The Lutheran Hour
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"A Hotter Hell"
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Text: Mark 12:38-40
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! To a world which, without the grace of God, would know only darkness and death, the announcement of the Savior’s resurrection is light and life, forgiveness from fear and the hope of heaven. By God’s grace may we be given and embrace the Christ Who remains good news of great joy for all the world. Lord, grant this grace to us all. Amen.
On August 13th of this year, four men stormed into Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame Restaurant Supply Company in Harlem. Armed with a pistol, they tried to put two of the stores employees into handcuffs. Fearing what might happen to them if they were trussed up, the male employee started to resist. His struggle ended when the man with the gun used it to hit him in the head. Seeing his employee being battered in this way was too much for the store’s owner, 72-year-old Charles Augusto. Mr. Augusto, who had been robbed before, grabbed the 12-guage shotgun he kept handy for just such an occasion. Mr. Augusto may be old, but he’s accurate, deadly accurate. The three blasts Mr. Augusto squeezed off from his shotgun hit all four of the robbers, killing two, wounding the others.
Let’s look at how people have reacted to the story. One person said, “Stories like this warm the cockles of my heart.” And another said, (this is) “Justice at its best!” One person, speaking for many said, “They got what was coming to them.”
Now, I don’t know if you totally agree with that last comment, the one about “getting what was coming to them.” Maybe you think Gus’ reaction was overkill. No matter how you feel about this particular incident, most of us feel pretty good when someone who is obviously guilty of a despicable crime gets what’s coming to him, and the closer we are to the victim, the stronger we feel. That’s why, just about any time a criminal has been convicted of rape, murder, stealing the lifesavings of the elderly, or molesting a child, any time that felon is given a stiff sentence, you can be sure someone, a family member or friend of the victim will appear before the news cameras and say, “I’m thankful justice has been done. I’m glad he got what was coming to him. I wish his punishment could be worse. I wish they’d do to him what he’s done to others.”
Think about it. How do you feel when some confessed wrongdoer has his case thrown out of court because of some minor, insignificant legal technicality? How do you feel when that perpetrator ends up on the streets, free to repeat his crime? How do you feel when, again and again and again, the court lets a drunk driver go unpunished? What is your reaction when that drunk driver gets behind the wheel and takes the lives of a family of five? Don’t you say, “If they’d given him what he had coming, this never would have happened?” How do you feel? How do you feel when bankers manage to keep getting their multi-million dollar bonuses when your honest, hard-working neighbor is losing his house? How do you feel when you get passed over for a promotion and the fellow who hasn’t done a decent day’s work since he was hired, keeps moving up the corporate ladder?
How do you feel when your child sits on the bench and other kids, less talented kids, play an entire game? How do you feel when you get pulled over for a speeding ticket and you know, within the last five minutes, 12 other people have passed you like you were standing still? How do you feel when your crop gets hailed out and your neighbor gets premium prices for his untouched harvest? How do you feel when the professor gives the student with a plagiarized paper an “A,” while your effort, the result of hours of research, gets a “C+”?
How do you feel? How do you feel when Aunt Mathilda leaves her small, but significant fortune to the black sheep of the family and completely overlooks you — the one who has taken care of her, taken her shopping for groceries every week and brought her to your house for every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthday celebration? How do you feel? How do you feel when you, a person who takes good care of yourself, who eats the right foods, who gets plenty of sleep, drinks eight glasses of water every day, who is faithful in exercise comes down with constant colds, serious sicknesses and has had frequent surgeries, while your brother or sister, the one who drinks too much, smokes too much, weighs too much, and never sees a doctor or dentist, gives every indication they’re going to keep running like the Energizer Bunny or a Timex watch?
Don’t you feel a sense of outrage at such unfairness? Don’t you find yourself spitting tacks at the injustice of it all? Don’t you find yourself saying things like: “That’s not right. It’s not fair!”? Don’t you mutter, “I’m a good person, and if I’m not a good person, I’m sure a better person than they are. When are they going to get what’s coming to them; and when am I going to get what’s coming to me?” Wow! A person can get himself really worked up at the injustice, the unfairness, the inequalities, and the inequities of life. That’s because we think life ought to be fair — the bad ought to be punished and the good ought to be blessed. That’s the way it should be, and we get upset when it’s not that way.
