Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 76

Sacrificial Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Beloved Lord Jesus,

We praise you for your life of service, your death on the cross, and your resurrection to give us the hope of salvation.

Forgive us when we fail to model your sacrificial life and neglect to share your love with those around us.

Thank you for the many blessings of this life, include life, health, family, and work.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us strength for sacrificial living, grace for those we meet, and the peace that passes all understanding.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Sacrificial Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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Lost Sheep

Go home to your friends 

and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, 

and how he has had mercy on you. 

(Mk 5:19)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The idea that grace comes with obligations bothers many Christians, who question any doctrine that they feel is inconsistent with a “loving God.” Doctrines like original sin, election, and judgment do not comport well with their image of God. For them, grace means universal salvation, which implies that any obligation imposed by grace is simply unacceptable.

By contrast, Dietrich Bonhoeffer railed about the problem of “cheap grace,” which he defined as:

“The preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living, and incarnate.” (Bonhoeffer 1995, 44-45).

Bonhoeffer is clearly in the minority today because practically every worship service where confessional prayers are offered is immediately followed with a pastoral declaration of universal forgiveness. Worse, influential authors, such as Jack Rogers, have gone so far as to formally advocate for the Bible to be interpreted relative to the double-love command (Matt 24:36-40), disparaging any verse inconsistent with their interpretation of love (Rogers 2009, 65). 

Healing of the Man with an Unclean Spirit

Divergent views on God’s grace lie at the heart of cultural conflict within the church today. Interpreting Jesus’ miracles and parables can offer insight into this conflict.

Consider the healing of the man with an unclean spirit, which appears in the three synoptic Gospels and in each case follows the account of the storm on the Galilee. Mark’s version is the longest and offers details of obvious interest to a modern reader.

Only in Mark do we learn that the crossing of the Galilee involved multiple boats and took place in the evening—a reason perhaps why Jesus was sleeping on the boat—(Mark 4:35-36) and that this man cuts himself with stones (Mark 5:5), which implies that he was a cutter and likely a teenager. 

Our hearts go out to teenagers who cut themselves, an affliction in which emotional pain is so great that physical pain is easier to bear. This man was likely abused or went through some other trauma, like being a child soldier or an orphan. Mark’s account leaves us with a much different impression than Luke or Matthew’s, where the man is described as demon possessed—and it suggests why Jesus may have gone out of his way to heal this man.

Grace in the Mark and Luke accounts includes the stipulation cited above (Mark 5:19). The man is healed and is immediately commissioned by Jesus to evangelize the people of the Decapolis region. The Decapolis was named for ten independent, Roman cities (Mark 5:20). This is a remarkable request because the only knowledge that this man had of Jesus was his own healing and the entire region was predominantly gentile, not Jewish. The herding of pigs, which play an important role in this man’s healing, was largely unknown among Jews because of dietary restrictions.

Parable of the Lost Sheep

While grace in the healing of the man with the unclean spirit was followed by a request that the man evangelize his home town, the Parable of the Lost Sheep provides an important counter example. Consider the parable again:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:4-7)

One read of this parable is that sheep cannot be expected to respond to their recovery by the shepherd. It seems to be forgiveness without repentance.

A subtler reading of this passage arises when one takes Jesus’ teaching when he refers to his followers as his flock. Jesus says in his sermon: “When he [the Good Shepherd] has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice … I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:4, 14) The inference here is that grace is followed by faith among those elected for salvation.

Healing of the Ten Lepers

We see this response in the healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19). Jesus said: 

“Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:14-16)

What is interesting here is that the healing required a stipulation: “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” There is also a response: The Samaritan returned to thank Jesus, which is described as an act of faith. All ten were healed, but only one displayed faith.

While I do not believe that the controversies over cheap grace will end with this brief discussion, it is clear that the nature of grace described in the healings and the parables warrants careful study.

References

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1995. The Cost of Discipleship (Orig Pub 1937). Translated by R. H. Fuller and Irmgard Booth. New York: Simon & Schuster—A Touchstone Book.

Rogers, Jack. 2009. Jesus, The Bible, and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church. Louisville:  Westminster John Knox Press.

Lost Sheep
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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Longfield Chronicles the Fundamentalist/Liberal Divide, Part 1

 

Bradley J. Longfield. 1991. The Presbyterian Controversy:  Fundamentalists, Modernists, and Moderates. New York:  Oxford University Press. (Go to Part 2;  Part 3)

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Have you ever experienced a déjà vu moment?

