Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” [Nehemiah 4.4-5]
God has enemies. It is only right that we, as God's people, would have the same enemies as Him.
Blessings belong to those who are friends of God - who do His will - obeying Him.
Curses belong to those who are enemies of God - who disobey Him.
What right does a friend of God have to bless an enemy of God?
Somehow we must reconcile all of this information with what Jesus said:
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you. “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. [Luke 6.27-36]
Why then, did Jesus drive the merchants out of the Temple in a great display of anger?
When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” [Mark 11.15-17]
So, back to Luke 6... How could compassionate Father God ultimately send people to hell?
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” [Revelation 21.8]
If we are to be compassionate like our Father Who banishes people to hell, what does that mean in real life? What does that even look like?
Just this week, I filed charges against a construction company who, against city ordinance, began to pour concrete next to my house at 2:30 AM in the morning. Was I right in doing that, or wrong?
According to what Jesus said in Luke 6.27-36, I was wrong. But, if my compassionate Father sends people to hell, did I do wrong just to demand accountability by pressing charges?
Oh, and how do I interpret Jesus' instructions in Luke 6.27-36, when He addressed the religious leaders as follows?
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [Matthew 3.7]
Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. [Matthew 12.34]
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? [Matthew 23.33]
Is not Jesus our great example?
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]
Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.21-23]
It would seem we are at an impasse with this situation... The impasse however is not with God (or Jesus), but with ourselves. They both do what they do. The impasse is with myself - my own way of doing things. Do I insist on an explanation for everything, or do I follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in every situation in life? Do I demand an explanation of Divine God to satisfy my own mind? Jesus said it like this:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
It is not up to me to reconcile my compassionate Father with Jesus' calling names or violently turning over tables... It is up to me to be led by His Holy Spirit to do His will in every situation. Period. It is up to God what that will look like. The same Jesus Who called names and turned over tables, gave up His life on a cross - all at the leading of the Holy Spirit. Who am I so say it is one way or the other? It is up to me to simply follow Jesus. I have the same Holy Spirit.
Father, help me to accept that my opinion doesn't matter. Help me to accept that Your will is all that matters. Help me to understand that You are at once fierce and dreadful to Your enemies, and then at another time compassionate. Help me to see that the decision is never mine, but always Yours. May I be found having given up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus... So be it.
