem rebuke when you have sinned?