Reading good historical accounts can give one a sense of being a fly on the wall or even participating actively in the moment. The sense of lost opportunity or lost glory pervades the work.  For Bradley Longfield’s The Presbyterian Controversy, the past ominously informs the present like it only happened yesterday .

Presbyterians in Conflict

Longfield (3) writes:

“The mainstream churches in America today face a serious crisis…Through the reasons for this hemorrhage in membership are many and complex, one contributor to the decline noted by analysts is the nebulous doctrinal identity of the churches…Without clear theological boundaries distinct from the ideals of the surrounding culture, the churches have been increasingly subject to cultural currents…The roots of this nebulous identity lie, at least in part,  in the fundamentalist-modernist controversy of the 1920s. The churches in the 1920s, in response to the growth of liberal theology and the resultant reaction of fundamentalism, chose to allow for diverse doctrinal views in order to preserve institutional unity.”

So what was the fundamentalist-modernist controversy of the 1920s? Who was involved and why do we care?

Fundamentalist-Modernist Controversy

Longfield (4) chronicles:

“From 1922 until 1936 the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA) was wracked by conflict.  Sparked by a sermon of Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick [3], a liberal Baptist preaching in a Presbyterian pulpit, the Presbyterian controversy raged for fourteen years over such issues as ordination requirements, the mission of Princeton Seminary, and the orthodoxy of the Board of Foreign Missions.”

The controversy raged among leaders of the PCUSA denomination, including: J. Gresham Machen, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Sloane Coffin, Clarence E. Macartney, Charles R. Erdman, and Robert E. Speer. Longfield tells this tale by examining the biographies and thinking of these six men (5).

Why do we care?

The PCUSA crisis today is rooted in decisions made in 1925. Still, the same struggles persist as if the controversy occurred only last week.  The question is: what fruits arose from the decisions made in this prior controversy?

When Bradley J. Longfield wrote The Presbyterian Controversy, he was a visiting professor of American Christianity at the Duke University Divinity School, where he received his doctoral degree.  He is currently Vice President and Dean of the Seminary and Professor of Church History at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary .  This book is written in 9 chapters, preceded by an introduction and followed by an epilogue, including:

The Conflict Erupts: Harry Emerson Fosdick and the Presbyterian Church,
Gresham Machen: Princeton Theology and Southern Culture,
Williams Jennings Bryan and the 1923 General Assembly,
Henry Sloane Coffin and the Auburn Affirmation,
Clarence E. Macartney and the 1924 General Assembly,
Charles R. Erdman and the 1925 General Assembly,
The Reorganization of Princeton and the Birth of Westminster,
Robert E. Speer and the Board of Foreign Missions, and
The Close of the Controversy: The Entanglement of Religion and Culture (ix).

The epilogue is followed by notes, a bibliography, and an index. The book cover depicts a group picture of the 1927 General Assembly of the PCUSA.

Assessment

Longfield is an interesting read and a thorough biographer.  For each personality chronicled in his history, he discusses their personal background, education, the background of parents, idiosyncrasies, and influences. In part 2 of this review, I will look at the particular controversies—ordination requirements, the mission of Princeton Seminary, and the orthodoxy of the Board of Foreign Missions—and in part 3 of this review, I will review the lessons learned.

Footnotes

 Yogi Berra’s famously said: “It’s like deja-vu, all over again”. In French, déjà vu literally means—already seen—so his malapropos was hilariously redundant (http://bit.ly/1HK0wbJ).

 Savage( 1996, 84-85) writes:  “In the rehearsal story, the individual tells a story out of the past.  Through hearing it, the listener can become aware that the event retold contains the same themes as the current problems facing the person.” Savage, John. 1996. Listening and Caring Skills:  A Guide for Groups and Leaders.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press.

[3]  “Shall the Fundamentalists Win”(9).

 Jesus warned:   “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”  (Matt. 7:15-20 ESV)

 http://udts.dbq.edu/aboutudts/faculty...

Longfield Chronicles the Fundamentalist/Liberal Divide, Part 1
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com






Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/thanks_22, Signup

 

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Hidden Treasure: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 28, 2022

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Hidden Treasure. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Hidden Treasure: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 28, 2022
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com






Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/thanks_22, Signup


 

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Prayer for Undeserved Grace

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Righteous Father,

We praise you for your many miracles and other blessings that we do not deserve.

