Clear and Heavy Words II ...

Monday, August 29, 2016. As humans, we have expectations on other people. We want them to behave in a particular way, to be reliable and friendly. To do what they said they would do. Behavior is a key ingredient of human relationships. When people act, we judge what they do. We tell them: you did well. Or we tell them: what you do is not ok.

Judgment …

We are currently reading Romans, the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. He is addressing quite serious issues: the question of judgment. How do we judge others, and how is this judged by God. We need to keep in mind that the part we read next is a little extract from a larger passage. Key points will be taken up in the following parts … but let us read on:

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. (from Romans 2)

What am I seeking? …

How are you feeling with these lines of Paul, the great apostle? I am happy about these clear words, which draw a straight line. Doing good is good, doing evil is evil. God does not show partiality. It is not about parties, not about pushing someone because of the label he is bearing. But the behavior itself is of importance!

I do not feel like I have it. I do not feel like I am doing well with all I do. But I also feel like: it will be difficult to do well with all I do. Living in a world which is full of difficult behavior of people, which has very difficult structures and institutions, doing well can be hard. At the same time, searching for his spirit, for his freedom and his love, is the best you can ever find. He is life, true life!

Paul is touching very important points. We might feel uneasy with his words, and I think if you do not feel uneasy here, you might not have understood them. In our modern time, people do not fear the judgment of God. It merely appears in some fantasy films. But it is a reality - in a way very different from what the film industry uses to scare people. We should think about it deeply! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts