Matter of Life or Death
Many dislike “fire and brimstone” preaching but why is that? Is it not a fact that one has two choices, namely, to be a saint or go to hell? Truly, there would be no such preaching if the prophets had not done it first. In every choice, thought, word, and action you either contribute to the kingdom of love or the kingdom of destruction. This is the justice that the world was created with that those who were loved and seek destruction shall suffer in such fate (cf. Matthew 26:52). Those that that love was first loved by God shall be given more of it (Matthew 25:14-30). Still, Christ made recourse humanly possible through grace. Very often, the best ally is a poor enemy, is this not what we are for our enemies, corrupt as we are? Truly, Truly, those who sin choose hell/destruction/death, and those who love properly choose heaven/life/sacrifice/love.
Every brimstone verse, I could recall from memory begins with one very important verse, "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life'" (John 8:12). This to me is an interpretive lens for all hard sayings. Each one speaks to the heart "'repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near'" (Matthew 4:17). Since in our hearts and minds we try to deceive ourselves sometimes consciously and others unconsciously. It is deviation from this deception that is the truth and very often is difficult for us. The truth is "you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets...Therefore, I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town’" (Matthew 23:30,34) This is true because we not only wish that we are perfect and imagine it so we are not prepared to confront this reality and we wish destruction on those who reveal it. We stop reading/listening. In the depths of our hearts, we long to know love and serve God but we cower in fear, and no sign of God's existence or a miracle of grace can pull us from this hole we are in except the "sign of Jonah" (cf. Matthew 12:38-42). We need this because something is obstructing our sight, allowing us to be face to face with glorious realities and just be disappointed, filled with anxiety, and filled with contempt at the love we desire most. If we don't change this reality, we will find ourselves thrown "into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42). Knowing this truth about ourselves suddenly, we have room for compassion with others (Matthew 5:43-48). This compassion is harder than apathy and accepting these realities harder is than avoiding them. Despite ourselves, we are called to face realities and follow Christ's will in them (Luke 9:23). Truly, "Whoever has ears ought to hear" since this is what makes us Christian (Matthew 11:15, Revelation 2:29, cf. Luke 6:32-36). In fact, "Do not think that [Christ came] to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34-36). However, "does not bear fruit will be pruned" from the tree as they rather than helping with the function of the tree, take its life and waste it (John 15:1-5, cf. Matthew, 21:18–22, Matthew 3:10). Certainly, some will try to enter but because of lack of preparedness will in fact, in fact, be put out (cf. Matthew 22). We will never know when the end will come until it is here (Matthew 24:37-44, Matthew 24:46, Matthew 25:1-13). Further, we will not be sure of our salvation until judgment is done, even if we largely decide this for ourselves, after all, “Not everyone who says to [God], ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of [the] Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21).
In our hearts when we encounter these realities, we should pray with the following passage because it evokes authenticity rather than guardedness or deflection. "When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you,, there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So, Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:60-68). Will you be like Peter and the eleven after hearing these things or the many who go away sad (cf. Mark 10:17-31/Luke 18:18–30/Matthew 19:16–30)? "Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37, Revelation 3:16).
In conclusion, some embrace God's mercy that must also concern themselves with His justice. Some embrace God's justice that must also concern themselves with His mercy. It is essential that we see His Mercy and His justice in the same frame, as they are one in Him and both infinite. When we hear of the terrible judgment day if we first think of His justice, let us sense His mercy in the background. When we hear and hopefully feel God's forgiveness, let us recognize, or at least not lose attention to, the justice that is active in such mercy. Thus, in doing so, we are neither brought to despair, consumed by the fear of Divine punishment which we as a race and often as an individual are worthy of, nor to hold false hope of complacency, wherein acedia takes the place of demonstrating love for God and law which God gives is null and void. Specifically, let us be conscious of the aspect of the Judgment Day wherein where we have dwelt will be our eternal dwelling place (darkness to the dark ones and lightness to the light ones) and of the aspect where justice is attained. Would that we repent now rather than then. Let us not be turned away but transformed by "fire and brimstone" because it is reality as it is not as we would have it, and realities can be changed by concrete action and much prayer. The difficult in receiving such preaching comes not from the message but the heart of the recipient who is "cut to the heart" (Acts of the Apostles 7:54). One day we find these things joyful, and we thank God for them since without it we would have nothing force our attention to the Light, the Truth, the Way, the Good Shepherd, and the Life who is the answer of all our blindness, death, misguidedness, and confusion. So perhaps it is not the message that inherently brings difficulty so much as our present state that naturally abhors reality to which the message is conformed.
"For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.’"
Has Christ not come to cast fire upon the earth?
Has He not come to give us second birth?
Our God has come to save us from ourselves,
to give us freedom from our personal hells.
Nothing pains Him more than our rejection,
wherein we play into His death and not His resurrection.
O Emmanuel, enlighten our blindness, heal our brokenness,
open our hearts, and cleanse our sickness
Written by Carter Carruthers
