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Mark 3
Mark 3
The Jesus I Never Knew. Some years ago I read a book by this title. The writer had grown up hearing all the Jesus love me stories and was taught that Jesus loves everyone. While there is truth in that, it was a lopsided picture of Jesus. Jesus loved sinners, Jesus forgave sinners, yet Jesus demanded a heart of repentance from sinners. He would instruct them to ‘go and sin no more’. AND, here in Mark 3, WE SEE THAT JESUS GOT ANGRY AT THOSE WHO DIDN’T.
“5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” (Mark 3:5)
The same picture is often painted of God, and yet the Old Testament shows from many different words and contexts that God does become angry, even hating not just the sin but those who rebelliously live a life of sin. Such is the picture of the wrath of God – which, is not a fit of anger as men do, but a righteous anger against sin. Notice this double-sided picture of God as presented by Paul. The mercy and kindness of God in the gospel message: “ 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17).
AND THEN the wrath of God in vs. 18: “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Romans 1:18).
As we read the New Testament this year, let us always give the whole picture and not become over-balanced in any direction of our understanding.
“22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22)
Hugh
