Blamed or Beloved?

John 9:1-2

As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples questioned Him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,  that he was born blind?”

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The disciples asked a very backwards question about the blind man, which revealed their theological confusion.

"Whose sin is to blame for this man being blind?"

If that reminds you of Job's foolish friends, then you are halfway to the point I'm about to make. It is very tempting for people, especially religious people, to jump to blame and sin when trying to understand just about anything. Plans fail, circumstances get hard, emotions get raw, relationships are strained, or some kind of suffering or disappointment arrives, and we are the first to say, "I told you so." I see my 5 year old do it all the time. And the rest of us have yet to grow out of it too.

Why do we do this?

Because we forget that we are image bearers before we are sinners.

Sin is not fundamental to man's design, though it has become part of our nature after the fall of Adam. It is vital that we see man's nature as both noble and fallen, not one without the other. Though we now sin and live under sin's curse, the image of God is very much alive in fallen man, however distorted. Likewise, we don't have to attribute every calamity to some sinful root cause, like the false accusations of Job's friends. When we accuse in this way, we look more like the devil than our dear Savior, though he has every right to accuse and every ability to do so accurately.

Yet, he didn't.

Observe the Pharisees and Jesus in their response to this man born blind.

The Pharisees are obsessed with keeping the Sabbath rules and using the fine print of religiosity to try and entrap the would-be king of the Jews. So, they accuse the one-blind man of lying. They can only see sin and will stop at nothing until there is a plausible target for blame. Even when they can observe the evidence of his healing, along with clear character witnesses and eye witnesses to the event, they choose to deny the truth.

They choose blindness.

Jesus, on the other hand, returns to be with the man when he learns that he's been kicked out of the synagogue. He goes to comfort and befriend the outcast, not accuse him. And he reveals his true identity to the man, who responds in faith and worships him - another clear statement of Christ's claim to be divine.

Jesus offers himself, the source of life and joy, rather than the blame we deserve. We are beloved rather than blamed.

Lord, search my heart and help me to never jump to blame but to have eyes to see how you are redeeming every hard and frustrating moment each day. Let me love those in my path today, with patience and intentionality. And remind me of the only One who can really do this, who alone can fill me and empower me to do likewise.

From Judge to Savior

Psalms 38:1, 4, 9, 15, 18, 21-22

Lord, do not punish me in Your anger
or discipline me in Your wrath...

Without a Savior, there is only judgment. My approach to my Maker can only be fear. I know what I am. I know what I've done. And I know that He sees and He must right every wrong. He will punish every wicked thought, every wicked desire. He must do so, for the sake of his name and the good of his children. Without a savior, without someone to make things right, he can only be to me a frowning Judge.

For my sins have flooded over my head;
they are a burden too heavy for me to bear...

The weight of guilt is inescapable. That feeling I get when I'm hiding something from a friend or family member. I've broken a prized possession of theirs, or forgotten to keep a promise I made. My tail goes between my legs. I know it's time to eat crow/humble pie/my words (pick your figure of speech). The burden of guilt can only be lifted through the painful pathway of exposure. The scalpel must come before healing.

Lord, my every desire is known to You;
my sighing is not hidden from You...

And why do I hide, when he already knows my deepest thoughts and desires? I don't trust that he knows best, that he can handle whatever I need to tell him. I must repent of the hiding before I can repent of what I am hiding.

I put my hope in You, Lord ;
You will answer, Lord my God...

The only alternative to hiding is to turn completely to face my Maker and start trusting that he can make good out of my foolishness. Hope implies that I believe he is good and trustworthy and he will respond in the best way possible, even if it might hurt my pride. I am Eustace the dragon, and it will take strong claws to tear away at the iron flesh I hide behind.

So I confess my guilt;
I am anxious because of my sin...

Simply speak and the scalpel can begin. There will be anxiety, no doubt. I have hurt others. I have hurt myself. I have hurt my Maker and grieved his holy heart. But with confession, the judge begins to become a savior. He can only give the mercy I need once the crime has been exposed. A lifeguard cannot rescue me while my arms are flailing around. I must rest in his arms completely.

Lord, do not abandon me;
my God, do not be far from me.
Hurry to help me,
Lord, my Savior.

And finally I am his. Seeking to be near the very one I was hiding from. I have turned 180 degrees. I even ask him to hurry, because by faith I am finally understanding the depth of good that he has planned even for a fool like me.

