Jesus, Strong and … Angry?
In the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4) Jesus identifies a ground that is filled with thorns. It is the thorns that squeeze the life out of the new plant that resulted from the sowing of the seed. The seed is the Word of God, the ground is the heart of men, but what are the thorns?
Jesus describes the thorns as three: the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things. In yesterday’s sermon on this passage, Kent rightly pointed out that our generation is tempted, choked by a lot of thorns. The one that hit me directly is the deceitfulness of riches.
How are riches deceitful? Well, when we have physical riches we often think we are spiritually rich, lacking need. We are also easily deceived to think that riches can be our security. We have protected ourselves with large bank accounts and healthy insurance plans. Finally, riches may lie to us and tell us that we are smart. We have figured this life out. We are sitting on top of the world. We have servants and a process for generating more and more. The only problem we have left is figuring out where to store all of our riches. Riches are a siren steering our ship into the sharp rocks of self-sufficiency. It is, after all, the poor of this world that God has chosen to be rich in faith.
This, you might say, is obvious. But what is not so obvious is why Jesus would have said this:
“And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” (Mark 4:10-12)
Why would Jesus intentionally hide a teaching from people in order to hinder them from understanding to avoid the scenario that they might repent and be forgiven? That doesn’t seem consistent with the song we sang yesterday: “Jesus Strong and Kind”. It doesn’t seem kind at all.
I’m going to attempt to give an answer to why this in fact is consistent with God’s character. I’ll do it with one sentence that I will then explain:
“God is working out his good plan to glorify himself either by giving his grace or his justice to rebellious sons of Adam.”
Why do we dislike what Jesus said about hindering the crowd from understanding? I think it is that we understand only one side of Jesus: his kindness (how he relates to man) coming from his love (an eternal character trait). We de-emphasize his wrath (also how he relates to man) coming from his holiness (also an eternal character trait). When we do that we assume that he must always be kind to us. Meaning that he must always be long-suffering and patient. We even begin to think that no matter how we have ignored and rejected him for our love of other things (idolatry) that He MUST patiently wait on us until we are good and ready to return.
Consider the following verses from both the Old and New Testaments:
“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? 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.” Romans 2:4-5
“The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness that, behold, the days are coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.” Amos 4:2
Consider what the Pharaoh of Egypt, the Israelites during the time of Isaiah, and the pharisees during the time of Jesus all had in common:
FIRST, they all had their hearts hardened by God. Let’s take them one at a time:
The pharaoh and his army were destroyed in the Red Sea as God led his people across on dry ground. His purpose was to deliver his people from slavery. But beyond that, his purpose was to glorify himself in all the world through the news that against all odds he had delivered his people from the rich and powerful Pharaoh. “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.” Exodus 14:4
2. Judah during the time of Isaiah also had their hearts hardened. Jesus was quoting a prophecy given to Isaiah (Is. 6) in Mark 4. God had hardened their hearts because his plan was already in motion to punish them with the fist of Nebuchadnezer and his Babylonian army. The world heard of God’s holiness, that he would not forever allow his people to worship idols. And the Jews were spread all over the world and with them went the knowledge of God’s revelation.
3. The pharisees during the time of Jesus had their eyes blinded and their ears stopped by God so that they would not understand and repent. God had already begun his righteous plan to use them to crucify his Son Jesus. The graciousness of God in this situation is impossible to miss. God’s holy wrath was poured out on his son by the hard-heartedness of the pharisees. In the first two examples it was God’s wrath that came down on Pharaoh and Judah. But for the pharisees his wrath came upon his own Son. Many of the pharisees later believed and were saved. Many did not.
The SECOND thing these three had in common is that they were all rich and were trusting their riches. Pharaoh did not want to give up his slaves. He had built his rich empire on them. Judah were rich through their alliances and thought they were safe from God’s judgment from the north that Isaiah was telling them about. The pharisees were rich through their agreement with Rome. They had political and economic power. They were not about ready to let Jesus upset that.
God did not harden the heart of worshippers who were seeking him and listening to him. He hardened hearts of those who had already hardened their hearts toward him. He stopped eyes that had already refused to see and ears that had refused to listen. Because his plan was already in motion. And God’s plan, like a train, will run over all opposition. His patience had reached an end and the opportunity for repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation was over.
CONCLUSION
What is the lesson for us? God does not owe us his kindness and patience. He owes us nothing. We should not assume that he will always be patient with us if we continue to push him down below our desire for other things. He will not always be slow to anger as we pursue and love earthly riches unwilling to give, unwilling to love Him more. He will not always wait while we occupy ourselves with the “cares of this world”. His patience ends and when it does there will be no more space for repentance. His plan will take effect and we will be on the losing side. He will be glorified either by our salvation or by our destruction.
Repent today while there is time. The wrath of God reserved for your rebellion and mine was all absorbed by the cross of Christ IF ONLY you will run to the cross. Respond to his kindness by making him first and highest in your heart. Do it now before it is forever too late!