The Lord speaks of the conflict of loving Israel from the
start and their unfaithfulness. Is there
a more tender image in Scripture than, "Yet it was I who
taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms…" The image of a parent with a young child just
learning to walk is beautiful and yet is there anything more heart-breaking
than that child growing up and walking away from the parent and all He has
taught, rejecting the lovingkindness of that parent? Tough love is the only antidote for that
situation. Love remains but in order to
restore the child to right relationship and to blessedness requires allowing
the child to suffer the consequences of their actions. The Lord will allow disaster on His people
but the purpose is restoration of relationship.
Love your enemies? Surely Jesus isn't serious. He means exactly this, turn the other check
when an enemy strikes, when you're compelled to go against your will and don't
have the ability to refuse, go the extra mile as an act of the will. The purpose of our lives is to give glory to
God. Do we want to convert our
enemies? The Lord is kind to the
ungrateful and evil and He is merciful and Jesus says we are to be like
Him. In reality we are ungrateful and evil
and we need mercy from the Lord. Because
we have received mercy and receive it still, we are to be people who extend it
to others. Do you see the progression in
judging and condemning? One is to decide innocence and guilt, the other is to
pass sentence. Instead we are to simply
forgive which requires judgment and an act of the will.
When Paul speaks of going to the Gentiles
the crowd renews its cry for his life.
What in the world about that statement makes Paul unfit to live? Clearly the religious club isn't big enough
for anyone but those born into it. The
tribune is completely confused by the proceedings and determines that there
must be something to the story that is missing and that only by flogging Paul
will the truth come out. Just before they
begin Paul speaks up as a natural born Roman citizen who has rights that must
be respected lest judgment fall on those who judge him without a trial. This is going to get more confusing soon.
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