God's Fire - Terrifying Or Purifying?
Sermon
When I find a Bible passage (especially one of the epistles) difficult to understand, I usually turn to Eugene Peterson's "The Message". In today's reading from Hebrews 12:18-end, the writer compares the experience of the Golden Years of the Old Testament to the infinitely more golden time earned for us by Jesus. The writer reminds the Jews of the time when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land and God made a covenant with the people. This was the time which was always remembered by the Jews as the Golden Years, a time when God was intimately involved with his people. Then the writer tells the Jews about God's new covenant with his people through Jesus. And the author talks about the experience Christians can expect in Heaven, the new Jerusalem. This is how Eugene Peterson paraphrases the passage:
Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai - all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble - to hear God speak. The ear-splitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words: "If an animal touches the mountain it's as good as dead", they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified.
No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgements that make us just. You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's - a homicide that cried out for vengeance - became a proclamation of grace.
So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time - he's told us this quite plainly - he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern". The phrase, "one last shaking" means a thorough house-cleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakeable elements stand clear and uncluttered.
Do you see what we've got? An unshakeable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
When I read this passage it makes me wonder whether the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is the same God. The Old Testament God comes across as absolutely terrifying, with all the earthquakes and volcanoes and similar scary events, designed it would appear, to show who's boss and to fill his people with fear. This Old Testament God also comes across as unreasonable and unjust, since if even a defenceless animal inadvertently touched the holy mountain it would immediately die. That doesn't seem to be in any way fair.
The contrast with the New Testament God is startling. In the Old Testament after Abel was murdered, through God his blood cried out for vengeance. But in the New Testament, after Jesus - God's own son - was murdered, there's no vengeance or anger from God, simply gracious love. God uses that appalling event of the brutal execution of Jesus, not to denounce and terrify human beings, but to demonstrate his huge love for them. Through Jesus, God enabled death itself to be defeated so that human beings could be saved from the annihilation of death, to enjoy a powerful new kind of life after death.
This loving and caring God sounds altogether different from the scary picture of God painted by the writer to the Hebrews from Old Testament sources. Yet perhaps he's not so very different after all. The author has been selective in his use of Old Testament stories. There are plenty of instances in the Old Testament of God's deep love and concern for human beings, especially in the book of Deuteronomy. And even in the New Testament, there are instances of God's anger. The writer of Hebrews himself says that God is a consuming fire.
He also talks about the way in which God will shake the entire universe, heaven and earth. Previously God has only shaken earth - and that's been terrifying enough - but unless human beings heed Jesus, God's message in human form, God will shake the entire universe with devastating consequences.
Again it sounds frightening and scary, but actually, if we can get past the fear and look more closely at what God is going to do, an element of hope can immediately be seen. God isn't going to shake heaven and earth in order to terrorise human beings, but in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. And Jesus taught exactly this in a number of his parables.
As Eugene Peterson so graphically describes it, God will be actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. He'll be getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakeable elements stand clear and uncluttered. And that has to be good news. How cleansing it would be to be able to see through the great forest of tradition and religiosity which has grown up around Christianity over the centuries, to the wood of what really matters. Because we know that what's left is absolutely unshakeable, solid as a rock. And it's this unshakeable, solid kingdom of God which is our heritage.
The story is told of a Church of England priest who died and went to Heaven. St Peter took him on a tour of Heaven, and the priest was deeply impressed by the light and colour and space, and the happiness of the people there, all of whom were clearly enjoying themselves. But he couldn't help noticing one small, grey corner, with a few miserable looking people who didn't seem to notice St Peter and the priest and who looked more as though they were in Hell than in Heaven.
The priest asked St Peter about them.
St Peter put a finger to his lips. "Shh," he said. "They're from that very traditional church just around the corner from you."
The priest was perplexed. "Why don't they join in with all the activities and fun? And why must I be quiet?"
"They think they're the only ones here," said St Peter, "and I don't want to disillusion them!"
There is plenty of religiosity and unnecessary tradition in all branches of Christianity which needs to be burned away if we're ever to see God with the clarity experienced by Jesus, and if we're ever to enjoy God's kingdom in the way he intends us to enjoy it. Jesus had no truck with religiosity, and on a number of occasions condemned the hypocrisy of the traditionally religious people of the day. In today's gospel story, by healing on the Sabbath Jesus deliberately breaks one of those religious laws which in hindsight seem to have been designed to keep people away from God rather than bringing them to God. By breaking the law, Jesus takes on the Pharisees and shows up their actions for the religiosity they really are. And he makes enemies along the way, for there are no minds so closed as the minds of rigidly religious people.
If those minds can't be opened by God's immense love, then perhaps there's nothing for it but purifying fire, burning away the dross so that the good and true and pure can be clearly seen and experienced. Perhaps we're ready now for that great shaking, that thorough house-cleaning, so that we're ready God's unshakeable kingdom. We don't know the time or the place, so as the writer to the Hebrews said, dare we turn our backs on God's heavenly warnings?
