"What About Divine Judgment?"


Sermon Delivered By Reverend Richard E. Stetler – March 18, 2012

Centenary United Methodist Church

    Isaiah 65:1-10; John 3:14-21

    This morning we are going to be discussing how divine judgment works according to John’s Gospel. Almost every religious person we talk to has a different version and a definite opinion about what form God’s justice will take. The images and understanding from people of all religions are all over the landscape of possibilities. Because people do not share the same level of compassion and understanding as God, religious people tend to be judgmental toward those that stray from the prescribed path to salvation. 

    Getting into Heaven may not be as difficult as feeling welcome in a new church, particularly if the newcomers sit in a pew where church members have sat for over 30 years. Even in the secular world, people can be highly selective of just who gets into an exclusive club where membership is required. 

    Once a very dignified British lawyer wanted to play 18 holes of golf on one of the most exclusive and prestigious courses in England.  He approached the club secretary and inquired. The secretary said, “Are you a member?  The man said, “No, I am not.”  “Well then, are you a guest of one of our members?  The man once again answered, “No, I am not.”  The secretary said, “I am terribly sorry.  Our golf course is strictly reserved for the members who have paid for that privilege.  Have a good day.”

    As the attorney turned to leave, he noticed Lord Parham sitting in the reading area of the club engrossed in The London Times.  “I beg your pardon, your Lordship, my name is Higginbotham, a partner in the law firm of Higginbotham, Willoughby and Barclay.  Begging your indulgence, Sir, I was wondering if I might play a round of golf on your marvelous golf course as your guest?”

    Lord Parham looked over the attorney from his head to his feet.  He then asked a series of questions using only one word.  His Lordship asked, “Church?”  “Church of England, Sir, as was my late wife.”  “Education?” Higginbotham replied, “Eton, sir, and then Oxford.”  “Sport?” “Rugby, Sir, a spot of tennis, and I was number four on the crew that beat Cambridge.” “Service?”  Higginbotham said, “Brigadier, Sir, Coldstream Guards, Victoria Cross and Knight of the Garter.  I fought at Dunkirk, Sir, at El Alamein and Normandy.” “Languages?” Higginbotham said, “I am a private tutor in French, fluent in German and I am accomplished in Greek.”   After a long pause, Lord Parham called the club secretary over and said, “Please allow this gentleman to play nine holes as my guest.” 

    Now that is exclusive! While the story sounds ridiculous, there are many Christians who have the same theological rigidity in their understanding about those who are saved and those who are lost.  They forget that once upon a time the Jews were God’s only chosen people. 

    One of the favorite images that I encountered as a boy featured God as an old, wise man with a long gray beard reviewing a large book entitled “The Book of Life.”  Standing in front of God was an individual who had just transitioned from earth.  Viewers of this image were left with the impression that the new arrival was receiving points for performing well and demerits for his less than enlightened decisions.  There are also other belief-driven images.

    Last week a friend sent me a short You-Tube clip of a young woman who had returned to England to see if the rumors were correct that radical Muslims were making life uncomfortable for the rest of the citizens living in an area where she grew up. 

    She and a friend created a video after finding a group of Muslims protesting the UK Government and the police. She engaged both men and women in conversation. Everyone spoke to her in highly judgmental terms about the government, the police and her style of dress.

    One woman called her a seductress even though she was dressed very appropriately. All that could be seen of the Muslim woman was her eyes through the slit in her head to toe black garb.  Finally, the woman encountered a man that quoted to her from the Quran.  He told her that all non-Muslims are going to experience Hell-fire according to Chapter 33:1. 

    She became emotional that anyone on the streets of London would make such a judgment about her when he knew nothing about her.  His response was, “All I needed to know about you is that you are a non-Muslim.  That automatically condemns you to Hell.” She was tearfully sad.  

    I would be remiss if I did not mention the number of times that my spiritual destiny has been questioned and dismissed by Christians who honestly and sincerely believed that they possessed the path to salvation, a path that obviously I had missed.  Some Christians are very selective about sharing their eternal reward with anyone who does not fit the mold they believe was established by Scripture.

     One of my favorite songs is To Dream the Impossible Dream from the popular 1965 musical, Man of La Mancha.  There is a stanza in that piece that says, “To be willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause.”  To me this epitomizes someone who has conquered their fear of banishment and punishment and is willing to enter dark environments in order to bring light. Is this not what Jesus taught his followers to do?  (Matthew 5:14)  Is this not what Jesus chose to do with his life as he grew up in the same world we enjoy today?  (John 1:5)

    There is a true path to salvation but you may be surprised that it has little to do with our beliefs about it.  Beliefs often change when new information enhances our knowledge. We all know John 3:16.  John 3:17 offers us a glimpse into the mission of Jesus.  “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved.”

