God Of Balance And "Imbalance"

GOD OF BALANCE AND “IMBALANCE”

First things first. More than worshipping God for the blessings, which He pours into our lives, we need to learn to worship Him, JUST FOR WHAT HE IS! Worshipping Him, awed by His unique attributes is noblest form of worship, for it emanates from the depths of the heart with no strings attached. Worship in its pristine form is nothing but an unalloyed form of an ethereal romance between the Creator and His favorite creation (Isaiah 62:5, Zephaniah 3:17). In this context, let it be said that the driving force for winning a soul to the Lord ought not to be only the need of saving it from scorching hell-fire but also to acquaint it, with the indescribable heavenly joys’ one is enjoying. NONE OUGHT TO MISS OUT ON THAT! In this message I intend to bring to the fore, amongst others two of Creator’s sublime qualities. He is a God of BALANCE and can you believe it, at times ONE OF IMBALANCE!!!

GOD OF BALANCE

Firstly the former. Do not we see in the realm of physical creation, the principle of balance all around? If not for night following the day, would there be scope for rest and recuperation, before yet another round of strenuous activity? If there had been one continuous summer season, without the intermittent rainy and winter seasons, would not we all be baked dry? If it had been all rain, the depressing scenario of Noah’s flood looms before our eyes. If it is chilly winter all the way, would not we all be frozen stiff? Add to this reverse breathing pattern of the plant and the animal World, a Hallelujah springs from the depths of the heart for the amazing balance, He has placed in the physical World.

In the spiritual realm too, from earliest times (Genesis 14:17-20), even before the Mosaic Law came into effect, the good Lord had established the principle of “Financial balance” between Clergy and Laity. The laity could pursue any business or vocation for their livelihood, whereas the Clergy would not, rather they were required to spend all the time in the presence of the Lord, learn from Him and instruct the people thereof in the ways of the Lord (Isaiah 30:20-21). Since the latter should not, would not, cannot take-up any secular means of livelihood, the laity were required to financially support the clergy, in order the latter needs’ are also met. In the Nation of Israel, we would see the eleven tribes supporting the Priestly Levite tribe with tithes (Leviticus 27:30/Neh 10:37-39). Jesus was all for the continuance of the tithing principle (Matt 23:23), “balanced” with other paramount matters such as justice, mercy and faithfulness. By the way, I too pay my tithes to my local Church, from the income I get from serving our faithful Lord. While on the subject, let me remind one and all, that while we are obligated to contribute liberally to all different Ministries serving Him wonderfully around the World, the tithes should uncompromisingly be always paid to our local Church, where we are being spiritually nurtured. It is imperative to get one’s “balance” right on this crucial subject …

Coming to the Savior, one remarkable feature, which characterized His ministry on Earth, was that of balance. He hated sin but loved sinners. He was all for payment of taxes to Caesar, without in any way ignoring our financial obligations to the Giver of all gifts. He lauded his disciples, when they had to be appreciated and duly reprimanded them, when they were going off track. Let’s look at the three incidents in our Master’s life, when He walked the fine line…

CONDESCENDING BUT...

Remember the account of Jewish religious leaders bringing a woman caught in adultery before him (John 8:1-11) for judgment on her and most importantly His judgment on the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 20:10), which demanded her stoning. Of course Jesus’ envious enemies (surprisingly they were not robbers or murderers’ but fellow servants’ in God’s vineyard…the Teachers of the Law, Pharisees et al) outraged by His growing popularity amongst the masses, desperately wanted to tarnish his image publicly, as a “breaker of the Law”. How our good Lord handled that dicey situation is the very definition of being balanced in a crisis and later His demeanor with the guilty one reflected his attitude towards sin and a sinner.

With His critics’, waiting with bated breath for the slightest slip, which would send His public popularity ratings nose-diving, our Lord handled the tricky situation with an equilibrium, which was so typical of Him. Without in any way, diminishing the significance of the Mosaic Law, He appealed to the universal, higher Law of conscience in every individual ready to stone the hapless adulteress.

“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”