Hurry to help me Lord!
You are my only hope!

Condemned No More

John 3:17-18

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

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Condemned.

It's a word that is used a couple different ways in our world today.

For one, we call a building condemned when it falls into disrepair. Where once stood a grand Victorian manor home, now stands a hollow skeleton devoid of life. Time and elements conspire to wear away at the walls and ceiling, leaving their indelible marks. A chandelier covered in cobwebs, moldy wallpaper hanging down in strips, mantles covered in dust. Yellow light streams in through faded stain-glass. Underneath the cosmetic symptoms there are rafters and foundations beginning to crumble. Once condemned, a building becomes dangerous for anyone to enter. Squatters and graffiti artists take over at their own risk. Eventually, even these new purposes become impossible, and there arrives a day of collapse or demolition.

Likewise are the effects of our sin, at least in the passive sense. Each of us is born into a world that is decaying, a shadow of its former glory. Our bodies and souls quickly fall victim to the effects of man's curse - illness, tragedy, broken plans, and broken promises. As the elements wear against our souls, our own former glory becomes weak and tarnished. Without someone coming to renovate, we continue to degrade. In this condemned state of ruin is a glimmer and a memory of glory - the image of our Maker remains. But without intervention, we stand condemned and on the verge of collapse.

Another common use of the word condemned is for criminals. A criminal is any violator of the law of the land. Theft, drug deals, violent offenses, blue collar crime, white collar crime, tax evasion, treason - these acts tear at the fabric of social order and threaten the good of self and neighbor. A criminal stands condemned when arrested, tried, and sentenced, ideally in equal measure to the crime they have committed. He also stands condemned before his Maker.

This is the position of every man before God who has violated even one of his commands. This is sin in the active sense. We are not merely victims of a fallen world. We are also perpetrators in a grand treason against our benevolent creator and redeemer.

In John 3, we hear an extended description of how to enter the kingdom of God, and it is not what we would expect. Nicodemus is shocked to realize that neither his ethnicity nor his religious credentials offer any hope when God himself is standing in the room with you demanding that you be born again as a new person.

Then, John offers an oft-quoted promise of salvation for all who believe, followed by verses 17 and 18. Here we are told that Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save those who believe. It is tempting to see this as evidence that Jesus was excusing sin and sweeping it under the proverbial rug. But verse 18 states that outside of Christ we are condemned already. In other words, Jesus did not come to condemn us because he didn't have to - that job was already done. He could condemn us no further because humanity's hands were already stained with the blood of hatred and injustice and self-destruction.

Gladly, while he had every right to leave us in the darkness we chose for ourselves, instead he entered that darkness and took the curse and condemnation on himself. John the Baptist cried out, "Behold! The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" The penalty and power of sin is forever removed for all who trust in this sacrificial lamb, who takes it all upon himself. Our condemnation is removed in every sense - we are criminals no more and new life is given to a home fully restored.

I pray that we can walk in the freedom and joy that comes from being condemned no more. Our renewed life and hope of heaven is as sure as the finished work of the cross and empty tomb. There is now a banner draped over our heads that reads "No condemnation!" as Paul so beautifully declared:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Waiting for His Return

Luke 17:20-21

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

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Luke 17 includes an extending section answering the question of when and where the coming of the kingdom will take place. I'd like to walk through these verses and simply summarize what I think each verse is saying about Jesus' second coming. I am being intentionally simplistic, because I believe Jesus has revealed only a limited glimpse of what the end times will be like - but he's revealed enough that it should shape our life today:

1. Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, "Look, here it is!" or "There!" for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." (v 20-21)

- The kingdom has already come in some measure, quietly and unnoticed by most, even though it is right in our midst.

2. And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. (v 22)

- We will long for His return, but we may be waiting longer than expected. The delay may be painful, especially in the face of persecution.

3. And they will say to you, "Look, there!" or "Look, here!" Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (v 23-24)

- Though already here in some aspects, it is also yet to come in its fullness; there will be false predictions and "over-realizations" of His coming throughout history, but we must keep a level head and sober mind at all times.

4. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. (v 25)

- The king and His kingdom are inaugurated through suffering; the nature of His rule will begin humbly and continue to be characterized not by might, but by servant hearts who walk in the way of the cross.

5. Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (v 26-30)

- There will be a final judgment and mankind will be surprised when the black shadow of their sin is finally understood in contrast to the light of His holiness and glory.

6. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. (v 31-33)

- Our understanding of the nature and progress of this kingdom should produce a present lifestyle characterized by a willingness to forgo earthly rights and possessions - a readiness to leave this world for the better world to come, and never look back.

7. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." (v 34-35)

- Not everyone will be admitted to citizenship in this kingdom, and many will be surprised by who is who in the end. Though Jesus frequently reminded us of the ironic economy of "the first shall be last," each generation will largely fail to grasp this and fail to walk in the way of the cross.

8. And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." (v 37)

- There will be no singular location for the final revealing of the kingdom. Where the "corpse" is may simply describe the universal decay and corruption resulting from the fall of mankind into rebellion against God. The "vulture" may simply represent the coming judgment of God.

Matthew, Mark. and Luke each chronicle the closing days of Jesus' earthly ministry by highlighting these judgment sayings. Jesus clearly wanted to equip his disciples with hope of his coming and confidence in light of persecution and perceived delay. We too can take heart knowing that He will come, and that His kingdom already makes progress among us, even if quietly and unnoticed by most. Though many will be surprised by their fate, for those who walk in the way of the cross there is eager longing for "one of the days of the Son of Man" - when His presence and reign will make all things new! May this vision and hope be our own and sustain us until the day he comes again:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8 ESV)

God's Anger: An Expression of Love

Psalm 30:4, 5

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

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God is love.

The depths of this statement are beyond measure and libraries upon libraries of books could be written and still fall short of conveying the depths of the riches of God's love. We think about the kindness of God to send his beloved Son to die a shameful death in our place. We think about the sweet gentleness of Jesus who cared for little children and who promises to be a good shepherd to his wayward sheep. We think about passages like 1 John 4, where the very nature of love is shown to be rooted in God himself:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12 ESV)

So, if God is fundamentally love, and he shapes and models the life of love that he calls us to lead, how is it that he is also angry? The Bible gives numerous examples of God's anger and wrath. In the Old Testament, we see the hardening of Pharaoh's heart and the plagues against Egypt bringing a nation to its knees. We see the anger of God poured out on the Canaanite nations as Joshua leads the Hebrews into the promised land. We see God's judgment revealed against his own people as they are exiled from the promised land and subjugated to the rule of pagan kings in Babylon. Even in the New Testament, we see God strike down Ananias and Sapphira for their duplicity and greed (Acts 5), and we are reminded by Paul that God's wrath is still revealed against all manner of unrighteousness found in mankind (Romans 1:18ff). So how does this anger fit with God's love?

I believe that Psalm 30, and several other passages, provide the answer: God's nature is fundamentally defined by love, but this love can be expressed in anger. Imagine that your home has been invaded and a stranger has abducted your child. You engage the intruder as they are trying to escape with your child. Your heart is pounding, picturing what horrible fate this person has in store for the child you love. That intruder becomes the object of your anger, but only in corresponding measure to the love you hold for your child. The greater your love for the one, the greater your anger for the other. But the love is what is fundamental; the anger is derivative, contingent, a mere expression or byproduct of the love.

One clear example of this concept is found in Matthew 18:

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:2-6)

Drowning someone in the sea with a millstone around their neck does not sound very loving. But it is clear that this threat of angry judgment is completely fitting when the object of God's love is in danger. The innocent child is most loved when they are defended from injustice, even in a manner that conveys anger to the perpetrator of the injustice.

But what about God's eternal anger toward his creation promised in the threats of damnation in hell? How is hell an expression of love? This is perhaps one of the most difficult questions in all of Christian life and thinking. If I can imagine a God who does not condemn anyone to hell, am I not imagining a God more loving than the God of the Bible? One way to answer this is that our definition of love must not presume to be more right than God's definition of love, even if we can't wrap our head around it. That is one explanation, and there is truth to that. But, I also believe that God's love is reasonable and we must find a way to reasonably and wholeheartedly ascribe to God's definition of love, no matter how non-intuitive it may at first appear.

The only way hell can be an expression of love is by understanding God's love for his glory. The triune God has enjoyed the fellowship of eternal love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for all eternity past and all eternity to come (John 17:20ff). The glorious existence God shares as three persons in One is the fundamental source of value in all the universe. To pervert, distort, undermine, or rebel against this glory is to go against what is most loving and glorious in all the universe - and anger, even eternal judgment, is the corresponding expression of love toward all that would be opposed to his glory. Any sense of justice we experience is actually a shadow of God's love for his glory, since our righteous anger toward crimes against the innocent is really our recognition that God's image in man is being distorted. When we are compelled to defend the dignity and glory of other men, we are truly defending the image and glory of God in man.

