Viewpoint

Our just and merciful God

The final article of a series in which Major Howard Webber considers the question: Am I being punished?

IDON’T know about you, but sometimes I ask myself: ‘How is it that God puts up with me?’ If I were God, I would have given up on me ages ago!

David observed in Psalm 103: ‘He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us’ (vv10–12). Amazing verses, considering that David never knew Jesus and what God’s love cost him.

God is patient and long-suffering. We see it in his dealings with the Israelites over many centuries. The apostle Paul gave witness to it: ‘Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life’ (1 Timothy 1:15 and 16). Note how Paul, who previously persecuted the Church as Saul, says that he is – not that he was – the worst.

Do any of us today love God as we ought to? I suggest that none of us does – that whatever our desire or intention, we fall short. If we accept that, then we are breaking what Jesus called the greatest commandment: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ (Mark 12:30). That should make each one of us feel, like Paul, that we are the worst of sinners.

We have no idea just how offensive even our smallest sin is to our holy, pure, just and awesome God. Neither are we fully aware of how patient he is with us in tolerating our continual abysmal failings.

Yet God, with all his patience, knew that we would never get it right and that we could never get ourselves right with him. So how could a God of love, who is truly just, ever allow sin to go unpunished? He couldn’t. His answer to this conundrum was to send the only means of saving us from the ultimate punishment that our sins deserve: a Saviour who would take upon himself the responsibility for, and suffer the consequences of, our sins. Oh, how he loves us!

Having healed a man at the pool called Bethesda, Jesus later found him in the Temple and warned him: ‘Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you’ (John 5:14). What could be worse than the 38 years of suffering he had endured with an inability to move without help? The answer is that God was yet to administer his justice. There is a promised judgement coming with something far worse awaiting the wicked.

Jesus had more to say on that subject than anyone else in the Bible. Whether his words are taken literally or metaphorically, they make clear the horrific nature of God’s punishment. However, Jesus had even more to say about Heaven and the eternal Home that awaits all who have been saved and now seek to be holy and pleasing to him. One day he who came as Saviour will return as judge (see Hebrews 9:24–28, 2 Timothy 4:1 and 2 Corinthians 5:10).

The predominant characteristic of God has always been love. God is love. Despite the Old Testament showing the severity of God’s judgement, he is described throughout its pages as being ‘slow to anger’ (eg Exodus 34:6), ‘abounding in love’ (eg Nehemiah 9:17) and ‘compassionate and gracious’ (eg Psalm 86:15). We sinners of the worst kind have been saved through our faith in Jesus.

Don’t be surprised that Satan taunts us, reminding us of our unworthiness, for he also accuses each of us before God himself (see Revelation 12:10). However dark or painful our experience may be, God is not punishing the child he has forgiven, despite the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44) telling us otherwise. We need to ever focus on the love the Father has lavished on us, ‘fixing our eyes on Jesus’ (Hebrews 12:2), rather than on our inadequacies and failures.

‘The path you walk may be dark indeed, but trust in the Lord, rely on your God’ (Isaiah 50:10 Good News Translation).

MAJOR WEBBER LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN BOURNEMOUTH

Looking for Jesus

Major Margaret Bovey considers a discovery that is life-changing

JOHN 20:1–18

WE first started letterboxing on Dartmoor when our children were very young. This game to find ‘treasure’ – a metal tin or plastic box concealed in a gap between rocks, usually containing a stamp, inkpad and notebook – brought a wonderful element of excitement to our family walks. Imagine our disappointment, however, when a scavenger hunt ended with us discovering that the box was empty or, despite us following the grid references and clues to its location, was missing.

QUESTIONS

Have you ever taken part in a treasure hunt? What were you looking for?

Mary Magdalene is not on a treasure hunt when she goes to visit Jesus’ tomb. Her early morning mission is to embalm the body of someone she treasured.

Mary was among the Galilean women who had witnessed Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body from the cross, wrap it in linen and place it in the tomb (see Luke 23:50–56). En route to it, the women discuss how they would gain access (see Mark 16:3). Little wonder, then, that Mary is shocked to find the stone rolled away and the entrance wide open. This discovery, at a moment of high emotion, adds to her grief.

Mary deduces that Jesus’ body is no longer there. She does not suspect the disciples of removing it. If she had, why would she and the women have gone through the charade of preparing spices to anoint a body that they knew was not there?

Mary is quick to seek the assistance of the disciples, whom she trusts. In our study passage, she runs to those considered to be their leaders – Simon Peter and ‘the other disciple’ (v2), who commentators believe to be John.

Mary’s statement – ‘We don’t know where they have put him!’ – expresses her horror and suspicion that persons unknown, possibly the authorities, have removed Jesus’ body. Simon Peter and the other disciple are propelled into action. They run to the tomb, discover it to be open and see ‘the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped round Jesus’ head’ (vv6 and 7).

The other disciple goes right inside the tomb, perhaps in order to conduct a thorough search. He confirms that the body is gone. Jesus is missing.

QUESTION

To what lengths do you go when seeking something that is lost?

I wonder how the disciples felt as they went back to their homes and had to come to terms with the empty tomb and the hole left in their lives. Experiencing

Through the week with Salvationist

– a devotional thought for each day

by Major Sheila Smith

SUNDAY

Low in the grave he lay,/ Jesus, my Saviour;/ Waiting the coming day,/ Jesus, my Lord. (SASB 228)

MONDAY

‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.’ (Mark 16:6)

Prayer

Lord, help us always to have eyes to see and ears to listen.

TUESDAY

Up from the grave he arose,/ With a mighty triumph o’er his foes./ He arose a victor from the dark domain,/ And he lives for ever with his saints to reign./ He arose! He arose!/ Hallelujah! Christ arose! (SASB 228)