Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “The Lord Reigns”. This lesson looks at “the Lord’s sovereign rule (which) renders the world firmly established and secure” (quarterly for Sabbath, January 13). How does the Lord “rule”? “God’s character of love and grace and His plan to save and restore the world” (quarterly for Friday, January 19) is the modus operandi of God. This is the motive and the method God uses to rule. And His Son Jesus Christ demonstrated this most sublimely.
Is this what gives you assurance? Do you want a God who deals decisively and forcefully? Dealing with sin and sinners with an iron hand? Or do you like Christ’s method? Many of the Jews of Christ’s day did not like Christ’s method nor His picture of God. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection depicted a God of love, who dies for His enemies. Not a decisive authoritarian. Do you like Christ’s picture of God? It seems rather ineffectual to so many. And the idea of a God who weeps over sinners is repugnant to so many, as well. A God who rules by love alone, does not lead many to feel secure.
Yet this is the way our God rules. This idea of serving… sinners; dying for sinners who do not value the love poured-out for them, is precisely the way our Father runs His household. Even the so-called “judgement” is not of a supreme judge handing down sentences for the wicked. It is letting the irreclaimably wicked have their own way. This, too, can be seen as ineffectual. “Let’s have a little retributive justice here”, the majority may demand.
How about meekness? A meek Lord? Would you vote for a candidate for president of the U.S. based-on his meekness? Would you trust a meek God to assure your security? It was Christ’s meekness that confused the disciples and led Judas to despise that quality in Jesus. What about you?
“My strength is made perfect in weakness… when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10). Is this the Lord you want to reign? Is this the strength you value?
As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”. Our God’s strength is seen in how He treats those who hate Him, revile Him, crucify Him. He forgives them. And in this, His ultimate strength is seen. Revenge and retribution is for cowards and weaklings. Revenge and retribution always perpetuate the cycle of anger, fear… and even violence. God forgives. It is the only way to stop the cycle.
Again, do you value this? I pray so. It is the quality of our God. The secret of His strength. The strength with which He is armed. The strength, the iron strength of immovable, eternal love. Praise His name for it!!
With brotherly love,
Jim