It is both sad and
tragic when people die such catastrophic deaths. Americans were reminded of this near the end
of 2012. Hurricane Sandy struck the northeastern
part of the United States in late October.
The storm caused 72 direct deaths in eight states. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit since
Katrina in 2005. Almost two weeks prior
to Christmas Day, twenty six people were massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School
in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty of those
who died were children; all were under the age of ten. Who was not shocked and heartbroken by these
two tragedies? It seems all of us were
affected in some way or another.
In the Gospel of St.
Luke (13:1-5), we hear a discussion about two tragedies: a group of Galileans
were massacred by Pilate in the temple and eighteen people were killed when the
tower in Siloam fell on them. The Lord
asks, “Do you think these people suffered in this way because they were greater
sinners than other people?” That is to
say, “Were they suffering judgment from God?”
As Darrell Bock rightly notes, “Is God giving back to people what they
deserved?” The Lord provides an answer:
“No, I tell you. But unless you repent,
you will all perish just as they did.” At
first, the Lord’s answer may sound a little harsh or stern. But there is mercy in his warning. Let me try to explain.
According to the Bible, death
is the result of sin. The classic example
of this is the fall of man recorded in Genesis 2-3. God commanded Adam, “You may freely eat of
every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you
shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall die.” Adam broke God’s commandment and suffered
judgment. In Genesis 3:19 God tells
Adam, “You are dust and to dust you will return.”
The result of Adam’s sin
extends to all. Western Christians, who
follow the Church Calendar, are reminded of this on Ash Wednesday. They receive the ashes and remember they are
dust and to dust they will return. Life
is transient. Tragic events are proof of
that. All of us shall return to the
ground from which we were taken. It’s
just a matter of time.
But, ultimately, what is
death? Is it merely the end of physical life? If God is the source of all life, then to be separated
from him is death indeed. And so Paul
writes to the Church in Ephesus (2:1-2), “You were dead through the trespasses
and sins in which you once lived.” He
goes on to say (v.12), “Remember that you were at that time without Christ.” To be without God is to be alienated from
God. The division is the result of our
sin. To exist in that state is to be
dead even while you are physically alive.
For example, Scripture says, “The widow who is self-indulgent is dead
even while she lives.”
Sin separates us from
God. Sin leads to death. But God desires union with man. The Incarnation is proof of that and Easter is
the certainty of it! Therefore, God
calls us to repent. We are called to
turn away from that which causes the separation and return to him, to be
restored to him! The wonderful news is
that we don’t have to perish. We can
repent and live. This gracious opportunity
stems from God who is not willing that any should perish.
“Cast away
from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves
a new heart and a new spirit! Why will
you die, O house of Israel? For I have
no pleasure in the death of anyone,” says the Lord GOD. “Turn, then, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:31-32)
Justin Martyr once said,
“For those who think that the Deity is inflexible, are by no means moved to
abandon their sins, since they suppose that they will derive no benefit from
repentance.” God is not inflexible. God is merciful. Scripture says, “God relents from punishing!” This means there is great benefit to receive
from our repentance. Frederic Harton
expressed it so well, “Repentance is the one essential condition upon which God
opens to us the treasures of His grace.”
The prophet Jonah understood that.
That’s why he refused to go to Nineveh!
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| Western, artistic representation of Nineveh |
Nineveh was a wicked
city; notorious for its cruelty. It was
the capital city of Assyria; the hostile enemy of Israel. When God commissioned his prophet to go there
and cry out against it, Jonah refused and ran away. But God intervened by a great storm and a large
fish and redirected his run-away-prophet.
Jonah complied. He went to the city and cried out against it,
“40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown!”
God warned the city that his judgment was imminent! In forty days he was going to destroy the
wicked city! At least, that was God’s intention. So what happened? Did God destroy Nineveh? No. The
people turned from their sins. And
notice what Scripture says, “When God saw what they did, how they turned
from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said
he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.” God intended judgment but he relented. He changed his mind because Nineveh repented.
If there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, there must have
been a party in heaven when the entire city of Nineveh repented! But Jonah was not happy. He became angry. He prayed to the Lord:
“O LORD!
Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the
beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” (Jonah 4:2)
Jonah feared that Nineveh could be saved
because he knew God was merciful and ready to relent from punishing! That’s why he fled to Tarshish. By warning Nineveh, God was graciously
providing that wicked city – the bitter enemy of Israel – an opportunity to
repent and live! And Jonah wanted
nothing to do with that. So when God
spared the city, Jonah became angry. But
God responded to him, saying, “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh?” What a clear demonstration of the mercy of God. He is not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
Therefore, he warns us, “Unless you repent, you will perish.”
It is the goodness of
God that leads us to repentance. He
cares about us! He wants us to live! So he graciously provides opportunity for
repentance. And he waits patiently,
giving us time to respond (cf. 2 Peter 3:15; Rev 2:21; Mt 23:37-38). The parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9 illustrates
the point.
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| A fig tree |
"A man had a fig tree planted
in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 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?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone
for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears
fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
The Season of Lent should
be to us a reminder of God’s goodness.
We are given time to turn from our sin and experience the life God
intends for each one of us. As we
observe a holy Lent, by self examination and repentance, may God open up to us
the treasures of his matchless grace.
Lent 2013
