Part II - Hope and Sheep and Goats

*Be sure to read Part I first.*

One of the things that used to hamper my hope the most was actually...the Bible. At times, it suggests that there are certain things that are pointless to hope for. For example, read from a certain interpretation, it seems to say that some are doomed to be damned in their disobedience. Or that the world will get worse and worse and eventually pass away and many will fall away and only a few will be saved. This would put my two dreams out of the realm of possibility. I'm not suggesting we get a big black sharpie marker and cross these verses out, but I am suggesting that we put them in a much better perspective and when taking into consideration the whole counsel of the scriptures, we use Christ Jesus and Him crucified as forgiveness spilled from His lips, as our hermeneutic.

For years I have listened to preachers and teachers harp on the fact that "some people" tend to pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they like and ignore the parts they don't like. Well I finally realized that they, though perhaps unwittingly, are doing the same thing! We all do! So, without going into every single scripture that stands in contradiction with another (we'd be here for a while), I'd like to speak to one example. It's one I've seen time and again: Jesus' famous imagery of the sheep and the goats. You've probably been scared half to death by it (perhaps even manipulated by it) when you read it and realized you passed by a homeless guy last week without offering him a cup of water. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read Matthew 25:31-46.

Verse 41 says, "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" and 46 says, "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." This set of verses is constantly given more weight than say, Psalm 22:27 which declares "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations." It also tends to outweigh Romans 5:19 -"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." And just to be clear, it looks to me that the "many" that were made sinners are the same "many" that are made righteous which is, according to Romans 3:23, ALL. So then what do we do with something that appears so hopeless and contradictory like Matthew 25:46 and seems to spit in the face of divine forgiveness and loving of enemies and blessing instead of cursing our persecutors? Before we get out our sharpies or become fire and brimstone preachers, let's experiment...or exSPIRITment (bad joke?). Let's read it in the context of the highest possible hope that our imaginations can muster up. We can do this because Ephesians 3:20 tells us that He is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or IMAGINE according to His power that is at work within US. That verse awakens a faith in me that trusts that my imagination can absolutely soar with hopeful possibilities and my ideas apparently won't even be coming anywhere close to reality!!

So, I've had three thoughts on the sheep and goats, but for this post, I'm only going to share the one that I'm currently loving the most. And let me say that my thoughts are constantly evolving as I listen to what others have to say and teach and as I learn new things. So don't take me as dogmatically teaching what I think MUST be extrapolated from this passage. Ask me next week and I'll probably have new thoughts on the whole thing.

The first thing that strikes me occurs in verse 32 when it specifically says that "All NATIONS will be gathered before him and he will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats." (Emphasis; my own). Recently, that word "nations" triggered something in my thoughts and I was immediately drawn to Revelation 19:15 where that same word is used following an image of Jesus as the Faithful Conquerer on his white horse. The verse says, "From his mouth goes forth a sharp sword with which he can smite the NATIONS; and he will shepherd them with a staff of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath and indignation of God the All-Ruler." I'm also drawn to Revelation 22:2 which, after this "smiting" speaks of the Tree of Life in the New Jerusalem and says, "and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the NATIONS."

Before I go on to explain the significance I see in this, I want to put it on the shelf for a minute and continue with the Matthew passage. In verses 33-42, an amazing contrast is made between these nations that have been gathered. On the right hand, in the picture of the sheep, you have a simple and beautiful portrayal of the manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven. There is mutual honor shared between the greatest, who humble themselves to a place of servanthood. They have exalted the "least of these" by giving the hungry food, giving the thirsty a drink, befriending complete strangers by welcoming them in, giving the naked clothing, nursing the sick to health, and visiting prisoners, thereby including them in their own freedom. There is no lack in this sheep vision. There is no hierarchy or violence or power-mongoring to be seen. The entire sheep empire is actually a non-empire where every man-sheep obviously loves the Lord with all his heart, soul and mind by loving his neighbor as he loves himself! And he doesn't even give a second thought about it because it's such a natural way of life ("When did we do these things to you, Lord? We were just living."). It's the dream of the Father come true.

Now, on the left hand we have a very accurate picture of the powers of this world...including the deceptive beast of religion (religion defined as working your way up the ladder into God-likeness and having a false view of God, and not religion defined by caring for the widows and orphans due to an overflow of grace-deposited joy). This non-relational, unloving system is built on a self-serving hierarchy where the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned are ignored and dimeaned and there is a very clear distinction and division between the least and the greatest. It thrives on the "us" versus "them" mentality. The greatest look detestably upon the least rather than seeing them as sharers of humanity made in God's image. This is also a very natural way of life when our minds are set on things below rather than above ("When did we not do these things to you, Lord? We were just clinging to and protecting the things that were rightfully ours!").

