The Controversy of the Gospel

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”-Matthew 5:43-48

Unless you’ve been in outer space, or living under a rock, I shouldn’t have to tell you that things in our world are tense right now. A lot of people are angry, frightened, and looking for answers, or trying to make their own solutions. People want to see justice, or, at least, their own version of it, for perceived wrongs, and, if I’m honest, so do I. Sometimes, we even use Scripture to justify our longing to see someone pay for the things they’ve done: “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25). The desire for justice is not an evil thing. If we do not fear God, we ought to fear the law and its consequences. However, the Gospel causes quite the scandal in terms of justice.

From the cross, Jesus asked for forgiveness of His persecutors. A while later, Stephen did the same as some of the same men were stoning him to death. And when he was beheaded, the Apostle Paul (who approved of Stephen’s death and sent many others to their deaths), was welcomed into heaven to the side of the very Jesus he was seeking to snuff out! This is, indeed, a controversy! How could an enemy of the Cross become its champion, and a murderer be welcomed as a brother by those he destroyed?

And yet, the controversy runs deeper than that, because while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly, and while we were yet His enemies, God, through Christ reconciled us to God (Romans 5:8, 10). God has every right to cast us out. We are all lawbreakers! We all have murdered an innocent man, not by HIS actions, but by ours, in that Christ took a murderer’s cross (for that is what Barabbas was, a murderer and rebel), and died for the sins of the world. We murdered Jesus, and yet He gave His life willingly for his murderers, only to take it up again and offer sonship and reconciliation to the Father. So, what does this mean for us? If Jesus did this for us, how, then, shall we live in response?

Simply put, we’re to bless those who persecute us. We’re to seek their welfare, and pray for their salvation. While we may not be (in this life) freed from the consequences of our actions, through Christ, grace and mercy can still be ours, and the justice we deserve is not the justice we shall receive. We can show this same mercy to the ones who kill us, even as they sit in the courtroom, or even on death row. If God, who has every right to despise us, does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18-22 are good for this), and who is patient toward us, not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (and knowing that many won’t, though the gift is freely offered), shouldn’t we, if we have been so rescued from death and destruction by His grace and mercy, desire the same things? So let us join in on the controversy. Let us do good to our enemies, and seek their salvation, even if they reject everything we do and stand for. Love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and let Grace and Mercy rule over us, for once, we were God’s enemies, and He restored us through Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:21-26

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.