A Difficult and Uncomfortable Subject
Year C, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Titme • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsThe judgement of God is the most difficult and uncomfortable subjects in Scripture.
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An Uncomfortable Subject
An Uncomfortable Subject
The nature of God is perhaps the most difficult and uncomfortable topic in Scripture. We do not like to think of God as a deity who is bent on condemning the human population to a fiery eternity of punishment. Although I have a few politicians that I would make exceptions for. We all have seen too many caricatures of fire breathing preachers who denounce the congregation for their thirst for whiskey, their enjoyment of dancing and their general laxness in holy living. Sometimes I wonder if these preachers might even find satisfaction if they were to discover that one of two of their congregates who were more flagrant sinners did in fact receive his/her just due. Then the preacher could say with a righteous smug, “I warned you!”
These preachers do not in any way represent the God that I have come to know through the pages of Scripture. However, I do find in Scripture the consistent mention that one day God will judge all of humanity, past, present and future. Today’s passage is one of those instances. Thomas makes an innocent comment about the marvelous engineering of the Temple prompting Jesus to not only predicting its demise but the destruction of the entire city. A few theologians refuse to believe that Jesus actually made this prediction. They deny the possibility of foretelling future events. Regardless of whether it was a prediction or an editor’s insertion, the cause of the Temple’s and city’s destruction is attributed to an God.
In his now classic book entitled Knowing God J.I. Packer states that their are few things stressed more strongly in the Bible than God acting as judge. He cities 6 references in which God is referred as judge and 22 acts of judgments in the OT. He also includes 6 references were God judges someone for an act of disobedience. This is just a small sample of the many times God is referred as judge or exercises judgement. A topical Bible could easily increase that number.
The nature of God does not change with the NT. This surprises many people. They assume that the theme of judgement fades into the background of Jesus’ message of love. Jesus does talk a lot about love but, a shadow of judgement is cast upon the entire NT.
I chuckle under my breath when a person tells me that Jesus never judged anyone. His dinning habits and forgiving the woman caught in adultery are usually cited as examples. Both do display very loving and compassionate traits. But in several passages, the writers describe Jesus as a judge.
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
I Pt
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2tim
He also told the Romans that Jesus Christ will participate with God in judging the secrets of men.
16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
ro 2:1
Even though references to God’s character as judge and acts of judgement are plentiful, the subject remains difficult and uncomfortable. Comedy shows use the topic to mock the Christian faith. Our temptation is to gloss over the ugly parts of Scripture. Public opinion surveys indicate that secular people would rather have a Muslim move in next door than a strong conservative Christian.
Even though references to God’s character as judge and acts of judgement are plentiful, the subject remains difficult and uncomfortable. Our temptation is to gloss over the ugly parts of Scripture. We prefer to imagine God as all accepting, all forgiving, all loving God. Packer has a definition on the nature of God’s love that is more pleasing. He writes “[God’s love is] an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby he identifies himself with their welfare, He has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation.” That is the God we prefer to think about.
In our embarrassment we react by over emphasizing God as all accepting, all forgiving, all loving God. Packer has a definition on the nature of God’s love that is more pleasing. He writes “[God’s love is] an exercise of his goodness toward individual sinners whereby he identifies himself with their welfare, He has given his Son to be their Savior, and now brings them to know and enjoy him in a covenant relation.” That is the God we prefer to think about.
Why would God choose Israel to be his people, yet destroy the city by the hand of pagan soldiers? Human logic cannot explain this.
The two natures, Judge and Love, seem diametrically opposites. It just does not make sense. But here in our Scripture passage this morning we are confronted with a very difficult and disturbing prediction of future events for the city of Jerusalem. The sins of Jerusalem do not seem more severe than the sins of other cultures. What about those cultures that sacrificed virgins to the Sun God or feasted on the body of their defeated foes? The hypocrisy of Judah pales in comparison. Aren’t these pagan societies more deserving of God’s judgement than the people of Jerusalem?
Probably, but God choose the nation of Israel to be his chosen people and so held them to a higher standard. He sent his Son to invite them to return to the covenant but his own people did not receive him.
disturbing
The author of the gospel of John writes:
15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
Paul says that people who stubbornly remain unrepentant will suffer under the judgement of God.
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will give to each person according to what he has done.”
rom 2:5
The Good News
The Good News
Someone may rightfully ask how can this sync with what we know about God’s love and grace? Once again I turn to Packard. He writes that the gift of justification by faith shields believers from God’s condemnation and judgement. This is affirmed by Paul to the Romans:
17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
This is the verse that transformed Martin Luther’s thinking and began the Reformation. Since we have been saved by grace we had nothing to worry about. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross. However, it is too easy to assume that we are entitled to this gift. We forget that knowing what God has done for us in his Son, we should be compelled to live each and ever day with greater diligence.
Jesus also warns us that we have a responsibility that in the midst of crises, disease, famine and wars to stand firm in our faith. Only by standing firm will we gain life.
19 By standing firm you will gain life.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
Secondly, Packard warns believers not to assume that they are shielded from a stringent assessment on the day of judgement.
Secondly, Packard warns believers not to assume that they are shielded from a stringent assessment on the day of judgement.
The Apostle to the Gentiles promises believers that what we build in this life will be tested.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
rev
And if a person has built his life on values that are nothing more than wood hay and straw it will be burned up. The believer will survive and enter glory but he will have nothing to show for from his life.
i cor 3:12-13
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
I Cor 3:14-15
Rewards and loss represent an enriched or impoverished relationship with God, in how that is actually worked out is beyond our powers to even speculate.
So what of people who have never heard the gospel? Will they also be condemned because they have not believed? Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus? Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.
19 By standing firm you will gain life.
So what of people who have never heard the gospel? Will they also be condemned because they have not believed? Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus? Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.
So what of people who have never heard the gospel? Will they also be condemned because they have not believed? Where there innocent Jews in the city who did not know anything about Jesus? Maybe they were not locked into the rumor mill or were too busy working to pay attention.
Paul says everyone knows something about God and every person stands guilty before God since they fail to live up to their own standards.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
But I believe that each person will be judged by what they did with what they knew and what they had available. A person who lived in poverty will not be judged for their lack of philanthropic works in the same way someone who inherited a fortune from his rich aunt. Nor will a powerless widow be judged by the same standard as the ruler of a vast domain. I believe that the Jesus announce the guiding principle when he said whom much is given, much will be expected will be the guiding principle.
48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
lk
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
rev20:11-15
rev 3:11-15
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!