READ MATTHEW 23
According to the Bible, God is a God of both love and justice. That’s important for us to understand because many in our day emphasize only one dimension of God’s character—His love. For example, Rob Bell, a popular pastor, recently wrote a best-selling book, Love Wins, which implies no one will be condemned to hell because God’s love will conquer all in the end.
Romans 11:22 reads, “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God. Sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
C.S. Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe portrayed the character of God through a powerful Lion named Aslan. One of the characters asks about Aslan, “Is he safe?” The answer is, “No he’s not safe but he is good.”
The best schoolteachers have a balance of kindness & sternness. They are not safe, but they are good and loving…and respected. They can be very judgmental when grading papers and administering discipline.
It’s not difficult for me to relate to the kindness and sternness of God because my parents exhibited that balance. They could be full of mercy but their patience could wear out and they would become very judgmental if I disobeyed. I loved them and yet respected them.
In this space we’ve been reviewing the life of Jesus as revealed in the Gospel of Matthew. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, it is not surprising that He is a man of incredible compassion and yet He’s capable of stern condemnation. Matthew reveals numerous examples of the extravagant love and generosity of Jesus. But the entire 23rd chapter is devoted to a stern censure of the religious leaders who had spurned His overtures of love for three years.
Jesus called the Pharisees, “hypocrites,” “blind guides,” “whitewashed tombs,” “snakes,” “brood of vipers,” and “sons of hell.” He assured them they would not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Wow! That sounds awfully judgmental doesn’t it? But the majority of the Pharisees were so self-absorbed they not only rejected Jesus, they were undermining His ministry and preventing others from being saved.
Occasionally I hear people say, “My Jesus would never judge anyone. My Jesus was all about love, tolerance and forgiveness.” Frankly it doesn’t matter what your imaginary Jesus would do. What matters is what the real Jesus will do. I could insist, “My president would never raise taxes.” However, if I don’t pay a tax-due notice it doesn’t matter what my imaginary president would do. His IRS agent would still come calling.
Here’s a crucial question each of us needs to answer, “How do I know what the only true God is like? Do I discover Him by human reason or by divine revelation? Is my concept of God shaped by the character of Jesus or by the philosophy of this age?”
The Bible says, “Man in his wisdom does not know God.” If we use human logic or emotion to conclude what God is like then God is merely a figment of our imagination. Christianity is based on the premise that God has perfectly revealed His character through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If you’ve seen me you’ve seen the Father.”
Since Jesus ascended into heaven and is no longer physically present on earth, we come to know Jesus primarily through His word—the Bible. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
The Jesus revealed in the gospels was full of compassion for sinners, but He was capable of judging those who refused to repent. “Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
** If you are enjoying this study through the book of Matthew with Bob Russell, be sure to check out Bob’s “Falling In Love With Jesus Again” Bible Study DVD and resources for your small group or church.