A final answer to our trouble with hell is realizing how God has expressed his love in giving us his Son, who takes the penalty of sin away and cancels out any anger or condemnation for those who put their hope in Him. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the offer of a restored relationship with God - this answers the problem of hell like nothing else can. So, when the psalms remind us that God's anger is for a moment, but his favor is for a lifetime, it tells me that the anger is not what is fundamental to God's nature. Rather, his love and favor and patience are truly his heartbeat. He is slow in one, and abounding in the other. Our experience of love and justice agrees, and the cross of Christ testifies to it. And for that, I will give him all the glory.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalms 103:8)

Judging Books by Their Covers

Luke 13:30

And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

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We humans like to judge.

We judge people based on their skin color, their clothes, the kind of car they drive (or lack thereof), and any number of superficial factors that may or may not be someone's own choice.

Luke 13 contains several examples of misguided human judgment, and concludes with a glimpse into the far more accurate judgment of God.

1. We judge those who have experienced unexpected calamity. Verses 1-5 reveal that people assumed that those who suffered under the Roman government or some unfortunate death were somehow to blame by their own sin. This is not unlike some modern Christian groups who protest funerals, condemn those who suffer, or try to interpret natural disasters as specific judgments from God for various sinful lifestyles. Jesus immediately countered this false judgment with a reminder that ALL of us stand condemned apart from repentance and faith in God's saving power.

2. We judge those in the church who don't appear very fruitful. Verses 6-9 are about a fig tree, but really it's about not being hasty in our judgment of brothers and sisters who struggle in their faith or their lifestyle habits. Jesus reminds us that his judgment will come eventually, but in the meantime, let's give that person another chance to bear fruit.

3. We judge those with special needs. Verses 10-17 show that physical ailment was seen as a sign of God's disfavor. Jesus counters that this woman was really a victim of Satan's power to cripple - perhaps another way of saying that we are all cursed since Adam and equally susceptible to any number of painful circumstances. John 9 delves into this further, as Jesus countered the assumption that a man born blind must be suffering due to his sin, or his parents' sin. The truth was that the immediate cause of suffering or misfortune is less important than God's ultimate purpose of showing his glory in our weakness:

Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:3)

The chapter ends with a glimpse into God's perfect judgment, which is not based on superficial things, but on the heart. Jesus tells us that many will choose the wide path, thinking they are saved and right with God. Many who are first will be last. When all is finally revealed, many of us may be very surprised.

Notice also the glimpse into Jesus' compassion as he laments over Jerusalem (13:31-35). God's judgment over the city was based on their rebellious hearts, rather than any superficial reason. And his judgment was full of grieving compassion, not petty hatred. Compassion and righteous judgment hang together, much like mercy and justice in the heart of God.

So, judgment is tricky, and often abused. But, I should note that just because it is often misguided, that does not imply we should never judge anyone. If we are slow to judgment, praying to understand each man's heart, and full of compassion, we may grow to judge our neighbor more accurately - exposing and confronting evil for the good of our neighbors and to the glory of a holy and just God.

I pray that I can receive the judgment advice from God that Samuel received long ago:

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus the Prophet

Mark 13:32, 33

But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 

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I am the last person who wants to talk about the end times. Even though the Bible clearly addresses details about the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgment, I find myself cringing when I hear well-meaning preachers fixate on the seemingly arbitrary details of Daniel or Revelation, often resorting to conjecture and speculation to make some clever but irrelevant points. They end up sounding like fortune tellers or something worse. So, what place does this chapter have in the story of Jesus and subsequently in our story as followers of Jesus?

There are a couple basic concepts that I've learned about Jewish prophetic writing which may be helpful here. Anyone who has been to a Christmas church service has probably heard some passages of Old Testament scripture quoted - usually a prophetic writing that gives some incredibly coincidental detail about who the messiah would be (a descendant of David), where he'd be born (Bethlehem), and how'd he be born (of a virgin). What is often overlooked is that each of these prophecies also had a contemporary meaning for the original hearers as well. My understanding of prophecy revolves around this idea that prophetic writing is both Forthtelling and Foretelling.

Forthtelling.