Please don't think that I'm trying to make this passage political. I'm not. Political states ranging from "Free" Republics to complete dictatorships, from first world to developing world are ALL run by the system and principle of the world on which I base no hope or trust. What I'm incredibly interested in though is the hope that I see Jesus offering in this passage for the Kingdom of Heaven consuming and destroying the kingdoms of this world through His love and grace and gentleness and kindness as the truth of Revelation 11:15 is manifest: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”.

It began manifesting in the early (and I mean very early) church as displayed in Acts 4:32-35 - "Now the company of believers was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that anything which he possessed was his own, but everything they had was in common and for the use of all. And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace (loving-kindness and favor and goodwill) rested richly upon them all. Nor was there a destitute or needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses proceeded to sell them, and one by one they brought (gave back) the amount received from the sales and laid it at the feet of the apostles. Then distribution was made according as anyone had need."

The spirit of religion and of the world and of a belief in a violent, exclusionist god soon infected the early church as Jesus warned that the yeast of the Pharisees would do if grace became contaminated by it. But these early believers left us a most beautiful dream! And although religion successfully quenched it for a while, the dream of God isn't overcome and is now being recovered in our time in all the nations of the earth as the true heart of God, as He revealed it in Jesus, is made known.

So, getting back to the passage. What I see happening in verse 41 is that in the manifesting of the Kingdom of Heaven, the love and mercy of Jesus working through the Spirit in His brethren, causes the powers of the world to be eternally destroyed and exposed for the deceptive sham that they are in the all-consuming fire of His love. There is nothing that His love does not reach. Paul practically dares us to try and imagine the heighth, width, depth and breadth of His love. His love causes both eternal life and eternal destruction. It causes truth to live, which naturally destroys the lies we believe. It causes compassion to awaken, which naturally destroys our selfishness. It causes righteousness to dwell, which naturally destroys our sin. Reconciliation and restoration of relationship between God and man, and between victims and their oppressors are had and evil is therefore eternally destroyed. He really has and does overcome evil with good and we are invited to participate in that! Am I reading too much into the passage? You're welcome to your opinion on that.

If you now look back at those verses I referenced in Revelation, you'll see the same thing happening. Jesus slays the nations with the sword of His mouth...His word, which is Faithful and True. And this word says "Behold, I make ALL THINGS new" and "To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of Life." He treads the winepress of God's wrath by subverting our very comprehension of the image of God! How? Well in my understanding, God, in His anger, does not sin...instead He forgives and restores. If the weakness of God (as displayed on the cross) is stronger than the strength of man and the foolishness of God (as displayed on the cross) is wiser than the wisest man, then am I wrong to believe that the anger of God is more loving, kind and gentle than the most loving man?

And who is the Tree of Life whose leaves bring healing to the "smote" nations? It's this same Jesus. His healing words are the destruction of the disease that has plagued the nations. He is the Shepherd, but He is also the ultimate sheep. He is the lamb who was slain and who takes away the sins of the world. He is the greatest God who humbled Himself to the lowest possible place so that He could serve every single one of the "least of these", which is every man, woman and child since Adam, and exalt us to equality with Him, to be co-heirs with Him in His kingdom!

Now, having said all of this, I don't want to dilute or make light of the fact that there does lie a very real warning in these words. While I no longer see this passage as a warning of everlasting damnation (I do not see any case for the mercy, justice, grace, love and patience of God as being mere attributes or dispensations that will eventually run their course, but as the very core of his being. Jesus is the final revelation of His character and in His resurrection, he did not seek vengeance on his murderers. He didn't approach them with the fire of condemnation in his eyes, but at the end of Luke's gospel, he says that following his resurrection, repentance and the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. He rose from the dead, not to bring guilt, but justification. See Romans 4:25).

But I do see the warning of a very real consequence for those of us who continue resisting and buy into the system of the goats. This passage comes on the tail end of a long discourse that begins back in Matthew 24. Jesus begins warning His disciples about the destruction that will come upon Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70. This destruction comes precisely because of the fact that their religion has bought into man's ideas about God, an image that is more beastly than divine, which creates hierarchy and the system of the goats. It's participation in "nation rising against nation." This isn't a criticism of Judaism; Christianity has bought into the same system. And it always, always ends tragically. But it is a warning from the lover of our souls, not a threat! It is like me warning my 2 year old not to come near the oven when I open the door. Yet, even if he ignores my warning and rebels, burning his hands, I won't abandon him in this moment of horrific revelation! I would draw him close, bandage his wounds and restore him to health. But if only he'd heeded my warning, such pain could've been avoided! Jesus offers the same opportunity here.

