249 The Red Letter Answers Prt 2

We continue this series of answering these questions with the words of Jesus. So we have renamed this series The Red Letter Answers. This week we look at the question of what does Jesus say about God punishing sinners? The Old Testament is very clear that God would punish them if they did not follow what He had admonished them to do. The results were a whole list of terrible things that would happen to them. No wonder that in Jesus day we discover a people that thought God was punishing anyone that had a calamity happen to them. Then Jesus refutes this idea by saying that God is not that way and that is not why these bad things happen. Take a listen to discover what Jesus' answer was.

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Show Notes

2. What did Jesus say about God punishing sinners?

Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, passages rehearsed each year in ancient Israel from mounts Ebal and Gerizim, are dogmatic that God punishes disobedient people. Here is an extract to demonstrate this claim.

Leviticus 26:14-17 NLT “However, if you do not listen to me or obey all these

commands, 15 and if you break my covenant by rejecting my decrees, treating my

regulations with contempt, and refusing to obey my commands, 16 I will punish you. I

will bring sudden terrors upon you—wasting diseases and burning fevers that will cause

your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will plant your crops in vain because your

enemies will eat them. 17 I will turn against you, and you will be defeated by your

enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is

chasing you! (18-35 is even worse)

These punishments were experienced by the ancient Israelites and are described in their history. Moses understood that God was punishing his people however Jesus contradicted Moses more than once.

For instance

Luke 13:1-5 NLT About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some

people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those

Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is

that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your

sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in

Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again

that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

Jesus thus discounts the idea that God punishes sinners. Here is another incident which is

relevant.

John 9:1-5 NLT As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from

birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because

of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so (Gr alla hina) the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus makes it clear that this blindness is not the result of personal or parental sin. This statement thus supports the statement made in Luke 13:5 that suffering is not a punishment from God. It is this attitude of Jesus that gives him the freedom to eat and talk with tax collectors and prostitutes.The reason given for the man’s blindness is troubling. Apparently, the man was born blind so that Jesus could come along and heal him. This is however translator bias. The Greek words alla hina are here translated as “so” It is permissible to translate them as “and.” Verse 3 would then become

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened and

the power of God will be seen in him.

The translators missed this option probably because they believed it is legitimate for God to do as she wishes. A God of love and mercy would not create a man blind so Jesus can later come along and heal him to bring glory to God. This would make God a manipulative dictator. John records the following words of Jesus.

John 3:17 NLT God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the

world through him.

Thus God is in the saving business not in the punishing business. All God’s works are restorative never punitive. There are consequences which follow our choices but these are inherent results not punishments from God.

John 10:10 NLT The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to

give them a rich and satisfying life.

In this statement Jesus is defining and detailing the two beings, the two kingdoms, the two paradigms in our planet. It is a succinct description of the conflict between evil and good.

The thief is identified by the actions of stealing, killing and destroying. These are Satanic

actions. When they occur, we can recognize who is behind them.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:35). He creates and maintains life and joy.

Whenever these characteristics are manifest, we know Jesus is behind them. There is no

compromise here. The end does not justify the means in any conflict. Jesus will never use deceit and violence to attain his ends.

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation and is but a reflection of human frailty." –Albert Einstein

It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow him. They behold the Saviour’s matchless love revealed throughout his

pilgrimage on earth from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary’s cross, and the sight of him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear his voice, and they follow him. DA 480