Revelation 5:1-5  Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.  Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

I listened to Andrew Peterson’s song, “Is he worthy?” and it moved me so deeply that I reached out to a friend and remarked that it “wrecked me.”  A light went off in my soul because it seems to me that some of us are trying to cleanse the world of unrighteousness to a level that would be nothing short of utopia.  We all want perfect peace, love, and prosperity to be earth’s reality, but the Apostle John seems to ask the pertinent cautionary question in Revelation 2:5, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”  A study of the text reveals that whoever breaks the seals and opens the scroll is unleashing final judgment on sin and the restoration of earth to its original pristine state.  We use to sing, “what a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.”

On the other hand, I am afraid that some, on both sides of the political aisle, are trying to enforce human holiness similar to the force of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time.   Jesus said of them “Be careful… Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6

The big media storm this week is about Virginia Governor Ralph Northam unskillfully trying to moonwalk his way back from a thirty seven year old yearbook picture of someone in blackface and another in a KKK hood.  All kinds of people from differing political ideologies are demanding his resignation over horrible judgment from his ancient past. Ironically, many are ignoring his clinically cold remarks advocating infanticide, but that’s beside the point.

It’s one thing to use legal and social means to stop a person from illegal or harmful behaviors, but calling for judgment because of past sin is a religious idea.  The thought that there must be a sacrifice for past sins, no matter that they are nearly forty years old, is comparable to the Christian doctrine of original sin and atonement.  The Christian doctrine of “original sin” says that basically we are all born with a sin nature and all have actual and implicit iniquity in our souls.  There are many points at which I can agree with these zealots, but I am calling into question the wisdom of sinful humans crafting redemption plans for other sinful humans.  Yikes! …this seems like a bad idea.

The danger of humankind taking justice entirely into their own hands occurs when it demonstrates an impatience with God and his Christ.   There’s a delicate balance between passively waiting on God on one hand and pushing God off the throne on the other.  While there are a lot of power games, and far be it from me to claim that I can always discern sincere desire for equity and an exploitation of the equity industry, but for the sake of argument, pretend with me everyone is sincere.  So, I believe there is a real desire for the world to be all that it should be and for the millenial of peace that scripture promised in several places to come.  I believe there’s a growing frustration with feeling that traditional religion has not only failed us but is a huge part of the problem.  Some are saying, at least with their actions, “forget your supernatural God, your resurrected Christ and your promise of his return, we’re taking over to punish sin and make the world right.”  “We must save the world NOW!”

“Houston, we have a problem…”  We are not worthy executors of judgment.  I don’t like God’s schedule either, but if my friend keeps complaining of chronic headaches, far be it from me to determine they need brain surgery, render them unconscious, and started cracking their skull open because they can’t get in to see the neurologist for several weeks.  Cry for justice, stop injustice every place you can, but we are not being asked to make atonement for the sins of humankind or to cleanse the human heart.  Claiming that you can prove implicit hate lying deep in a person’s soul is a trespass into God’s realm, in my opinion.  Jesus Christ is still the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)

Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)

But do you know that all the dark won’t

stop the light from getting through? (We do)

Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)

Is all creation groaning? (It is)

Is a new creation coming? (It is)

Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)

Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?  (It is)

Is anyone worthy?  Is anyone whole? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?  The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave He is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave.   (“Is anyone worthy” by Andrew Peterson)

 

You are who are zealous for equity and inclusivity, don’t stop crying out for justice for the poor and oppressed, but put your trust in Christ.  You who are discouraged and weary of extremism and hypocrisy, speak truth but put your trust in Christ. You who are angry at your perception that there are forces bent on the deconstruction of Western civilization, defend the virtues passed down to us by our imperfect founding father, but put your trust in Christ.  If you are frightened that the world will collapse under the weight of its inhabitants demands, “put your trust in Christ.” I have faith that someday we will shout to the top of our lungs, “The root of David has triumphed!”