Matthew 23: 37, 38, 39.
Luke 13: 34 & 35.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
The immediate reaction of the religion politic is to say that the word universalism is not in the Bible. The second reaction is to say that anyone who claims that universalism is in the Bible must be ignorant. If the religion politic were correct, the issue would have dissolved centuries ago but it just keeps hanging around. It would seem that both sides should open their ears and really listen. The religion politic, however, would rather use the Bible to proof text their particular theology. The theological box created levies disrespect upon the Bible.
The most familiar verse in the Bible, John 3: 16, is a case in point, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”(NIV). Belief is not a new spiritual agenda but what is new is that Jesus is now the focus of said belief in God. The Greek word translated perish is preferred by the religious politic for it’s finalistic flavor. The same Greek word should be translated, according to Young’s Concordance, “to loose, loose away or destroy”. In Matthew 5 the disciples use this Greek word to describe their seemingly near death from the ravages of the storm but in chapter nine the same Greek word is used by Jesus to warn against the loss or loosing of all the wine if one puts new wine into old wine skin bags.
The Bible reader and amateur theologian, as we all are, have great latitude in translating this verse. For example, “ For God so loved (gathered) this world (all mankind) that He sent his only begotten Son (Shepherd), that whoever believes in Him will not perish (be scattered or loosed) but will have everlasting life (will find a safe shelter forever).” Again, the history of the religious politic prefers the finalistic flavor and drama of the death scenario. In John chapter 10, Jesus defines himself and his mission as that of the Good Shepherd who gathers his sheep at all costs, his sheep recognize his voice and they follow the Good Shepherd anywhere. We amateurs’ have a choice as to the best translation of this verse.
Look at Matthew chapter 15, verse 24, Jesus again summarizes his mission, “I was only sent to the lost (or scattered) sheep of Israel or (the Jewish religion).” The Jesus moment was all about changing the course of the faith of Israel, that was the first focus of his gathering. The Canaanite woman, however, begged like a dog for protection from the demon possession that had invaded her daughter. Because of her persistence and faith, Jesus relents and gathers this woman and frees her daughter. The religious politic of that time considered their historical enemies, the Canaanites, unworthy of God’s care. They were again wrong for to loose any of mankind is not in the heart of God. The mission of Jesus, however, was first to target the scattered ones of the religious politic.
The religious politic did not end with the resurrection of Jesus. They were quickly reconstituted to form the Christian religious politic who had an influence upon the spiritual writings about Jesus and which of these writings were accepted as legit. Their decisions, more or less influenced by the Spirit of God, would gather the chosen writings together to form the Bible of today. We can not nor should we give equal weight of understanding to all of the Bible, the question must be asked, is this about religion or God? Just as Jesus was an adversary to the power of religion, we must filter all of scripture.
May I suggest the above verses in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, these are the words of Jesus. This passage is a capsule Bible in a few short verses that can and should filter all other scripture. It is as if he is speaking from the lofty perch of his God given Messianic authority. These few verses call out the religious politic for who they really are, “the unwilling ones”. They have to much pride to be gathered and as the leaders of Israel, they cause others to stumble and delay their gathering. Jesus saw himself in that long historical line of prophets sent by God to opposed the religious politic, only to have their message snuffed out.
So they say, “where is the universalism in these verses? Is not the answer obvious? Jesus does not say, you, the religious politic who have so displeased God, the religious politic who have been judged and whose “house has been left desolate”, you will not see me again. No, Jesus gave them a promise, "you will see me again" so that you have another opportunity to say, “Blessed is he (Jesus) who comes in the name of the Lord”. The stumbling block crowd who oppose the gathering of God will be given another opportunity beyond death to praise the God of the galaxies and His sent One. Amen!
G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca
