0226 HOW LONG? HOW LONG!

HOW LONG? HOW LONG!

How long, O Lord? How long?

It is the question that seems to always be running in the background, both in the Bible and in our lives. We see injustice and wonder why the wicked flourish while the righteous are oppressed. We see evil deeds, godless people, sinful words and harmful plans, and we wonder how God lets it all happen without intervening.

If God is just, then why doesn’t He smite the wicked? How can he allow evil to flourish on the earth? Why not punish the oppressors? Why does the Bible give all those warnings, but yet He takes no action? What is he waiting for? 

And what about me, personally. Why do I suffer? Will he not avenge me? When will he destroy those who oppose me? Why not take up my cause and bring me some justice?

Be careful what you wish for. James says the Judge is standing at the door! If he had taken action when his justice demanded it, you and I would likely not be here now! 

You might say that God’s justice and His mercy are two attributes that are sort of mutually exclusive. His justice says to bring swift judgment on all. But His mercy waits and waits and waits some more.

“But God is patient with you, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 1 Peter 3:9 So the mercy of God waits patiently for you and me to get our hearts right with him before he simply judges us eternally.

On the other side of that judgment and mercy timetable, we find Revelation 9, where the saints who have been martyred for Christ are under the altar in heaven. And they cry out,  “How long, O Lord, until you avenge our blood?” (After all, God says vengeance is His!) “Just a little while longer,” they are told. Wait until the full number of saints have been martyred. 

So the judgment of God is ready to avenge. But the mercy of God prevents it.

Which brings us to today’s verses: Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Who is the man in this parable? And who is the vine dresser? 

What if we say the man is the judgment of God, and the vine dresser is his mercy. Justice would throw us out and find another use for the soil. But the mercy of God gives more time, and then cares for us, digs around us, fertilizes us, and gives us one more chance to bear fruit. Thank God that His mercy waits and waits for just. One. more.

And THAT is how high and deep and wide and LONG is the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.