The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 9:48; 10:14,
"He who is least among you all—he is the greatest... it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you [Korazin and Bethsaida]."
I used to think there were two simple dispositions in life following death: that in God's kingdom and that in a fiery lake of burning sulfur. While that is certainly true, I learn from the Lord that there will be those who are greater than others in the resurrection of life and those who will suffer more intensely than others in the resurrection of the lost.
While I am thrilled to just be counted among those who will share in God's family, I have to recognize that if the Lord taught there will be a "grading" process resulting in differing dispositions in the resurrection, then he wants me to be aware of it. From two passages in Luke I learn about this.
In the first, Luke 9:46-48, we find the disciples arguing among themselves as to who would be greatest, something that didn't bring the Lord's commendation. As we see in his comment, the least will be the greatest. It will be the reverse of what their prideful outlook anticipated. I note he did not correct their notion that there would be some greater than others, in fact he underscored that notion by pulling the rug from under them in pointing out their very argument was positioning others ahead of them. The least will be the greatest. Some will be greater than others.
Likewise, at the judgment, there will be varying degrees of misery. Two cities the Lord had performed miracles in will suffer more intensely in the resurrection of death than others which had rejected God, but had not had the miracles performed in them.
Some have mistaken the reality of a "threshold" as the end of the disposition of us all. All people have sinned and are subject to the judgment of God. All face this judgment except for those who have crossed over from death to life. Jesus speaks of this in John's gospel.
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." John 5:24-30.
The threshold is real and divides us all. However, we find that there will be those who will be greater in God's family and those who will suffer more intensely at God's judgment than others.
As I say, I am thrilled just to be among those who will enter into the resurrection of life. But I have this gnawing felling that, although I can be certain about my destination in the resurrection, what I chose to do in this life makes a difference in what that destination is going to look like. Something, certainly, to think about and consider...
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
No comments:
Post a Comment