    Most Christians associate their salvation with Jesus’ death on the cross.  We should find it strange that during Jesus’ ministry there was no emphasis of his dying on the cross.  Quite to the contrary, he was teaching his listeners the truth about living in the Kingdom of God.  That is a very different message from the one we were taught. (John 18:37)  

    When we follow him, we can forego taking all the detours that life offers to us every week.  Why is it so hard to understand Jesus as a savior that took on the role as our teacher, guide, mentor, and life-coach, as well as dedicating his life to teaching people how to find the water that will cause them never to thirst again?  (John 4:13f)

    Several years ago I had the privilege of cutting the ribbon on a new Continuing Care Retirement Community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Asbury Communities, Inc. had just added Inverness Village to our family of retirement communities.  As part of the activities, our group was given an extensive tour of the facility. 

    When our group entered the physical fitness complex, we met the athletic director.  She was a 28-year old who was exceedingly fit.  She climbed out of the pool to greet us still dripping. She had just finished a class in water resistance training for a group of seniors and was a little embarrassed.  She had not been expecting us.    

    One woman called her a seductress even though she was dressed very appropriately. All that could be seen of the Muslim woman was her eyes through the slit in her head to toe black

    Later, during an evening social event with the Board of Governors and key staff, I happened to meet her again. I asked, “Do you ever intentionally use your sensuality to motivate the residents?” She burst into laughter and without a moment’s hesitation she answered,

You bet I do! The men hold in their tummies when they are around me and they work very hard with the lessons I give them. The women are also working very hard to regain the physique they once had.  My goal is to teach them what is possible even at the more advanced age of their bodies. I am a Geriatric Physical Trainer and if looking at me or fantasizing about me makes them work harder on themselves, that is a plus for them.  I make every lesson fun because all of them want to reverse what aging has done to their bodies. What they have realized is that exercise has started doing that the minute they began training.

    Jesus never couched his teaching in the context of having fun, but his lessons can be once we understand our temptations as a game.  When life presents us with choices to either to play big or to play small we often have a clear choice.  We build the quality of our lives on the foundation of a lot of little choices. The more we get into the spirit that life is a game of choices, the easier it is to choose wisely.

    Jesus was teaching: 

Are you doing this for “you” or for “others?”  Are you attracted to developing skills of spirit, like patience, listening, caring, and understanding, or are you into gratifying something that you believe will reduce your sense of emptiness? Are you finding your lives filled with lasting peace and happiness or are you looking at something in the material world that you hope will give you those qualities? 

    Some weeks ago, Lois and I were ready to take a walk and we found a gift card from A.S. Cooper & Sons in our front yard.  The next time we were in town, we dropped by their store on Front Street and we learned that there was one hundred dollars left on the card. 

    We wanted to know if anyone contacted Cooper’ s concerning a lost card and the clerk directed us to the home office. There, we were greeted by a young woman.  When she learned what we wanted, she took the card from me and put it away.  Then she wrote down our contact information.   She told us that she would check the numbers on the card against anyone who has called in and get back to us with the outcome.  She never called.  Since the card was just as good as cash, we wondered what decision she made regarding the use of that card.

    During his ministry Jesus was offering guidance for the choices people make. Nearly every choice communicates whether we are just another creature of the physical world or an angel in the flesh through whom God works in the unfolding of creation. 

    There is an episode in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus taught, “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in larger ones.  You cannot serve both God and the attractive aspects of the material world.” Luke goes on to say, “When the Pharisees heard this, they made fun of Jesus because they loved everything that financial wealth had brought to them.”  Jesus concluded his lesson with these words, “The things that are considered to be of great value by people are worth nothing to God.” (Luke 16:10-15)

    Every day of our lives we make choices that define what path we are on.  That is why John wrote, “For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but to be its savior.”  He came to lead us away from aspects of the material world that promise to help us feel more complete if we had them.  In essence Jesus was saying, “You cannot be any more whole than you already are.  God does not create half people. The adjustments you need to make are inside of you and cannot be found anywhere else.”   

    One day a man walked into New York’s Metropolitan Art Gallery to get away from the absurdities of the world.  He was so stressed and frustrated with the activities on Wall Street that he went to the gallery hoping to experience a slice of Heaven, a moment of rest among the whirlwinds of the business world.  A touring collection of paintings created by a number of the world’s great masters was on display.  As he walked among these timeless pieces, absolutely nothing touched his spirit.

    As he left the gallery he said to an attendant, “I came in here hoping to have my spirits lifted by these artists.  I honestly did not see anything in the gallery today that did that for me.” The attendant thought for a moment and then said quietly, “Sir, I would remind you that these paintings are no longer on trial.”

    When we stop polishing and refining our decision-making, we have forgotten how judgment works.  We are the ones that define ourselves by our choices, not God.  This is one of the reasons Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many levels of awareness.  I would not tell you this if it were not so.”  (John 14:2) Jesus came to teach us the truth about the spiritual nature of our lives, and, as our guide, he invited us to follow him.

    I will conclude with this question:  What greater compassion and understanding could God have than to allow us to determine the quality of our own lives both here and in the spirit-realm beyond this life?