Wednesday, April 30, 2025

 

The third time Jesus said to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  (John 21:17)

 

 

What is the relationship between God’s judgment and God’s mercy?

 

 

“In Graf Harrach’s painting of the denial of Christ, the cock has just crowed.  Peter hangs his head in shame.  Jesus, passes by, turns and looks at Peter.  It is a disappointed look.  He is saddened that his best friend has denied him, but he still loves Peter.  A maid carrying a pitcher of water is pointing at Peter.  The soldiers are jeering at him.  But neither the pointing finger, nor the mocking, hurt Peter nearly as much as Jesus’ merciful and forgiving look.  That was the greatest judgment.  The big fisherman went out and cried like a child.  Later by the lakeside, when the Risen Christ said, to Peter, ‘Do you love me?’, was it judgment or mercy?"

 

 

Judgment, or mercy?

 

The two are so intertwined that to separate them is to unravel the Gospel into something it is not.

 

Keeping judgment and mercy together results in the truly Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Blessings, 

Pastor Karl

Tuesday, April 29, 2024

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Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son…  (John 5:22)

 

 

If one of our temptations is to hear only the drumbeat of God’s judgment (yesterday’s devotion), an opposite temptation is to hear only the bright notes of God’s mercy.

 

We must account for our Lord’s judgment upon every evil that threatens His good creation and His beloved children.  Jesus is coming again both to judge and to save.

 

Although we can never talk too much about the loving kindness and tender mercies of God, we can speak of them too exclusively, in a way that ignores God’s judgment.

 

God does not hate people.  However, God does hate evil.

 

Think of the anger that bubbles up within us when we hear of women who are abused, children who are abandoned, and injustices that are perpetrated.  We would be foolish to think our Lord somehow feels less anger than we do.

 

Much modern spirituality envisions God, not as a loving father, but as a doting grandfather who gently smiles at his grandchildren’s misbehavior.

 

Nothing could be farther from the truth. 

 

“You have wearied the Lord…by saying that all evil-doers are good in the eyes of the Lord, that he is please with them."  (Malachi 2:17)

 

It might seem strange, but our Lord brings both judgment and mercy.

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Blessings,

 

Pastor Karl

Monday, April 28, 2024

 

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son…  (John 5:22)

 

 

When sitting in my study at church, early in the morning on late summer days, I often hear the Aurora High School Band practicing on the football field across the street.

 

If my window is closed I hear mostly the pounding of the big drums.

 

It's only when I open my window that I hear the band in all its glory.

 

Many Christians have read the Bible hearing little more than the constant drumbeat of God’s judgment.  For many our God is exclusively a God of judgment and punishment.

 

This is nothing new.

 

In AD 130 "The Apocalpyse of 1 Peter" appeared and was falsely attributed to the Apostle Peter.  This book described a supposed revelation given to Peter about “life-after-death,” focusing on gruesome descriptions of the pains of hell.  Dante based his writing about hell on this book. 

 

Wisely, the Christian Church refused to recognize this book as Scripture.

 

Both judgment and mercy are actions of our Lord.

 

The first mistake we must avoid is believing our Lord is concerned only with judgment.

 

In Jesus Christ judgment and mercy come together.

 

We need to “open the window” so as to hear, not only the drumbeat of judgment, but also the melody of the mercy of our Lord.

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Blessings,

 

Pastor Karl

Friday, April 25, 2024

 

 

“I have the right to do anything," you say—but not everything is beneficial.  “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.  (1 Corinthians 10:23)

 

 

The Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth who were misusing their freedom.

 

Paul wanted them to become discerning as they exercised their right, their freedom, “to do anything."

 

True freedom, Paul reminded them, was pursuing what is beneficial and constructive.

 

In other words, true freedom is pursuing Jesus’ purposes, Jesus’ way.

 

Paul’s words are as relevant today as they were centuries ago.

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Blessings,

Pastor Karl

Thursday, April 24, 2024

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For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer life for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  (2 Corinthians 5:14)

 

 

The King James Version of the Bible translates the first phrase above as, “For the love of  Christ constraineth us…"

 

We envision being constrained as a bad thing.  When we are constrained we cannot do what we choose to do.

 

Indeed, being constrained can be a terrible situation.

 

However, constraint can also be positive.

 

The difference between a living, surging river and a stagnant, parasite infested bog is constraint.

 

The banks of a river constrain the flow of water, they force the water into a narrow channel.  This results in a clean, flowing, powerful river.

 

When water is allowed to seep out in every direction, where there are no constraints, the result is a bog, or a swamp.

 

The love of Christ compels us; the love of Christ constrains us.

 

When we consent to living within these constraints we find ourselves living powerfully.

 

When we desire to be a river, rather than a bog, a good place to begin is to allow the love of Christ to constrain us.

Blessings,

Pastor Karl