This word points to the present or contemporary meaning of any prophetic saying. In Mark 13, the immediate context is Jesus' proclamation as king and as authority over the Jewish temple system. The disciples are asking about Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple. Jesus tells them it will happen within their generation - a very specific promise that must be taken seriously. Historically, we know that this prophecy came true in AD 70, when the Roman army completely destroyed Jerusalem and its center of worship. This is Forthtelling, and subsequent warnings about the persecution awaiting his followers fit this category as well.

Foretelling.

The hard part with interpreting prophetic writing is knowing where the Forthtelling ends and the Foretelling begins - or where one verse could actually be taken both ways. Mark 13 clearly has some relevance to the "eschaton" (the End) as well as its obvious meaning for the contemporary hearers. When Jesus describes the sun being darkened and stars falling from heaven, he may be referring to upcoming 1st century political events, but the gravity of the language seems to warrant an even bigger vision of the final day of judgment. The fact that Matthew's version of this passage uses the phrase "end of the age" seems to support this view as well (Matt 24). The verse quoted above, reminding us that no one knows the day or hour, is also a clear reference to those final events that will bring evil to an end and usher in the eternal reign of the messiah over a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Judgment.

Underlying both the Forthtelling and the Foretelling is the common theme of God's impending judgment on the corruption of mankind - whether immediate judgment or delayed final judgment. Jesus ends this chapter with a call for his disciples (and a call for readers today) to "stay awake." What does this mean?

This is where prophecy has application to daily life. When you consider the reality of God's hatred of injustice and his passionate desire for his image-bearers to reflect his infinite love and glory, you start to feel the urgency and gravity of everyday choices. Jesus wants us to think of ourselves as servants who are awaiting the return of their master - servants who are good stewards of the talents they've been entrusted with (notice Matthew's version again which is immediately followed by the parables of the talents and the sheep & goats, which emphasize faithfulness and justice).

Future judgment should inspire present justice. Let us avoid conjecture and distraction in the minutiae of apocalyptic details; instead we should remember the present AND future relevance of every prophetic passage. Let us read these final words with hearts that pray for faithfulness to the very end, in light of the promised return of our mighty king:

It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." (Mark 13:34-37)

Genocide is Justice?

Psalm 9:7-8

But the LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

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One of the most common objections to the Christian faith is that the God of the Bible is a homicidal maniac. He is called Jealous. He is narcissistic and deranged, bent on destruction of all who dare not bow down to Him. In this common misconception, we see how the world would consider Christian faith to be petty at best, if not completely foolish.

Indeed, one of the more troubling realities of God's story in Scripture is the Canaanite Genocide described in the book of Joshua, which is also prescribed by God in various passages of Exodus and Deuteronomy. God commanded the Israelites to conduct a kind of "ethnic cleansing," so they say. Men, women, children, and livestock were all "given over to destruction," as entire nations were brought to nothing so that God's people could inherit the promised land of Canaan. This is troubling no matter what you believe about God.

While I could explain away this genocide as some have tried to do, I cannot give an easy answer. The fast answer would be to say that we live in a fallen world which deserves to be utterly destroyed. It is only the grace of God that any of us is spared the destruction that the Canaanites received. But, at the end of that explanation, most people are still left feeling like God is a little harsh. Could mankind's sin really merit that kind of response? I thought God was merciful and kind, one might say.

Well, Psalm 9 gives us a window into the judgment of God that may be helpful in this debate. Verses 7 and 8 make the bold assertion that God is indeed just and that all of His judgments are righteous and upright. We have no problem with his justice when we see it benefiting the oppressed and afflicted (as described in verses 3-4, 9-10, 12, 13-14, and 18). But, we begin to cringe when we learn that God's justice also involves the destruction of the wicked oppressors (as described in verses 5-6, 12, 15-16, and 19-20). What we must realize is that God's redemption of the afflicted and His punishment of the wicked are two sides of the same coin. Truly, judgment means a separation of two camps of people (see the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matt. 25:31ff).

While I plan on saying more about the Canaanite genocide in future blogs, it is important to note at this point that the Psalmist is not stricken in his conscience about God's wrath in the ways that we are today. David does not see God's judgment and begin to doubt His goodness. Rather, He sees a God who is rescuing the afflicted, bringing just retribution on the heads of the wicked (9:15), and doing it all out of the vast wealth of His uprightness and integrity.

God's Daily Indignation

Psalm 7:11

God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.

...............

Whenever the Bible makes these kinds of blunt characterizations of God, we should stop and think about it for a while.

