Seeking God

Don’t take the good things in your life to mean God likes you better than others. We all deserve calamity. When bad things happen to others, perhaps the right question is why not to me?

God’s goodness isn’t necessarily a reward for our good works, but kindness meant to lead us to repentance. Just as the gardner takes extra special care of the fig tree before giving up on it, so God might be giving us every chance to repent, but we might not take him up on it, beleiving we can always come to him. But God may conclude that we will never repent, and then we might be left to the calametous consequences of our actions.

Over-Simplistic Visions of God’s Judgement

UNRTRUE: God judges bad people and rewards good people.

Jesus says that bad stuff doesn’t happen to those who are particularly bad. We all deserve bad things

New Living Translation Chapter 13

2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.

Nor do good things mean that God favours us over others - it might be God giving us our last chance before concluding we’ll never bear fruit.

New Living Translation Chapter 13

give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ”

UNTRUE: God’s patience is infinite

God is exceedingly patient, but patience can turn into indulgeance. If we’re given every chance to succeed, but we still refuse to go his way, we may find judgement

God has judged his people before. The Israelites in the dessert had experienced their own form of baptism and eucharist, but that didn’t save them from God’s judgement when they were faithless.

New Living Translation Chapter 10

6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did,

Are we all done for?

While we can’t presume on God’s patience forever, God wants to forgive us.

New Living Translation Chapter 55

6 Seek the LORD while you can find him.

Call on him now while he is near.

7 Let the wicked change their ways

and banish the very thought of doing wrong.

Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them.

Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

It isn’t that God actively punishes us, but we do it to ourselves. Many jews had begun a jihad against

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