We get upset at fate; we get upset at karma, kismet, fortune, and destiny. We even get upset with the Deity. That’s right, not even the good and gracious Triune God escapes humanity’s challenge: “It’s not fair! Lord, when are You going to be fair? When are they going to get punished and when am I going to get what’s coming to me?” I don’t know if it’s any consolation for you to know you’re not the first to ask these questions of the Lord. In the Old Testament, afflicted Job wanted to know, (21:7-13 excerpts) “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?… Their houses are safe from fear,…They spend their days in prosperity….” Even the martyrs in the book of Revelation (6:10) want to know: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Folks in the Bible, you, me, we all want to know, “When am I going to get what’s coming to me?”
And this is the point where you probably are asking, “So — is there an answer; and if there is, what is it?” Yes, yes, there is an answer. But it’s not an answer that most people want to hear. That’s because if God were really going to give us what we’ve got coming, we’d be sunk, doomed, theologically speaking, we’d be damned. Now I’m pretty sure you think you’re a good person, at least most of the time. Most of us consider ourselves to be fine fellows, great gals, individuals who lead pretty good lives. One thing is for sure: we don’t do all the bad deeds some other people do. I’m pretty sure most of The Lutheran Hour listeners aren’t ax murderers, they’re not selling drugs to grade-school children, we’re not Adolf Hitlers. When you compare your sins to the transgressions of folks like that, you can feel pretty good about yourself, can’t you?
You should know, there’s a problem with that kind of thinking. That’s because the Lord, when He judges people, doesn’t compare us with each other. He compares us with Himself. And that’s where our problem shows up. Compared to others you may be an Albert Schweitzer, or a Mother Theresa, but compared to God you’re a first-class, A-1 stinker. When it comes to God giving you what you deserve, what you deserve isn’t all that good. When God looks at humanity, He sees big sinners, little sinners, part-time sinners, and sinners who bring in some serious overtime with their wrongdoing. The long and short of it is this: if you are a sinner, and you are; if you are a sinner, you will be punished. Do you want to know what you’ve got coming to you? The Lord will tell you: “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20).
Does that seem unfair to you? Probably. Most of the world says, “Hey, that’s not right. The good ought to get good stuff for what they do and the bad ought to be punished with bad stuff. The worse the sinner, the worse the bad stuff.” If that’s what you’re thinking, you might be pleased to know God agrees with you. God thinks: ‘If you are a sinner, you will be punished and if you are a bad sinner, you will be punished more.’ As evidence of what I’ve just said, please take a look at the Gospel of Mark. Jesus talks about some sinners who will receive the greater condemnation.
Before I go any further, maybe I ought to give you some background about that teaching. It was the last week of Jesus’ life. On Sunday the crowds of Jerusalem had welcomed Him as the Son of David and on Monday He had cleansed the temple of its profiteers. This was Tuesday and it had already been a most busy day. Almost from the moment Jesus entered the temple, His enemies, including some of the fellows who were plotting to have Him murdered, tried to discredit Him in front of His fans and followers. The Sanhedrin stepped up to the plate, batting lead-off. When they struck out, the Sadducees tried to hit the ball out of the park by questioning the resurrection. Jesus’ reply sent them back to the bench. Next up to bat were the Pharisees who thought they could get on base by questioning Jesus about how He viewed matters of law. They didn’t do any better than the folks who had gone before. It was three players up and three players down.
Then, when the war of wits and words was over, Jesus turned to the people who had been listening and told them to be careful. Basically the Savior said something like: “Take a look at these guys. They’re pretty smart guys. They’ve studied their Bible and they know all of God’s commandments and, where God was silent, they’ve shown they’re ready to insert a few commandments of their own.” “When these guys look in the mirror they’re pretty sure God couldn’t make anybody better than they are. That’s why they dress really fancy; they want to wow you. That’s why they like to be acknowledged by other equally impressive people. So you can see them, be inspired by them, be moved and motivated by their sterling examples they ask to be seated at the best table in the restaurants and get backstage passes at all the concerts.”
