Jesus: The Gentle Prophet of Doom

Natural disasters, pandemics, and wars raise some big questions. Why does God allow suffering? Why do innocent people suffer? Are we, in some way, facing God’s judgment?

If you take the Bible seriously, you cannot ignore this last question. To avoid talking about sin, hell, and judgment would be a serious misrepresentation of Jesus Christ. He had a lot to say on these issues. Christians talk about these things too but I fear that sometimes we do so in a different tone to that of Jesus. Yesterday’s post was about ‘Jesus the Weeping Prophet of Doom’ (https://fidzbit.blogspot.com/2020/04/jesus-weeping-prophet-of-doom.html). This post is about ‘Jesus the Gentle Prophet of Doom’. But first we do have to go through a bit of fire and brimstone!

In Matthew’s gospel most of chapter 11 is given over to one of Jesus’ ‘prophecies of doom’. The story goes something like this: Jesus’ colleague and cousin, John the Baptist, is in prison and going through a hard time. He turns to Jesus for encouragement. Jesus perceives that the crowds following listening in on this are likely to judge John critically and condemn him. So Jesus challenges them by pointing out their own inconsistencies. They are absolutely impossible to please. God sent John to them and they wouldn’t listen to him because they thought he was too eccentric, miserable, and monk-like. Then God sent Jesus and they wouldn’t listen to Him because they thought He was too extrovert and sociable to be godly!

Then Jesus ups the ante and starts condemning whole cities full of devout religious people. This bit gets pretty fiery! Jesus said that even though the people of these cities had seen His biggest miracles, they still rejected His teaching. They were too religious – they thought they were good enough for God without accepting the Saviour God had sent. In fact, Jesus went on, they would be judged more severely than Sodom and Gomorrah!

In the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah is associated with the worst kinds of sexual perversion and depravity. God searched the city but only found one godly man, a man called Lot. So He warned Lot to take his family and flee, then poured fire from the sky and melted the city into oblivion. It is as though Jesus is standing in a nice posh, polite, middle-class kind of church and saying “The people in the brothel down the street are going to have a better time on judgment day than you!” (Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall?!).

Jesus pulled no punches when it came to the question of God’s judgment. What He taught is overwhelmingly terrifying. The burdens of God’s Law are heavy enough to crush the soul. Hearts are delicate and people easily become fearful. But it was not Jesus purpose to terrify people into a fear-induced paralysis. He is not trying to crush people. He immediately offers an invitation to flee, like Lot, from the wrath to come:

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me”

He does not demand that we come to Him like some kind of mafia protection racket. He does not force us to come to Him as some kind of bullying tyrant. He invites us to come to Him as someone gentle enough to handle the deepest needs and concerns of our fragile hearts, and lowly enough never to turn away in disgust:

“…for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

God is control of the whole thing and He is holding back judgment whilst Jesus exercises His power and authority to forgive sin and save sinners. He is still inviting people who are fearful and burdened to come to Him. And He is still gentle and lowly of heart.