10 December 2009
Psalm 37:1-18; Amos 9:1-10; Rev. 2:8-17; Matt. 23:13-26

This is a fearsome vision of the destruction of the people of God. In it are images familiar from Psalm 139 where David speaks of not being able to escape from God, ultimately finding it to be a source of comfort. Here, however, there is no comfort to be found in any place. The judgment of God is complete and his anger unabated against them. The judgment is against the sinful, it is not utter destruction, a righteous remnant will remain. God’s judgment is never unjust, it falls on those who have rejected Him and His ways, and now, His Son.

Jesus speaks directly to those who bear responsibility for the law, the scribes and Pharisees. They have taken this responsibility upon themselves and have received public acclaim for their work. Jesus says that they have mis-interpreted and mis-applied the law. Their logic is not good in their teaching and that teaching reveals their own values. They value gold and offerings above the temple itself and thus the God of the temple. His words concerning the tithe are in line with the words the prophets have spoken time and again, calling them to true righteousness which has to do with justice and mercy first and other things later. The final admonition is the reminder that God sees the heart and the heart is the source of sin and of righteousness, the source of desires.

These two letters mince no words and speak directly to the two churches. The first speaks of a coming persecution of the church in Smyrna and an admonition to persevere in the faith and witness in order to receive life. The second speaks of the sin of holding to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolatians. Jewish teaching concerning Balaam is that he instructed the king of Moab that the way to destroy Israel was not militarily but rather by sending the beautiful women of Moab to tempt the Israelites, become their wives and then entice them to follow their gods. In all these things, sex was more important than the Lord. It isn’t just our modern world that was sexually obsessed. Righteousness matters to God and we, as forgiven sinners, are called to a greater righteousness made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The cross isn’t a get out of jail free card, it is the way to the life God wants us to live.