A Week in 2 Thessalonians: Day Two – Worthy

The Introduction

It’s taken me until this small, relatively unknown corner of the Bible to admit that I need help. We’ve been on quite a journey to this point, haven’t we, but here I am admitting that I am out of my depth. So I’ve turned to Tom Wright for help and I will be sharing my thoughts on his thoughts on 2 Thessalonians in his ‘Paul for Everyone’ series. Because yes, even the most obscure bits of the Bible and the hardest to understand hold something for everyone.

Tom Wright reminds us that these letters to the Thessalonians are some of the ‘earliest documents we possess from the beginning of the church’s existence’ – how exciting is that? These letters are bursting with enthusiasm and excitement for this new thing that is happening among them, but also with questions and confusion and disagreement. This is a completely new way of life, challenging everything these people have ever believed before.

So let’s get stuck in!

The Passage: 2 Thessalonians 1:7b-12

He will do this when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with his mighty angels, with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might, when he comes on that Day to receive glory from all his people and honour from all who believe. You too will be among them, because you have believed the message that we told you.

That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfil by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflections:

Justice – In his writing on 2 Thessalonians, Tom Wright reminds us that justice is not the same as vengeance. The desire for revenge is rooted in the emotions. We want the one who has caused us hurt to suffer just like we have suffered – and more. There’s usually an escalation of violence where revenge is involved. Justice is about facing the consequences of your actions, being held accountable for what you have done. A world without justice is a world of chaos where evil has free rein – it’s a living hell for those who are suffering at the hands of others. Justice is not motivated by hatred, but by love, by the desire to see true order restored.

Punishment – I come to this idea of punishment as a parent. There have been times where my kids have thought that I hated them, because I am making them live with the consequences of their actions. And sometimes it would have been a lot easier to fix it, to forget about it, to move on without confrontation. I’ve wanted to be a friend to my kids, for them to like me, and being a parent doesn’t always work out that way. Most of all, I want them to learn from their mistakes and from the things they’ve done wrong. I’ve want them to take responsibility for their actions and to put things right where possible. I’m not here to make life easy for them and to smooth things over. I’m here to help them mature and grow into responsible, caring individuals who value justice for all.

And thinking this way helps me to understand this passage a little more. Looking forward to a time where God will bring justice and order to this world, where everyone will be held accountable for what they have done (including us!) makes sense and can bring hope and comfort to those who are suffering far more than any human should ever be expected to suffer at the hands of others. We can’t get our heads round what this judgement will look like when it happens but when we believe wholeheartedly that God is a God of love, then we can trust Him to do what needs to be done.

Worthy – For Paul, this talk of judgement is important as a motivator to make the most of this life and opportunity that we have been given. Signing up to this new way is not enough: it’s about following that way every single day of our lives.

We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live.

Yes, we are saved by grace. There is nothing we can do to earn our way into relationship with God. But once there, we have to live up to our calling. This is about living life as God always intended human beings to live, right from the start before those first humans thought they knew best and decided to go their own way. That live may be remarkable or it may be ordinary – and in fact, the most ordinary life lived in the presence of God does become remarkable in its own way. Just follow the path God is setting out in front of you. Do the next thing that God has put in your path.

At the start of each new day, ask God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live.