Hebrews 12:18-29, August 21-27, Year C:

I hope to begin publishing these comments on the lectionary epistle readings again on a regular basis. I realize this one is a little late for use this Sunday; but I wanted to get a little practice first--kind of like pre-season or spring training! (Grin.) The real reason I wanted to comment on this reading is because of its companion reading from the Gospels. The Gospel reading today from the lectionary is Luke 13:10-17, the story of Jesus healing a crippled woman in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The linkage in the Revised Common Lectionary between these two readings reminds us of the many attributes of God and encourages us to adopt what I called in my sermon this morning a "balanced Christianity." Whenever any one theological doctrine or attribute of God gains such a dominance in the church that other biblical concepts are virtually abandoned or omitted, the result is a Christianity that is out of balance, and therefore a congregation or denomination that is at a great disadvantage. In times past, the wrath of God has no doubt been emphasized almost to the exclusion of His grace and mercy. At other times in churchhistory, the doctrine of the Second Coming, or the person and work of the Holy Spirit, or some other aspect of the faith has been preached and taught to such an extent that the church truly suffered. Today, we are eager to speak of the love and the grace of God. The principle message of the Gospel surely is liberation in Christ. But God's law and His holiness and justice must not be neglected; for as Hebrews 12:29 points out, "....Our God is a consuming fire." Of course, some will claim that these are simply contradictory concepts of God and that the New Testament God of love and compassion is at odds with, and an advance beyond, the God of the Old Testament with His wrath and anger and fire! But Jesus Himself speaks of fire and wrath. Our Westminster Confession of Faith lists over 30 attributes of God. Just as we know people who have many complex sides to their personality, so we worship a God who is perfect in all His ways and infinite in all His attributes. Emphasize the God of wrath without teaching the God of love and grace, and you are teaching something other than Christianity; but teach God's mercy and compassion without including His holiness and glory and justice, and you make Christianity and its Gospel message unnecessary.