We confess that we are so undeserving that we do not even recognize when we are blessed, like the tech investor who got lucky and took it as being smart.

Thank you for your willingness to forgive our hardened hearts and clouded minds.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, forgive our ungrateful responses and foolish thoughts. Be patient with us and give us teachable hearts. May our lessons be learned rather than lead to our undoing.

In Jesus’s precious name, Amen.

Prayer for Undeserved Grace
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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The Hidden Treasure

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The second characteristic of God in Exodus 34:6 is grace. Philip Yancy (1997, 14) writes: “Trace the roots of grace, or charis in Greek, and you will find a verb that means ‘I rejoice, I am glad.’” If grace is an undeserved blessing, then grace is nowhere more evident than in the healing and resurrection miracles that Jesus performed.

Resurrection of the Widow’s Son

Consider the story of the Widow’s son:

“As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep.Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say to you, arise. And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” (Lk 7:12-15)

We know that this resurrection is an act of undeserved grace, because the mother and the son have done nothing to deserve this miracle. In fact, we know nothing about them at all from the story, except that the mother is a widow, the son is her only son, and the son is dead.

The fact that the widow’s son is an only son suggests that the widow is especially destitute in a male-dominated culture—the widow has no one to support or defend her. She cannot inherit property and will likely either have to beg or prostitute herself to survive. This story reminds us of Elijah’s resurrection of the widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kgs. 17) and of God’s special concern for widows in general (Exod 22:22).

Needless to say, if the widow is deserving, it is solely because of her status as a widow, not from any action on her own part. In the raising of Lazarus, who was four days dead and buried, this point was even more emphatically emphasized—how much faith did Lazarus have? (Metaxas 2015, 72) We are not told. The resurrection was an act of divine grace, not of mercy or restitution for services rendered. The many healing and resurrection stories found in the Gospels likewise assure us that Jesus is divinely gracious.

Hidden treasure

Jesus’ parable of the Hidden Treasure likewise points to God’s grace, but it also suggests that our response to grace is important.

Jesus tells us: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt 13:44) 

Interestingly, here we are not told what this treasure is. We might envision this story as a man who, on plowing a rented field, digs up a pot full of gold coins. The core idea here is that the treasure in this story is a windfall gain, totally undeserved but that requires further investment to realize the gain.

Just like Bill Gates, I was playing with computers in the early 1970s, but unlike Mr. Gates I did not undertake investment in computers or even envision the development of a personal computer. I was like the man who prayed to God to win the lottery only to hear a voice from heaven advising him to buy a lottery ticket! How many of us haven’t wanted the treasure without being willing to risk making an investment?

In case we missed his point, Jesus told a second parable like the first: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46). These two parables are then followed by a third parable highlighting God’s judgment.

The point here is that many times God’s grace requires action on our part to receive the blessing. God does not dispense miracles and grace for naught. Normally, a miracle is a sign of God’s presence in our lives.

The Hidden Treasure
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





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Metaxas Interprets Miracles for a Skeptical World

Eric Metaxas. 2014. Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life. New York: Dutton.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

It is often assumed that pastors have a special relationship with the numinous, but in this materialist age there are too many distractions to make that a good assumption. The number one reason given at an inquirers weekend I attended at a leading seminary went something like this—I really enjoyed youth group in high school and would like to make a career of it. At the other end of the spectrum are the charismatic pastors that see angels and demons everywhere. A more traditional view is to observe that the spiritual world and the physical world are mirror images of one another where miraculous events just break through from time to time

Introduction

In the introduction to his book, Miracles, Eric Metaxas writes:

“In considering what form this book should take, I felt a large part of it should be miracles stories themselves, since they are perhaps the best evidence we can have for miracles…I decided to limit the book only to the stories of people I knew personally.” (xi)

In defining the miraculous, Metaxas gives prominence to that of:

“The skeptic and philosopher David Hume [who] spoke famously against miracles but defined them as ‘a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the Deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent.’” (11)

Of particular significance in his discussion is the role of miracle as a sign pointing beyond itself to God (17). Miracles are not random, unusual events, but occur in context. Metaxas writes: “What makes a miracle is that God performed it specifically to make himself known, to communicate with human beings.” (21) The sign aspect of a miracle separates miracles from simple fantasy, storytelling, or delusion.