Unlike your ancestors, you didn't come to Mount Sinai - all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble - to hear God speak. The ear-splitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words: "If an animal touches the mountain it's as good as dead", they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified.
No, that's not your experience at all. You've come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgements that make us just. You've come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. The murder of Jesus, unlike Abel's - a homicide that cried out for vengeance - became a proclamation of grace.
So don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words. If those who ignored earthly warnings didn't get away with it, what will happen to us if we turn our backs on heavenly warnings? His voice that time shook the earth to its foundations; this time - he's told us this quite plainly - he'll also rock the heavens: "One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern". The phrase, "one last shaking" means a thorough house-cleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakeable elements stand clear and uncluttered.
Do you see what we've got? An unshakeable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!
When I read this passage it makes me wonder whether the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is the same God. The Old Testament God comes across as absolutely terrifying, with all the earthquakes and volcanoes and similar scary events, designed it would appear, to show who's boss and to fill his people with fear. This Old Testament God also comes across as unreasonable and unjust, since if even a defenceless animal inadvertently touched the holy mountain it would immediately die. That doesn't seem to be in any way fair.
The contrast with the New Testament God is startling. In the Old Testament after Abel was murdered, through God his blood cried out for vengeance. But in the New Testament, after Jesus - God's own son - was murdered, there's no vengeance or anger from God, simply gracious love. God uses that appalling event of the brutal execution of Jesus, not to denounce and terrify human beings, but to demonstrate his huge love for them. Through Jesus, God enabled death itself to be defeated so that human beings could be saved from the annihilation of death, to enjoy a powerful new kind of life after death.
This loving and caring God sounds altogether different from the scary picture of God painted by the writer to the Hebrews from Old Testament sources. Yet perhaps he's not so very different after all. The author has been selective in his use of Old Testament stories. There are plenty of instances in the Old Testament of God's deep love and concern for human beings, especially in the book of Deuteronomy. And even in the New Testament, there are instances of God's anger. The writer of Hebrews himself says that God is a consuming fire.
He also talks about the way in which God will shake the entire universe, heaven and earth. Previously God has only shaken earth - and that's been terrifying enough - but unless human beings heed Jesus, God's message in human form, God will shake the entire universe with devastating consequences.
Again it sounds frightening and scary, but actually, if we can get past the fear and look more closely at what God is going to do, an element of hope can immediately be seen. God isn't going to shake heaven and earth in order to terrorise human beings, but in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. And Jesus taught exactly this in a number of his parables.
As Eugene Peterson so graphically describes it, God will be actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. He'll be getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakeable elements stand clear and uncluttered. And that has to be good news. How cleansing it would be to be able to see through the great forest of tradition and religiosity which has grown up around Christianity over the centuries, to the wood of what really matters. Because we know that what's left is absolutely unshakeable, solid as a rock. And it's this unshakeable, solid kingdom of God which is our heritage.
The story is told of a Church of England priest who died and went to Heaven. St Peter took him on a tour of Heaven, and the priest was deeply impressed by the light and colour and space, and the happiness of the people there, all of whom were clearly enjoying themselves. But he couldn't help noticing one small, grey corner, with a few miserable looking people who didn't seem to notice St Peter and the priest and who looked more as though they were in Hell than in Heaven.
The priest asked St Peter about them.
St Peter put a finger to his lips. "Shh," he said. "They're from that very traditional church just around the corner from you."
The priest was perplexed. "Why don't they join in with all the activities and fun? And why must I be quiet?"
"They think they're the only ones here," said St Peter, "and I don't want to disillusion them!"
There is plenty of religiosity and unnecessary tradition in all branches of Christianity which needs to be burned away if we're ever to see God with the clarity experienced by Jesus, and if we're ever to enjoy God's kingdom in the way he intends us to enjoy it. Jesus had no truck with religiosity, and on a number of occasions condemned the hypocrisy of the traditionally religious people of the day. In today's gospel story, by healing on the Sabbath Jesus deliberately breaks one of those religious laws which in hindsight seem to have been designed to keep people away from God rather than bringing them to God. By breaking the law, Jesus takes on the Pharisees and shows up their actions for the religiosity they really are. And he makes enemies along the way, for there are no minds so closed as the minds of rigidly religious people.
If those minds can't be opened by God's immense love, then perhaps there's nothing for it but purifying fire, burning away the dross so that the good and true and pure can be clearly seen and experienced. Perhaps we're ready now for that great shaking, that thorough house-cleaning, so that we're ready God's unshakeable kingdom. We don't know the time or the place, so as the writer to the Hebrews said, dare we turn our backs on God's heavenly warnings?
