The Precursor

March 2000

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The Zeal of the Lord

MANY TIMES IN THE WORD, and especially in the Old Testament, the Lord is described as being angry. Towards those that obeyed Him, He was full of love and mercy; towards those who disobeyed Him, though, He is often portrayed as an angry and vengeful God, bringing the most terrible punishments upon those who defied Him.

This is how the Lord is described in the literal sense. Yet the Lord is not really angry. He has infinite love and mercy towards all people, even towards those who are evil. Actual anger in the Lord is unimaginable. How can infinite love be angry? It is impossible! Why, then, does the letter of the Word speak this way? The reason is that the letter of the Word is written according to the appearance. To those in evil, the Lord can appear angry, and the letter is written in accordance with this appearance for the sake of those who are simple. Also, there is in this appearance an essential truth, a truth which we should not overlook, for it tells us something important about the nature of the Lord's love.

Though it is not true that the Lord actually is angry, for He is a God of love, still, it is true that, to those in evil, He can appear angry. What is more, it is precisely because He is a God of love that the evil see Him this way. It is only because He really loves people -- it is only because He really cares about them and is involved with them -- that the evil get this impression of anger.

Consider the cleansing of the Temple. The Lord went into the Temple in Jerusalem and cast out those who sold and bought, overthrowing the tables and seats of the money-changers and sellers of doves (Matt. 21:12). Was the Lord angry? To those present He must have appeared angry. If you have been one of those merchants, going about your everyday business, and a man had come up to you and turned over your table before throwing you out, you would certainly have thought that he was angry. Why else would somebody act this way?

Why indeed did the Lord act so forcefully in cleansing the Temple? Was He perhaps pretending to be angry, so as to scare these evil-doers into submission? Yet the Lord was not simulating an affection; He was expressing one. The Lord was acting from love, from a strong, powerful, zealous and burning love, a love that was as a fire within Him. He cared. He cared, more intensely than we could ever begin to imagine, for the salvation of the human race.

This is something that the Gospel makes clear. We read that before the Lord went into the Temple, while He was still approaching the city of Jerusalem, He wept (Lk. 19:41). He wept over the city and over all that this city stood for. Here was a center of worship. Yet the worship was so external, so far removed from the truth. How could the people He loved with such intensity ever receive His blessings if they were unable to worship Him?

And so it was that, from love for the human race, the Lord wept. And from the same love, the Lord went into His Temple, and cleansed that Temple of those who were profaning it. In so doing, He showed us something. He showed that His love is not a weak love. It is not a love that will stand back indefinitely while the evil oppress the good.

The Lord most certainly loves even those in evil. He loves them, He yearns to bless them, and He does everything possible to soften the effects of their self-chosen misery. But the Lord also loves those in good. He has to help the good. He has to bring order, an order which allows those in good to live in freedom, free from the dominion of evil. This the Lord does, with strength, with power, and with zeal. The Lord's love is not merely an emotion or affection: it is not merely a feeling of warmth towards the human race. In essence the Lord's love is pure spiritual fire, a fire full of mercy, a fire which goes forth to help those who are oppressed, to protect people from those who would harm them. The Lord's love confronts the evil; it confronts those who would harm others; to them, therefore, He appears angry. But there is no anger, only love . . . a love which reaches out to protect and save ... a love which yearns to bring happiness and peace.

Calendar Notes

Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the church building. Classes for those in high school and for younger children are available upon request.

The Reading Discussion group meets normally twice a month. We are currently reading from the Old and New Testaments during our sessions. There is no advance reading, but please bring a Bible with you.

Saturday, Mar. 11 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: The Church. Suggested reading is HD 241-246 [New Jerusalem & Its Heavenly Doctrine]. Refreshments: Endrede.

Sunday, Mar. 12 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Tom. Sunday School: Gabrielle. Sunday School Subject: Please see Jane Blair for details.

Tuesday, Mar. 14 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.

Wednesday, Mar. 15 Trustees' Meeting. 7:30pm.

Saturday, Mar. 25 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: Sacred Scripture. Suggested reading is HD 249-255 [New Jerusalem & Its Heavenly Doctrine]. Refreshments: Pat.

Sunday, Mar. 26 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Tom. Sunday School: Nick. Sunday School Subject: Please see Jane Blair for details.

Tuesday, Mar. 28 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.

Nominating Committee

Harris Behlert and Tom Gladish have kindly agreed to serve as the nominating committee for the trustees' election at the annual meeting in May.

Assembly 2000

The 33rd General Assembly of the General Church will be held in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, from dinner time, Wednesday, June 21st, through Sunday morning, June 25th, this year.

A complete brochure featuring details about every aspect of this Assembly will be in the mail before the end of this month. The Assembly Committee regrets the delay in getting this mailing into your hands. Meanwhile, most of the details that you need for planning are currently available on the Assembly Internet web site, which was recently updated, for example, to include full information about all 70 presentations being offered during the four day event.

Please see www.newchurch.org/Assembly2000, and if you don't have Internet access, please check with a teacher, minister or friend who can print out the information you need.

There will be something for everyone!

The basic registration cost for this event is $55.00 per adult (youths up to 18 are half price), but please note that the full cost of attendance depends on many variables, such as your choice of housing, meal and recreational program options.

For example, if an adult member chooses to stay in dormitory accommodation and participate in the university meal program for the whole Assembly, the cost, including registration, would be $259. (Note, that's US dollars.) But there will be a
"family maximum" for those who plan to bring children.

The Assembly Committee looks forward to YOUR participation in this exciting event, and hopes you are making plans now to attend.