Background and Organization

Eric Metaxas (1963- ) is author, speaker, and frequent commentator who offers a Christian perspective. He graduated in English studies from Yale University (1984). His best-known book is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (review), although his Veggie Tales is often cited in church circles.

Metaxas’ Miracles is organized in fifteen chapters, preceded by an introduction and followed by acknowledgments and a short biography:

PART ONE: THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES

Believing in Miracles
What is a Miracle?
Miracles and Science
Is Life a Miracle?
The Miracle of the Universe
Questions about Miracles
The Biblical Miracles
The Resurrection

PART TWO: THE MIRACLE STORIES AND AN INTRODUCTION

Conversion Miracles
Healing Miracles
Miracles of Inner Healing
Angelic Miracles
Varieties of Miracles
Touching Eternity
How Miracles Can Change Your Life (vii-viii).

Metaxas does two things that I did not expect. First, he related miracles to science. Second, he shared miracles experienced within his circle of friends.

Miracles and Science

 Metaxas’ introduction to miracles by starting with a discussion of science offers an interesting line of reasoning. If miracles cannot exist in general, then they cannot exist in the particular, and vice versa. Hume’s definition of a miracle is a good starting point.

The general acceptance of the Big Bang theory has allowed scientists to date the universe to be fourteen billion years old, which limits to applicability of science to the last fourteen billion years. Science cannot account for what came before that point because it is unobservable (26). Where did the universe come from? Furthermore, Metaxas writes: “All the matter in the universe were set in place a fraction of a second after the Big Bang.” In fact, the universe is effectively a closed system limited by time and space. A miracle is merely an injection from outside this closed system, about which we know nothing from science (27).

This line of reasoning admits the existence of a miracle and effectively defines how it relates to science. To argue otherwise is to articulate a presupposition, not a scientific fact or discovery. Thus, if miracles can exist in general, then we cannot dismiss a particular miracle that we observe in our daily lives as inherently unreliable or a mere fantasy.

Miracle Stories

If a miracle is a sign pointing beyond itself, Metaxas goes on to argue that the universe is replete with examples of intelligent design, ergo God exists (29).

One such argument about intelligent design starts with the probability that a planet supporting life exists at all. In the 1960s, Carl Sagan argued that about one in ten thousand planets had water and were situated at the right distance from a star so as to have the proper temperature—two critical requirements. By 2001, the number of such requirements has exploded to about 150, making the probability of even one planet existing that could support life infinitely small—one in ten to the seventy-third power (43). In other words, a world—earth—was created, not by accident, but by design to support life.

Personally, I would say that examples of intelligent design offer sufficient reason to say that God exists. If we then go on to observe even one example of a miracle that clearly also points outside the space and time continuum of our universe, it confirms the hypothesis of God’s existence. Metaxas offers several hundred pages of miracle discussion at this point.

What is curious about Metaxas’ list of miracles observed by his friends is not that he perhaps travels with a crowd of friends residing at the lunatic fringe. Rather, it is that whenever you engage a small group of Christians in conversation about such miracles, you get a new list of miracles. God is not stingy in his dispensing of miracles. Metaxas simply reports on stories that he hears from trustworthy friends.

Anyone familiar with the life of Chuck Colson will understand what I am referring to. Colson was President Nixon’s “hatchet man” responsible for the infamous Watergate breakin in 1973. Conflicted of his crime and sent to prison, Colson had a conversion experience in prison and refused to be paroled. After he served his prison sentence, he founded Prison Ministries. He continued witnessing and serving in this role until his death (120). His conversion was unexpected and pointed to God’s gracious hand in his life.

Assessment

Eric Metaxas’ book—Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life—makes interesting reading. Metaxas writes in a journalistic voice, which makes his writing accessible to anyone willing to spend the time. His review of the role of science in thinking about miracles gives the book a strongly apologetic theme, which he handles well.

References

Metaxas, Eric. 2010.  Bonhoeffer:  Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy—A Righteous Gentile versus the Third Reich.  Nashville:  Thomas Nelson.

Footnotes

https://EricMetaxas.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Me...