That’s when Jesus added something like, “Folks, these guys may look good and they may seem good and their words may sound good, but that goodness is only skin deep. You are impressed because you look at their exterior; but God looks at the inside of a person and when He looks at these guys, He sees cheap, tin-plated sinners. But it gets worse. God also sees these fellows as sinners whom he has blessed with knowledge of His Word and His will; He sees sinners who serve themselves and not Him. All sinners are going to be punished, but these guys, they’re going to receive the greater condemnation.” That was Jesus’ way of saying, “These guys who want to be first in line, who want the best of everything, they’re going to get their wish. God’s going to give them what they deserve; He’s going to give them what they’ve got coming. In store for them God has a very special punishment.”
So, there you have it. You wanted to know if you’re going to get what’s coming to you; and now you know. If you’re a sinner, you’re going to be punished and if you’re a sinner who has scorned God’s Son, laughed at His love, disregarded His grace, you’re going to find your punishment has become more harsh. Of course, I could tell you, you’re OK and I’m OK, but that wouldn’t be true, would it? If you want proof, then try this little experiment. Think of the worst thing you have ever done. You don’t have to say what it was, just think it. Now that you have that thought in your mind, answer this: “Would you tell that sin to your mother? In detail?” Probably not. Now here’s the point: your mother may be a good person, a great, a wonderful person; but as good as she is, she isn’t as good as God. If mom, a fellow sinner, were disappointed in you, think how the holy God must feel.
My friend, we are sinners. Punishment is what we’ve got coming to us. Death is what we deserve. And that’s about as discouraging and depressing a message as I can stand to preach. Thankfully, a prediction of punishment and pain is not the end of this message. It’s not the end because, in the midst of all the bad news, I’ve got good news. Good News. That’s what the angel called Jesus when the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. “Fear not,” the angel said, and then he explained why we don’t have to be afraid. He continued, “I’ve got Good News of great joy which is for all people. Unto you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.”
At the beginning of human history, when Adam and Eve rejected God and decided to go their own way, the realization of their sin caused them embarrassment and fear. God had been clear and they knew their disobedience would result in death. They hid from God because they knew they were going to get what they had coming to them, death is what they deserved. When God confronted His hidden, huddled, wayward children, He saw their helpless, their hopeless condition. Disappointed by what they had done and knowing what He must do, the Father was moved to pity.
That was when He promised to send His Son to be the world’s Savior. God said His Son would take our place under the law and keep the commandments which we habitually shatter. Jesus would come and resist every temptation of Satan which seduces us. At the proper time Jesus would be born, He would live and He would die. Unfairly, unjustly, He would die the death our sins have earned. It was a good plan, a Godly plan, a gracious plan which, if successful, would mean God wouldn’t give us what we have coming. He would give us the forgiveness, faith, and eternal life His Son had earned. Good News of great joy? I would think. The best news; the most joyful news. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23) “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, (and) not a result of works” (Eph. 2: 8-9). That’s what Scripture says. Again and again it says, “You don’t have to get what’s coming to you.” Thank the heavenly Father for His incredible Gift, for His Son who is Good News of great Joy.
Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician, a physician, a classical scholar, an artist, a jurist, a governor, a military leader, a diplomat, and economist, but His greatest fame was achieved in astronomy with the publication of his book: On the Revolutions of the Celestial Sphere. That book was a landmark in history, the starting point of modern astronomy and the beginning of the scientific method. So important was that book that when Copernicus was dying in May of 1543, it was placed into his hands. That book was a great work by a great man, but it could offer no comfort. Instead Copernicus turned to the Savior’s grace. This is what he asked be placed upon his grave: “I ask not such favor as St. Paul received, Nor such grace as St. Peter obtained; But what, on the cross, to the thief Thou did’st give, O Jesus, I fervently pray, grant to me.” In death Copernicus did not want what he had earned or what was coming to him, he wanted and received the Savior’s grace. If that is the Holy Spirit directed longing of your heart, if you need to meet the Savior, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for November 8, 2009
Topic: Jesus’ Sense of HumorAnnouncer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today our question comes to us from a listener in Montclair, New Jersey.
Klaus: And to all of our listeners and the stations which carry us, “A most sincere thanks.”
Announcer: And now on to the question. Actually, there are two questions here. First, “Is there anything in the New Testament to indicate that Jesus had a sense of humor?” And the second question is: “Do we find there anything in Scripture to show that Jesus loved animals, other than what He said about Himself being the Good Shepherd?”
