Listen and pay attention!-- Jeremiah 13:15-17
Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.
Give glory to the Lord your God
before it is too late.
Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you,
causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains.
For then, when you look for light,
you will find only terrible darkness and gloom.
And if you still refuse to listen,
I will weep alone because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.
This passage is especially eye-catching to me in light of a discussion we had in Bible class regarding forgiveness. After announcing in rather dramatic fashion the corruption that was rampant in Judah (i.e., the famous linen loincloth prophecy) Jeremiah goes on to announce God's judgement upon the nation. Notice this is the same nation that in the previous chapter contained considerable elements scheming against Jeremiah. (see Jer. 12:6)
Despite all of this, I'm struck that Jeremiah pledges that if Judah continues to ignore his message from God, the prophet will "weep alone because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears." (Jer. 13:17)
In all honesty, I'm still not where Jeremiah is. I'd like to be...I have ambitions of being so...but justice is awfully important to me. I think the wicked ought to be punished...and yes, I contend that there is a major difference between sinners and "the wicked". It seems to me that Scripture even reflects such a dichotomy at times. I'm thinking of writing a longer post in the future (TBD) on the doctrine of forgiveness that seems to be gaining popularity in the American church today.
In anticipation of that, I ask that you begin thinking through what the word "forgiveness" really means. What are its implications? How is life different in a climate of authentic forgiveness?
I can speak about this as one who has authority to do so. Forgiveness is vital in the life of every person. Nice people who aren't believers know this. If anyone carries a record of wrongs with them will die prematurely. They will die emotionally, and though I am only a doctor on television (wink, wink) I think individuals who don't forgive others will die an early physical death. Let it go. Please.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, thanks for your response. I am trying to let it go...but, of course, would certainly benefit from your prayers in this behalf.
ReplyDeleteI fear, however, from your comments that I may not have adequately communicated my meaning. No surprise, as my mini-blogs typically aren't quite enough room to lay out larger theological questions. I'm currently working on a page addition that will discuss the doctrine of forgiveness in the church today. When I get it put up, I'd like to request your response to it as well. Unless I miss my guess, you will be on the same page as I am.
As a brief preview, my dispute is not with the notion that Christians must forgive...but rather, with what (some) among us are claiming are the NECESSARY corollaries of that forgiveness. In other words, I'm not sure that we're all talking about the same thing when we speak of "forgiveness". Just as words like "love" may mean quite different things to different people...and none of them may bear much resemblance to biblical notions of love...I fear the same thing is happening to the idea of forgiveness.
There is, I believe, nothing short of a heresy being proclaimed in some churches on the topic of "forgiveness". The reason this is of such concern to me is because I believe this heresy has the potential to cause a tremendous amount of human suffering for those who embrace it.