Metaxas Interprets Miracles for a Skeptical World
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com






Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/thanks_22, Signup


 

 

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Applying Mercy: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 21, 2022

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Applying Mercy. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Applying Mercy: Monday Monologues (podcast), November 21, 2022
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com






Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/thanks_22, Signup


 

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Prayer to a Merciful God

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty God,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you offer mercy to sinners without prejudice and model mercy to us in weaknesses and shame.

We confess that we are never so merciful as you, though we have the recipients of your mercy since Jesus died on the cross to pay our penalty for sin.

Thank you for the gift of life, health, family, and all manner of blessings. Help us to remain thankful and to share your good news with those around us.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us the strength to follow your example being gracious to others and share in your peace.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer to a Merciful God
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/thanks_22, Signup

 

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Applying Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, 

for they shall receive mercy. 

(Matt 5:7)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

In the parables examined, we begin to see the nature of God’s mercy. 

In the Good Samaritan, we learn that mercy requires a visceral reaction: Our hearts lean into mercy more than our heads. God is emotionally involved in our lives and our salvation. Furthermore, God’s forgiveness overcomes all prejudice.

In the Unforgiving Servant, we see that God is willing to forgive those who admit their sin and ask for his forgiveness. The only unforgivable sin is the refusal to believe. Still, our forgiveness comes with the obligation to extend mercy to those who sin against us.

In the Barren Fig Tree, we hear about the limits on God’s patience. God’s mercy does not mean that we can ignore him forever, like the man that plans to express belief on his deathbed without realizing that death does not always allow a deathbed confession. Furthermore, because a tree is known for its fruit, God is well aware that good fruit in a person comes from a good heart, which needs to be cultivated.

In the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we find a sovereign God who favors humble believers. Humility before God clearly trumps simple worship, because both the Pharisee and the tax collector are devote men offering prayer in the temple.

Stepping away from the parables for a minute, how does the Bible teach that we should express mercy?

Sodom and Gomorrah

The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is often interpreted primarily in terms of the judgment of God on these two cities for their sexual sin, including homosexual sin. Yet, the context of the story is a dialogue between God and Abraham that begins with:

The LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (Gen 18:17-18)

While the judgment of the cities is topical, the story focuses on Abraham’s handling of God’s disclosure. What does Abraham do? Abraham immediately intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah, expressing mercy for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The key phrase in Abraham’s intercession is: “Will you [God] indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23) God does not spare the cities, but he expresses mercy to Abraham by sending his angel to rescue Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family.

In this passage, God reveals his judgment to Abraham, a stand in for the rest of us, to see how Abraham will react. In this example, Abraham passes the test when he exhibits compassion for the cities and engages God in intercessory prayer.

The Reluctant Prophet

How many of us would pass God’s test of Abraham? In scripture, the counter-example to Abraham arises in the story of the Prophet Jonah. In this short story, we read:

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me. (Jonah 1:1-2)

God’s disclosure to Jonah is similar to that of Abraham. Nineveh is another evil city, that God told his prophet that he would destroy. But unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, God offers the city mercy by sending Jonah to “call out against it.”

Nineveh was the hometown of Sennacherib king of Assyria, who had seized all of Judea, except for Jerusalem (Isa 36:1). Jonah hated the Ninevites and, instead of going to preach God’s mercy to them, he got on a ship to escape from God and his mission. Then, as every Sunday school kid knows, a storm came up, the sailors tossed Jonah overboard, and he is swallowed by a whale that, after three days, spits him up on a beach. God then repeats his request for Jonah to go to Nineveh. Listen to why Jonah refused to go:

And he prayed to the LORD and said, O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. (Jonah 4:2)

In this response, Jonah recites Exodus 34:6, which recounts God’s character traits. Knowing God is merciful, Jonah refused to preach repentance to the Ninevites, but later does so reluctantly and they do repent, averting God’s wrath, much to Jonah’s consternation (Jonah 3:10, 4:1).

Judgment and End Times

Knowing that we are blessed to be a blessing and that God shares his plans for judgment with us through scripture and revelation, our attitude about those under judgment should change. Judgment of those outside the community of faith comes as a test of the hearts for those inside the community. Think about John’s prophecy about the end times:

The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. (Rev 11:18)

Do we cheer the destruction of sinners, like Jonah, or intercede in prayer, like Abraham? Scripture clearly shows that God’s heart runs to mercy quicker than ours.

Applying Mercy
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
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