God is love.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
I am that I am.

These statements should give us pause to consider who God is in Himself. And this Psalm is inescapably about God's character as Judge.

Two points to note in this Psalm. One, this is a great example of David calling upon God for justice against his enemies, while also vindicating himself in light of his own integrity. This is a theme throughout the Davidic psalms. For instance:

The LORD judges the peoples;
judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me (7:8).

You begin to realize what a very bold statement David is making by the time you get to the end of the Psalm. Indeed, the second point in the psalm is that God's wrath is incredibly serious, unstoppable, and completely fair. We see in the verse at the top that God feels, that God not only feels love and joy, but also wrath, and that God feels this wrath everyday! This is very serious. "If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts" (7:12-13). So, we see that God feels indignation against sin, and that this wrath is serious and deadly. But, let's not forget that it is also fair. As David describes the targets of God's anger, he makes this statement:

His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends (7:16).

While it is not common in devotional life to dwell on the wrath of God, we must stop and consider this part of God's feelings. I'm not so sure that wrath is "essential" to God's nature, as He surely had none in eternity past, when He lived in perfect harmony within the love of the Trinity. But, because of the Fall, He has justly responded to man's sin by first cursing us and then eventually bringing all thoughts and deeds into judgment. There will be a final separation, and God will be entirely just in letting man's mischief return "upon his own head."

Mistaken Identity

Matthew 11:27

All things have been handed over to me by my Father,
and no one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

...............

This appears to be a rather cryptic statement in the middle of Jesus' public ministry. No person knows the Son unless the Son chooses to reveal himself to them? How can that be? There were plenty of people who could see Jesus in the flesh, who witnessed His miracles and acts of mercy, and even those closest to Him heard His teaching about Himself in very intimate encounters. Surely, somebody knew Him. This "knowing" must refer to some deeper kind of knowledge, right? The "knowing" of a Father-Son relationship, perhaps? Yes, I think that is part of what Jesus is saying -- this is the intimate knowing that is equivalent to being reconciled with God and being "chosen" by Jesus to have eternal life. I completely agree with the Calvinistic/Reformed usage of this verse in that regard.

But, I think this "knowing" is also referring to a more basic kind of knowledge -- identity.

I get that idea from the rest of the chapter, which can be seen as a kind of case study in mistaken identity. The fallen world of common man appears in this chapter to be completely at a loss when it comes to identifying spiritual realities. These people really were "dwelling in darkness" (Mt 4:16). Here are some examples of mistaken identity from Matthew 11.

(1) "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" (Verse 3). If anybody should know that Jesus was the Messiah, it was John the Baptist. Not to say that John was living in total darkness. He understood more than most about who Jesus was and what kind of ministry he came to carry out. However, when he was locked up in prison, John could not escape the nagging doubts that Jesus might not be who he thought he was. John needed some confirmation. So, he sent messengers to ask and he received in response a description straight from the Old Testament -- a description of a healer, a preacher, and a leader who could be none other than the Messiah himself (Isa. 61:1-12; see also Luke's account of Jesus describing himself with these very words, Lk. 4:18-19).

(2) "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds" (Verses 18-19). The second case of mistaken identity in this chapter concerns both John and Jesus. The crowds are likened to children who are not satisfied with mirth or tears, joy or solemnity. They are essentially always looking for an excuse to ignore the teachings of these men. So, they accuse John of having a demon, and they accuse Jesus of being a drunkard. Nothing is good enough for these people, no matter how many types of prophets God sends to them. They are stubborn-hearted and set in their ways. But wisdom will be justified by her deeds; that is, the rightness of their teaching will eventually be justified by the fruit it bears and the victory it attains.

(3) "Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent" (Verse 20). Finally, the fact that these cities refused to turn from their ways in the face of such astonishing miracles is further proof that they just didn't get it. They knew that Jesus was an amazing person, perhaps even a prophet. But the kind of knowledge that is necessary for repentance and faith was sorely lacking. It will be more bearable for Sodom on the last day, than for these unrepentant cities.

In case you are feeling a bit pessimistic about this fallen world and its perpetual darkness, remember there is a sign of hope after all this. In true prophetic fashion, Jesus concludes this segment of righteous indignation and warning with a message of genuine hope and invitation (verses 28-30). May we consider the sad reality of this dark world and be motivated to turn back to Christ, whose arms remain open to welcome us to a true knowledge of himself:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.