Peter Misselbrook's Blog

Sep 28 2019 - Ezekiel 33:1-22 – Called to be a Watchman

You may remember, in Ezekiel chapter three, he was told that his calling as a prophet involved acting as a watchman over the people of God. The Lord now explains this role more fully to Ezekiel, building also on what we read yesterday that sin brings death but repentance leads to life.

As I write this, there has just been a service marking the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire (of 14th June 2017), in which 72 people died. Since then there had been a shameful lack of urgency in replacing external flammable panels on similar tower blocks. I heard of the residents of one Tower Block who had appointed a group of volunteers from among the residents who would act as watchmen (or, more accurately, watchpersons). There would always be two people awake and on guard so that if a fire started anywhere in their block they would be able to alert all the residents and supervise a safe evacuation before any lives were lost.

Ezekiel has been appointed by God to a similar watchman role over the exiled people of God. If a watchman on a city wall saw an enemy army approaching and failed to trumpet the alarm, calling the citizens to action, he would have failed in his duty and, says the Lord, would be held accountable for the loss of their lives. A similar and serious weight of responsibility must rest on the shoulders of watchpersons in those towers which have flammable cladding.

Ezekiel bears the serious responsibility of declaring to the Israelites the words of warning which the Lord has spoken to him. He cannot turn a deaf ear to the voice of God or decide that passing it on to the people would only make trouble for himself. He has been appointed as a watchman and must sound the alarm.

But the word that Ezekiel has to pass on is not just a word of judgment. Some of the exiles have listened to the things that Ezekiel has been saying and are aware that their exile is the result of their own sins. This realisation had led to despair; some are saying, "Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?" (v. 10). Ezekiel is instructed to bring words of hope to them from the Lord, "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?" (v. 11).

These wonderful words make me think of Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were muttering against Jesus saying "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them" (Luke 15:2). Jesus told this parable to show them that this is precisely the character of God. The Waiting Father in the parable is more eager to welcome his lost and erring son back home than the son is to return. The Father throws a feast for his sinful son – he welcomes sinners and eats with them. (The elder brother in the story, who refuses to join in the feast, reflects the attitude of the Jewish leaders who would not share fellowship with "sinners".)

Ezekiel is to tell the Exiles that they must stop despairing and come to a right mind. God is more eager to welcome them back home than they are to return. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, any more than the Father in Jesus' parable would have taken pleasure in hearing that his errant son had died of starvation in a far country. God longs for them to return to him; "Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?"

Today's passage concludes with the news that Jerusalem and its temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians. All the more reason now to focus on the call to return to God and on the blessings that might yet be experienced by the people of God.

Father God you have spoken to us finally and fully in the Lord Jesus Christ and called us to pass on the message you have given us in him. Help us by your Spirit to tell those who live in despair that the God who created them loves them and longs for them to turn to him and come home.

Sep 28 2020 - Matthew 25:31-26:13 – The sheep and the goats

The parable of the sheep and the goats presents us with a puzzling question; if we are saved by grace and not by what we do, how can there be a judgment to come based on how we have lived our lives? This parable is not alone in raising this paradox. The apostle Paul, the great preacher of grace, also affirms a judgment to come based on how we have conducted ourselves in this life (see, for instance, 2 Corinthians 5:10). How are we to fit these truths together?

Salvation is not about a free ticket to heaven; it's about the transforming power of God. It's about the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead; the power of God that lays hold of lives and transforms them, making them like his Son; the power of God that will one day transform the whole of creation. There is no such thing as cheap grace. The grace that saves is also the grace that transforms. The salvation of God is not a legal fiction but a visible reality; the tree can be known by its fruit.

Jesus and Paul speak with one voice: “The grace of God that brings salvation … teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

The Holy Spirit who brings us to faith in Christ purposes also to transform us into the likeness of Christ. The Spirit calls us to know Christ, to follow Christ and to be like Christ. That is what stands out in this parable; the "sheep" are commended for all manner of acts of kindness; acts which reflect the character of their Lord, who came "to proclaim good news to the poor... to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour" (Luke 4:18-19). The sheep have heard the Shepherd’s voice and followed him.

The parable provides us with a tremendous challenge and paradox. We often hear people say that the Christian church is full of hypocrites and that many non-Christians live lives that put Christians to shame. Sadly, there is truth in such accusations – even though we may point to the way the gospel has had a transformative influence upon society (see, for instance, Alvin Schmidt's, How Christianity has Changed the World). We recognise that we do not always practice what we preach and that our term-report always carries the verdict, “Could do better”.

But we need equally to recognise that we are a work in progress. The Christian church is a fellowship of broken people who have been forgiven and embraced by God. Furthermore, it is our delight to encourage more broken people to come along and join us. We are not yet all that we should be, nor what we shall be; we never get beyond a work in progress. Not that this is ground for any complacency; we need rather to continually spur one another on to love and good works – that we might stop acting the goat!

Lord, I recognise that the work of transforming my life has only just begun. Make me more like Jesus. Increase in me a heart of compassion for those in need and enable me to be good news to those around me. May I serve you in them and may they meet you in me.

Peter Misselbrook