A mere two days later, He is unjustly arrested, accused and condemned and led to His crucifixion. Here, He fully reveals God to be completely non-violent, full of mercy and loving His enemies. The stark opposite of all we've been taught. The Sheep of all sheep. The kingdom that He is so excited about proclaiming and including us in is one where the King delights more in serving than in being served. It's a kingdom where treasure and riches are hidden within humanity, in the very image of God, the image of Christ Jesus, from which we were created. Love calls that image awake in us so that we may uniquely express the heart of our Father; a heart that is flesh and not stone. Hope lies in the fact that Jesus overcame the world. The non-empire of the sheep wins the day against the empire of the goats. But it is a victory that we will not be forced or coerced into enjoying. We may continue to resist and experience the tragedies and destruction that follow. Or we can allow His love to swallow us in its embrace. We can open our hearts to begin to imagine how far and wide this unquenchable, untameable love reaches. He'll transform us by the renewing of our minds from vessels that breathe wrath to vessels that bleed mercy.

This is why I have hope beyond measure. It is because of Him and what He has done that I have been given the freedom to read scripture with a new understanding. The Bible used to be such a book of dread for me. I still believe that scripture is God-breathed, but for all of those years that I was reading in such frustration and confusion, my problem was that I was interpreting all of it with a view of God that didn't look like Jesus and a view of myself that didn't look like Jesus. I had a terrible case of "unrenewed mind" syndrome. In light of the love of Christ and Him crucified, there were things about God and what was written that seemed so contradictory to the cross and the message of universal forgiveness and reconciliation of the world to Him. But now, when there is a passage that makes me feel heavy and uncomfortable and confused, I think it's a good thing. I blame the Holy Spirit (in the best possible sense of the word "blame"). I now hear Him whispering, "Come, let me show you a more excellent way. You feel uncomfortable because you're thinking on mere human terms and are ascribing that understanding to your picture of God, but now let the love of Christ redefine your perspective."

I think that if we could understand the revelation found in scripture through a literal and equal rendering of everything that is written, then we would not need the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. All we would need is to find the very best Greek and Hebrew scholar on the planet, he wouldn't even have to know God, and he could interpret what is written for us and that would be that. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth...of Christ. If we take him away from our understanding of Scripture, we take the truth right out of the words. He is the Spirit of Life, of Grace, of Counsel, of Power, of Knowledge, of Justice, of Holiness, of Sonship, of Gentleness, of Faith, of Hope, of Joy, of Peace, of Patience, of Freedom, of Fellowship, of Unity, of Love, of Sound Mind, of Glory, and of Prophecy. The Spirit searches all things - even the deep things of God, apart from the Spirit the things of God are foolishness to man, but with Him the best of man's wisdom becomes foolishness. If we are reading the Bible with the Spirit, we will not feel condemned or fearful or distressed or confused, but we will be filled with a sound mind, a burning heart and with life and peace and liberty. The letter does not dictate to the Spirit, the Spirit dictates to the letter. And His freedom rests in a revelation that is too deep for words. The revelation is Jesus.

Part I - Hope and Sheep and Goats

*I split this post into two parts , so don't miss the second part or the title really won't make sense.*

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

One thing that the Gospel has done to me is that it has amped up my "hope meter" to an incredibly high charge. I no longer feel the need to view anything or anyone from a fatalistic perspective. My expectations are beginning to be set on the good, the perfect and the lovely because these are the things we've inherited as sons and daughters of the Most High. This is the city, the New Jerusalem, that we live in...right here, right now. A few months ago I recorded some of the things I am hoping, dreaming and believing so that my family and I can celebrate as we praise and honor our Father while watching these things become manifest before our very eyes! As I was looking back over my list (I came up with ten things), two of my hopes...my two most eager hopes in fact...brought a smile to my face as I considered how ridiculous they would've seemed to me at one time.

I always touted that "With God, ALL things are possible", but man, I just didn't really believe it. Or maybe I believed that all things are possible, but not probable. Or that all things are possible, but only if it's in His will, and since His "ways are not our ways" I really have little chance of knowing the desires of His will and, therefore, certain things that seem good to me could be bad to Him, which would make them impossible. This line of reasoning would be true if He didn't go to such great lengths to make Himself, His desires and the true meaning of "goodness" known in the person of Jesus. His will is crystal clear. We've made it very confusing by our suspicious nature that can't help but to question whether grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness are really given freely by an all-powerful God. The answer that most of our theologies come up with, even if we don't want to admit it, is "no". Something is required in return. Just look at the way our economies, politics, and justice systems work. The principle of transaction is how we operate.

