2 October 2010
Psalm 107:33-43, 108; Hosea 11:1-9; Acts 22:17-29; Luke 6:27-38

This passage from Hosea is one of the most beautiful images of the relationship between Yahweh and His people. The imagery includes teaching a child to walk, lifting an infant to the cheeks, bending down to feed, and simply loving a child. The parental metaphor is easily understood and from that we can understand the lovingkindness that says, “I can’t allow my anger to burn completely, I can’t stop hoping the child become an adult will return.” Yes, God is sovereign and He is omniscient, but the love of parent for wayward child seems to be foolishness in its hope and Hosea captures that here in this passage. The Lord has decided on a course of action that will return the child to the parent and it is part tough love but part forebearance.

Love your enemies and be merciful are two commands that are difficult to hear and even more difficult to practice. They are, however, qualities of God that Jesus lived into completely. From the cross He asked for the Father to forgive those who crucified Him and taunted Him. He died for those of us who Paul says were formerly enemies of the cross. Instead of meting out judgment and condemning us to an eternity apart from Him, He offers us life eternal. It can be done but it requires us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Sometimes we need others to help up love our enemies. Rather than joining in the criticism, we sometimes need to stop the conversation and pray for the other. We need to learn to leave vengeance to God and lay down the stones we are prepared to throw. The only way we can do that is to remember our own need of mercy and grace, that we can make no claim to deserving God’s love.

It is when Paul says that he was sent to the Gentiles that the anger of the crowd is roused against him. The uproar is amazing to see, “shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air.” Why is the mission to the Gentiles so controversial? That God would “extend the franchise” beyond the covenant community is unthinkable and unconscionable. Paul’s reaction could have been, “Don’t be angry with me, be angry with God.” In Isaiah 49.6 we see that God indeed sent the Messiah to the entire world. Simeon said that he had seen the Messiah, the light to lighten the Gentiles, the glory of thy people Israel. The problem was that they had rejected this one as Messiah and he can therefore not be the Messiah. They rejected not only Messiah but also the mission of Messiah. Love your enemies? No way.

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.