Shame

Revelation: 20:11-15

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2020%3A11-15&version=NIV;NLT

  



Think of the most shameful thing you have ever done. Now imagine that you are in a courtroom filled with your family, friends from church and neighbors. Across from you is the District Attorney who is ready to explain to everyone why you deserve the maximum sentence.

 

Before the sentencing, the judge reads the charges against you for everyone to hear; your shameful act that cannot be reversed. He asks if you have anything to say for yourself.  Through tears of shame and regret, you make your remorseful plea. The DA sneers and responds with a venomous, angry attack, casting doubt on your integrity and your value as a person.

 

The judge pronounces your sentence and then you, along with all the other convicted reprobates, proceed out the door of the courtroom in a chain gang, each shackled to one another. Your head hangs low. You’re unable to look at anyone in the courtroom. You know that you deserve this punishment.

 

¹¹ And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. ¹² I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.  NLT

 

In the New Living Translation, the title of this passage is “The Final Judgement”. If you or I are judged solely on our actions as described here, our fate is sealed. The “great white throne” would not be an image of hope, but of shame, judgement and condemnation.

 

Thankfully, Paul tells us in Romans, that is not the case; that we have hope through Jesus Christ.

 

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord… [NKJV] ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... [NIV]

 

Jesus suffered the shameful death on the cross of a common criminal so that we wouldn’t have to; so that we wouldn’t be required to face a courtroom of shame and judgement. Thanks be to God.

 

 

Consequences… Nobody Likes Them

Revelation 20:7-15

 

Consequences… nobody likes them.

 

My wife and I love college hockey, so even though we are not Buckeye fans, we’ve attended games for over ten years. During most of those years we parked in a secluded area where the handful of parking spots are marked - “Staff Only”; and of course we are not staff. But it’s never been a problem… until this year.

 

Following our most recent game, we discovered a parking ticket on our windshield. I was irate to say the least. For years we had parked in the same spot, along with other

fans, and never got a ticket. My wife has bad knees, and this is the closest parking location not requiring a handicap sticker. On top of all this, it was 10pm on a Saturday night. How many OSU staff do you think were looking for a parking spot at that time?

 

 

 

Consequences… nobody likes them.

 

My NIV Study Bible has two sub-titles for this passage in Revelation, both involving severe consequences.

 

“The Judgement of Satan”

^10 “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”            NASB

 

“The Judgement of the Dead”

^13 “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”       NIV

 

Consequences… nobody likes them.

 

Thankfully, God through His gracious love, has provided a way for us to live without fear of condemnation. Read these words that Paul wrote to the Romans.

 

 

^24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!... There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”              ESV

 

 

9/11

Matthew 15:1-9

 

 

Do you remember where you were when the news broke about 9/11? I do. I was in a meeting. At first nobody realized the magnitude of what was happening, but as details were released it became clear. The United States had been attacked by Islamic terrorists resulting in over 3000 deaths. Unbelievable!

 

How could people rationalize or justify such evil behavior? In reality though, the human condition has rationalized behavior since the beginning of time, and then blamed someone else. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake; but both justified their rebellious actions. Not much has changed since then.

 

Consider then, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law in today’s passage. “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” (Have you ever noticed how a why question is actually an accusation?)

 

According to my NIV study Bible, the “tradition of the elders” was developed “after the Babylonian exile, when the Jewish rabbis began to make meticulous rules and regulations governing the daily life of the people. These were interpretations and applications of the law of Moses, handed down from generation to generation.”

 

It seems then, that in the beginning there may have been good intentions in the “tradition of the elders”. Ultimately though, it became a tool to rationalize and justify sinful behavior.

 

Here is Jesus’ response to their question above. “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” Jesus was good with why questions too. He didn’t pull any punches.

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we recognize that we justify and rationalize our behavior. Granted, we may not fly a jet into a building killing thousands; we may not rebel against God’s causing humanity to fall into sin; but we justify and rationalize our sinful behavior every day.

 

Jesus condemned the Pharisees. Are we any better? No. However, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Romans: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

 

9/11 was the epitome of the pain and damage that rationalization and justification can do. In light of our sinful nature and what it is capable of, Paul’s words bring us great hope. They are words filled with life not death; words to help us turn from our sinful nature to become a new creation in Christ. Thanks be to God.