Klaus: Those are kind of fun questions, aren’t they?
Announcer: A break from some of the more difficult topics we’ve discussed lately. Well, what do you think?
Klaus: I think we should deal with the second question first. Does Jesus love animals? If our listener wonders if there is any passage which says something like, “Jesus loved the animals and they followed Him and He talked to them.” I’ve never read anything like that.
Announcer: So your answer would be, “No?”
Klaus: A qualified “No.”
Announcer: OK. How so?
Klaus: Don’t forget, Jesus was there at the creation of the world. He is the Word of God incarnate and St. John says, “Through Him, all things were made.” When everything was finished, He, as the 2nd member of the Trinity, said everything was “very good.” When sin entered the world, the entire Godhead, Jesus included, would have been grieved to see His perfect handiwork spoiled.
Announcer: And that would have applied to the animal kingdom, as well.
Klaus: Yes. Jesus, because He is God, He loves all of His creation and continues to care for it. He provides food for every living creature and Scripture tells us He knows when a baby sparrow falls from the nest. He also places us as stewards of the Creation.
Announcer: OK. Anything else on that subject?
Klaus: Yes, this is going to come as a shocker; we can say Jesus was not a vegetarian.
Announcer: He was not a vegetarian. How do you know that?
Klaus: He ate the Passover meal. That meal included eating the Old Testament’s symbol of His own passion: a lamb without spot or blemish.
Announcer: OK. Next question: Did Jesus have a sense of humor?
Klaus: Absolutely. The Savior, I think, must have said many things that brought a smile to the faces of those who heard Him.
Announcer: But, I can’t say I recall any sermons that dealt with the jokes of Jesus.
Klaus: No doubt. I doubt if I’ve ever preached such a sermon. Jesus’ sense of humor is not nearly as important as His life, suffering, death and resurrection. That’s what we preach — it’s what every faithful Christian pulpit preaches. But we could cite a few examples of Jesus’ humor.
Announcer: I’m thinking of John 10, where Jesus’ enemies are picking up rocks to throw at Him and He says, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?” In a sense, He’s using humor to disarm his opponents. Can you think of another example?
Klaus: Be glad to. You brought up the subject of rocks, Jesus had a disciple by the name of Simon. But we generally know him by another name….
Announcer: You mean, “Peter”?
Klaus: Peter is correct. Do you remember how Simon got the name Peter?
Announcer: Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” And Simon gave a powerful statement that describes the solid foundation for our faith. He said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Klaus: And then Jesus gave Simon the nickname, Peter. Peter means “Rock” or “The Rock.” It had to be very funny.
Announcer: Why do you think it was funny?
Klaus: I noticed you’re not laughing. When you think of somebody called “Rocky,” you think of someone you can count on; someone who is solid, somebody who is tough.
Announcer: Right.
Klaus: But that’s not Simon Peter. Peter couldn’t do two things in a row which were consistent. There was a time he walked on the water and then he sank….
Announcer: Well, that’s kind of like a rock.
Klaus: Probably a bad example on my part. How about this: he went to the High Priest’s court yard to see how Jesus was doing; and then he denied ever knowing Jesus. First he said Jesus shouldn’t wash his feet and then he asked Jesus to wash all of him. Even in this story, Peter wasn’t immovable like a rock. He gave this beautiful statement of faith and then seven verses later he’s trying to talk Jesus out of going to Jerusalem to die. Calling Peter “the Rock” would have been like calling me “Slim” or somebody in the NBA calling them “Shorty.” The disciples would have got the joke.
Announcer: Thank you Pastor Klaus and thank our listener for that question. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Lord, for Thy Tender Mercies’ Sake” From Blessed by the Concordia Seminary Chorus (© 2000 Concordia Seminary Chorus)
“Jesus Sinners Will Receive” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Christ, Our Savior, Who Takes God’s Wrath Away from Us” by J.S. Bach. From Organist Frederick Hohman & Johann Sebastian Bach by Frederick Hohman (© 1988 Pro Organo)
“Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good” by Arthur Preuss, Sr. From Sacred Organ Originals by Arthur L. Preuss (© 2006 Arthur L. Preuss, Sr.