So when Jesus shows up saying, "Hey, my Father doesn't fit into your systems. He's free. And He doesn't use His freedom as an excuse to do evil. He uses His freedom to be Himself, which is love. Your money is no good here. Your religion is no good here. Your sacrifices are no good here. But He would be delighted if you would just believe that He really is that good and is committed to making you as free as Him." Such claims earned Jesus honorable titles like "liar" and "blasphemer." It's a really good thing that His patience is willing to wait on our resistance to crumble. Patience isn't something I've thought about a whole lot regarding God, but it's a huge part of the Good News. His patience is so coupled with His love, and then if you combine that with His faithfulness...our willful unbelief is just no match for that kind of heart.

Trust me, even as I write these things, there's a side of me that thinks it knows better. I'm tempted to agree with C.S. Lewis who came to the conclusion that eventually God lets us have our way and says "Fine. Thy will be done," thus condemning the most resistant (who are probably the most wounded) to remain disillusioned forever. But out of nowhere, a faith rises up in me when I see Jesus stripped naked on the cross, without an ounce of vengeance or resistance. And in His willingness to submit to our stubborn will...His will somehow wins. Even in a seeming defeat, He is triumphant. Because, while it was our will to reject Him, it was His will to reject our rejection. And apparently, His will is the one that resurrects and ascends to the right hand of total agreement with the Father, who then assures the Son that all will be subject to Him. And what is so beautiful about this is that this subjection occurs not by force nor by might or manipulation or coercion, but by the very Spirit of grace.

Oh my word, the implications of this...

Being certain of nothing (including my own beliefs and conclusions) but His love gives me a gigantic reason to hope, and to hope for things that would seem impossible were it not for the revelation of the cross. Not only that, but it empowers me to believe that I have a part to play in this most beautiful, intricate story of humanity's history. Because, you see, if His submission to our violent will still ended in victory for Him...what on earth will happen as my violent will submits to His loving one? As Paul wrote in Romans, "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?" I feel like I can't even speak to the brilliance of this. If such a massive thing can be accomplished through our rejection, through our disobedience...what will our consent mean? As each of us gives in and says, "Yes Father, your way of love and mercy and grace and forgiveness and compassion is the image that I was created to bear. As I agree with you, as my mind is changed and renewed, as the Spirit teaches me your way, reveal this image of Christ in me!"

If I live with an assurance of the highest possible hope anchoring my soul to heavenly reality, will it not change the way that I see all people? Will that not then affect my treatment of them, my heart for them? If it pleases God to reveal Christ in me, then it pleases me to reveal Christ in every person.

All that being said, here are the two hopes that I was referring to earlier:

1. I'm expecting to see ALL men, women and children come to believe the Good News of their inclusion in the love of God and to see that they've been created in the image of that love and have now been fully reconciled to that image by being reconciled to their Father who took the initiative to make Himself and His eternal nature fully known in Jesus, and to experience the utter bliss of relationship with Him in this life and in whatever delight comes after!

2. As number one comes to fruition, I believe that the peace of Heaven will be made fully manifest among the nation's, here on earth (and I don't mean at some future point after a rapture of the righteous and a great tribulation of the wicked as this current planet dissolves in a great fireball). As this happens, sickness, poverty, discrimination and hatred in all of its forms will be abolished and the empire of love and joy will reign over our days and weeks and years.

These two things may sound a bit... naive. But, I just don't think I can set my hopes to a lower bar anymore. I have to be done with fatalism and solemn assemblies and sober expectations and crappy prophecies that require zero faith, zero hope, zero joy and zero love. I'm done with any belief that makes the cross of Christ look ineffective for certain things, especially when those things align with the merciful, healing, compassionate, restorative desires that seem to permeate His being. Are my hopes impossible for Him? I'm erring on the side of...nah.

Is it possible that I will experience and see things that are complete contradictions to my ten dreams? Sure...maybe...I dunno. I have no expectation for contradiction, but even if that's the case, I'm under no obligation to become less hopeful. He makes all things, even the worst possible contradictions, work together for our good anyway until, eventually, the contradiction must bow to the truth. We have inherited an unshakeable Kingdom. (See Hebrews 12:22-29). Let's try to realize and begin to dream about what this could mean! Even if we're wrong, let's welcome the opportunity to be wrong because our error will always lie in the fact that we UNDERexaggerated His love. His love is displayed best in the action of laying His life down for His friends, and these "friends" that He lay His life down for considered themselves His enemies. Either that's some pretty dillusional love or it envisions such great hope that it can declare an enemy a friend long before the friendship is enjoyed.