Are We Stumbling Blocks to God's Loving Nature?

6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”(Jn. 160

Have you ever read a familiar passage, from the Bible, and realize that you have never truly listened to what it was actually saying?  It happened to me Sunday morning.  I was reviewing the readings for Pentecost!  The Epiphany came in the Gospel reading, from John 15 &16.  When a new, much brighter, light bulb clicked on in my brain.  Jesus was talking to the disciples about his leaving them.  And how the Spirit/Advocate would be coming to them. 

Nothing new there!  Right?   

But it was what he was telling them, about the Spirit, that captured my thoughts.  He tells them that this Spirit will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:  

In my mind flashed this huge WOW!  The Spirit will bring us new insight into the old ways, traditional ways of thinking about “sin and righteousness and judgment.”

DAAAAAA!

I have always aware that Jesus came to adjust the old ways of being God’s children. The old opinions about God’s character! Jesus' mission became ever clearer when he pointedly challenged the Ten Commandments, in Matthew 5:17 - 7:12).  Verse 12 basically summarizes the rest: “In everything do to others as you would have them to do to you; for this the law and the prophets.”

Also when he sums up the Ten Commandments, with the Great Commandment, to love God with all or our being and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:34f)

However, since my greatest passion has been to provide, those I served, the basic truth about Jesus’ ministry. I was astounded that I actually missed this important passage, from John 16 Sunday, that is so specific to an incorrect understanding about “sin and righteousness and judgment.” 

Three, very contentious, subjects that have so often created misunderstanding and actually hypocritical attitudes among God's faithful people.

I am having a difficult time expressing to you the excitement that filled my entire being Sunday.  I love it when I find such a treasure.  

Such a small sentence!  

Packed with so much crucial information!  

Just think about all talk about a God of judgment and wrath that has invaded Jesus’ teaching about a God of love and forgiveness. The entire Old Testament is replete with that, overwhelming public opinion, God was a God of strict judgment and terrible terrible.

I don’t think I need to expound on that one.  Judgment that is!   Except to say that Jesus came to totally undue that assessment of God.  He also came to undue the human need to judge others as well.

So I will attempt to tackle the powerful little word “sin” first.  Sin is one of those abstract, general concepts, that has been misused and abused for centuries.  Many of you have heard me on this subject more than once!  We humans love to name sin, call others “sinners” and place judgment on someone else because of their apparent sinfulness.  

When the “sin” that Jesus found difficult to overlook was just one!  “Unbelief!”  Those who choose to disregard his teachings as coming directly from God.  

5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.(Mk. 6)

This pronouncement followed Jesus’ visit to his home town, when he was teaching in the synagogue, among his family and childhood friends.  Where he was received with a “who do you think you are” attitude.  It says they took offense at him and his wisdom.   

You see, one of the basic reasons that people took offense at Jesus was that he taught a different theology than the one he had grown up with.  And in his attempt to rearrange their thinking about God’s character.  And, most especially, his reversal of many traditions, rituals, and understanding of the Ten Commandments; challenged the authority of the religious leaders. It challenged  his family and friends as well!

Interestingly enough, his was indeed among them to totally buck, not only the status quo, but the economic system, religious beliefs  and their ways of treating each other.  

I’ll say he was there to make a huge adjustment to the “sinful” temptations of the human ego!    

Jesus came to take away our sin!  

Let me see if I can unpack that ,commonly misunderstood, statement.  I’ll say it means that we human creatures have taken what was created “Very Good”;  and made it not so pleasant.  The human creation has move miles away from our original design!  “God’s Image!”  

And, I will suggest, that is was because we were made in God’s Image that it was so easy for us to take charge.  It was easy for us to think for ourselves; and do for ourselves; and decide for ourselves.  God made us much too self sufficient!  We became our own gods! 

If you read the accounts of the temptation of Jesus, in Luke 4, it was the issue of claiming god-hood that was the point  of each temptation.  

There are at least two times that Jesus referred to “missing the mark” — sin.  One was in the passage below when he talked about their unbelief.  The other comes in Matthew, 18:6ff, where he talks about putting stumbling blocks in the way of someones else faith.

Just think about how gracious and accepting Jesus was of all those called “sinners” by the religious of his day.

Then think about the two major sins that now encourage poster-lined city streets and highway billboards today.  Homosexuality and abortion!  Two issue that gain a lot of attention among those who are so sure they have the correct theology.

Then realize that Jesus did not talk at all about homosexuality.  And as for the subject of abortion — “murder” — he give a wonderful exegesis of that concept in Matthew 5:21-26.  You can read that this one for yourself.

When someone is bold enough to label another a “sinner.”  They are being stumbling blocks in the way of God’s loving, forgiving and accepting nature.  

1 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.(Mk. 6)