In the Hands of an Angry God

Luke 13:1-9

The New Revised Standard Version Repent or Perish

1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ 8 He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

“We are sinners in the hands of an angry God. The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.”

Again, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God.

These are the words of one of the most famous theologians of all time, Rev. Jonathan Edwards.

Edwards was a Calvinist preacher during the Early Enlightenment period and was used by God to bring thousands of people into the fold.

The style of preaching that exists in charismatic church settings such as the Baptist, Pentecostal, and Reformed Church were all influenced by Jonathan Edwards.

While in seminary I like many other seminarians, learned about this man and I was tasked with reading his most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

And reading this 51 minute sermon, I can see why he was considered one of the greatest preachers this world had ever known. I mean, he probably was more charismatic than Billy Graham and that’s saying a lot.

In this sermon Edwards gives the listener and reader a vivid portrayal of God as an angry judge.

Edwards paints a picture of God’s wrath, warning of the precariousness of our existence, and igniting fears of divine punishment. These words stirred the hearts and minds of many to a life of repentance.

While his words stirred many hearts to repentance, they also left an indelible mark of fear and anxiety.

Think about how I began this sermon. Let me read to you all that quote again,

“We are sinners in the hands of an angry God. The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.”

Really, is that really how we experience God?

PAUSE FOR SILENCE

Better yet, has your experience with God be that of an angry God?

PAUSE FOR SILENCE

I can remember sitting in the parlor of Galloway while reading this sermon and thinking to myself, I don’t know if I agree with Edwards on his view of God.

I just hadn’t experienced God in this way.

In fact, I have experienced God as a loving and forgiving God who is abounding in love and slow to anger.

I do not believe nor have I experienced a vengeful God.

I do not believe that God is just waiting for the hamster wheel to stop and then puff he destroys the world.

I do agree with him in that yes, we are all broken. We are prone to wander. We are prone to make horrible decisions but I don’t believe that God is wanting to strike us down because he is angry.

I believe that there is a such thing as eternal separation from God but I don’t know that I serve a God that’s angry or one that wants me to serve him out of fear of eternal damnation.

Again, I invite you to think about your relationship with God. Reflect upon the ways in which you have experienced God.

In our text on today, we see a similar theology to that of Edwards from the people listening to Jesus preach on a plain.

Jesus’ sermon is interrupted as someone tells him that Pilate has killed several Galileans who are making sacrifice at the Temple.

When faced with tragedy, the crowd seeks to understand if these events were a result of specific sins, echoing the fears that Edwards articulated.

Did these people sin or did their parents sin?

We see this question echoed all throughout the Gospel of Luke and the fact that this question presents itself several times in this gospel, points us to the prevailing theological thought at time.

Last summer we talked about Job and how one of the first questions his friends asked him after all the bad stuff occurred in his life was what he had done to anger God.

The people in this text on today are asking a similar question.

What did these Galileans do to anger God.

Here it is we see a theology of fear. We see a group of people who view God as an angry God or a God who is easily angered. The result of that anger was thought to be the wrath of God which manifested itself in the death of some Galileans seeking to make penitence at the temple.

“These people had to have angered God otherwise how else would you explain them being slaughtered and not only slaughtered but slaughtered while attempting to make sacrifice at the temple.”

“They were sinners and they obviously deserve what happened to them.”

Here’s the thing, that theological frame of mind still exists today.

When something tragic happens to someone we tend to disagree with. When something unfortunate happens to a political figure our ideals differ from, we tend to think that they are reaping what sowed.

We think that God is passing judgement on them.

There is something gratifying about watching misfortune happen to those we don’t agree with.

There is something that makes us feel validated when something unfortunate happens to someone that we deem as unrighteous.

This whole thought of karma is pervasive in the world we live in.

Think about it for a moment. What is the first thing that we say or think when we are attempting to take moral high ground when someone angers or disappoint us.

We say, “Oh that’s ok, God will take care of them.”

Is that not us describing a vengeful and angry God.

Then the opposite of that is when something good happens to someone that we like or agree with, we assume that they’re right with God and so we go all in.

Jesus challenges this notion. He challenges those that he is preaching to from the plain.

Rather than focusing on punishment, He calls for introspection, urging them to repent and bear fruit.

And so in this moment, we see Jesus contrasting two views on God. One is a view of fear and the other grace.

Jesus goes on to tell a parable about a fig tree.

He says that a man had a fig tree in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard,

“For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!

Why should it use up the soil?

The man then replied and said, “Sir, leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”

Don’t you all just love parables?

Jesus in this story is pushing back on us serving God out of fear. When you serve God out of fear, you’re not freed to fully live into what he has called you to be.

He has called you to follow him with our full hearts.

Now, we should have a healthy fear of God and what I mean by that is this.

Growing up and even now, I feared my parents. It wasn’t a fear that was associated with them harming or punishing me.

It was a fear of disappointing them and not living into who they raised me to be.

I believe that this is the type of fear we should have for God. It’s not a fear of God himself, but a fear of not being fully who God called me to be to the point where I don’t live a fruitful life.

A repentant life leads to a fruitful one.

I want you to notice something here in this parable.

Notice how even when the fig tree bore no fruit for three years, the gardener refused to give up on it.

The gardener said, give me one more year. I will tend this tree and give it the extra attention that it needs to grow. It hadn’t bore any fruit in three years but with the right care, with fertilizer, with love, this tree will eventually bear fruit. I will not give up on it.

Y’all this would have stood out to the people in which Jesus is preaching to in that moment because it was uncommon for this much attention to be given to a fig tree. It would’ve been very uncommon to do things like fertilize the tree.

Growing up, we had a fig tree, persimmon tree, pear tree, plum trees, and pecan trees in our yard. We never had to give those trees much attention. They simply bore fruit ever year.

So, the fact that this gardener is willing to do all of this to save this one fig tree shows us the gardener’s commitment to that tree.

That gardener is being gracious to that tree.

Friends, my sisters and brothers, this tree is us and that gardener is God. Before we ever bore fruit in our lives, God was there through his prevenient grace, tending to us and loving us. Going above and beyond so that we may bear fruit.

Does this sound like an angry God to you? An angry God doesn’t come down into the muck with you and experience life as you do. An angry God doesn’t say father forgive them for they know not what they do. An angry God doesn’t give up his Son so that we can have eternal life.

No my friends, that is a freeing, loving, gracious, and forgiving God. That is the God I know.

And this liberating God extends to us grace upon grace upon grace so that we may live fruitful lives.

Before we even knew or tried to understand God he covered us and each and every day can be a new opportunity to live a free and fruitful life.

We are sinners in the hands of a loving God.