It’s remarkable that a command can be an invitation and yet that’s exactly what is going on in the good news being declared.
It’s not just good news that should bring a smile to the face and cheery feeling in the soul. It’s not the good news that should make us feel better for a moment before letting the rest of life carry on. This is the kind of news that demands a response.
That response is summarised delightfully in that one word: repent.
It’s an invitation because the reason why you are to repent is because of what’s at hand. What’s here. What’s near. Namely this glorious rule of the Creator of the Cosmos. His rule is breaking through. This is glorious news when you’ve had to deal with an oppressive regime. This is great news when you’ve been burdened with such a crippling system that only ended in an impoverished soul, fractured communities, messed up families, confused young people and havoc in any effort to work towards righteousness, peace and joy.
This rule, however, isn’t just something that we sit back and let shine on us as though we’re sun-bathing. This rule brings into shocking clarity just how pervasive the old oppressive rule has been and how complicit we have been to it. This rule brings to light how we’ve been captive for so long that it’s a threat to the status quo to shift it. This rule even exposes us to ourselves the degree of shame we all carry because of the state of our inner corruption.
That’s why the news demands a response. Turn from the path to destruction. Turn from self-seeking and soul-destroying pursuits. Turn from those worthless things. Turn from self-reliance. Turn from self-righteousness. Turn from the bitterness and the recriminations. Turn from condemning, demonising, wrongly discriminating, behaving in grossly prejudicial ways. Turn from those worthless things. Turn from the idolatry of celebrity. Turn from the idolatry of people in positions of power. Turn from the idolatry of materialism. Turn from those worthless things.
Turn from them – detach from them and be captured by the view of this glorious Kingdom. Embrace this picture of the King and His Kingdom bursting through the darkness and pouring out, spilling out, flowing out, rushing out with glorious light, divine love, amazing grace, unfathomable mercy, overwhelming compassion, exceedingly great wisdom, unwavering justice, unstoppable righteousness.
This is an invitation and it is a command.
It’s a command because it’s not something we can afford to do in our strength and by our own willpower. It’s a command because when we know the source of the instruction we can rely on the authority to give us the power to obey that command. Turning and embracing is not a one-off activity. It’s not something we do based on our feelings, for one moment the idea of peace seems lovely and the next getting my own revenge feels just as enticing. We cannot afford to operate on those ever-changing bases. We can afford to operate in the light of the command. We can trust the command because the one who commands is totally trustworthy.
That helps us as we make the daily, hourly, minutely commitment to turn from and turn to. Hear the voice of the one who brought that good news and hear those who followed Him continue to reiterate that same call. Whether to those of Jewish heritage or those completely alien to it. The call is the same – repent.
What do we do in the light of this invitation? How do we respond when considering this command? Are we bold and compassionate in offering this invitation and command to others whose lives are deeply entrenched in those worthless things? Are we desirous to depend on the one who makes the command? Are we fickle in our response and keen to enjoy the benefits, but not so keen on the turning from? Are we too fearful to upset others by such an outrageous demand in the eyes of world seeking to be ‘tolerant’? Are we too fearful to stand out for the Kingdom that upsets the status quo?
Or will we hear, obey and teach others to observe what King Jesus says?
(Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 