Serving a God of surprises

Have you ever been to a family reunion? These big events are always filled with surprises: a snowstorm that delays travel, an uncle whose hair has suddenly turned gray, a cousin with an engagement ring on her finger. Family members must prepare themselves for the unexpected.

The book of Isaiah speaks of a similar family reunion – a reunion in which many surprises awaited God’s people.

I’m sure the Israelite exiles considered it a huge matter to contemplate a return to Jerusalem, the homeland. How would they get released? How would they rebuild the temple and Jerusalem itself? Where would resources come from? Would they be safe? People were already comfortable, married, owning property and businesses in various cities and countries of dispersion. There were a thousand obstacles.

Then God said to the prophet, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, NLT).

God was working a kingdom surprise. “Restoration is too small – I’m aiming at something bigger!” he said. The 70 years of exile were just the beginning. After resettlement, it took an additional 400 years of divine inter-testamental “silence.” Half a millennium was needed to prepare for the big surprise.

The “light to the Gentiles” plan ultimately had to break down the perceived impenetrable wall between Jews and Gentiles. It required God’s incarnation. Preparations for the coming of Jesus within the context of a developing and changing peoplehood would require time and literally, the evolution of Jewish society.

But “when the time had fully come, God sent his son” (Galatians 4:4) so that Gentiles could become God’s people too (Ephesians 2:11–22; 1 Peter 2:4–10). It was a much different reunion than anyone had originally anticipated.

Another surprise in store?

Last summer when I re-read Isaiah 49, I penned this reaction in my journal.

Israel was established as a nation-state in 1948. But if that was God’s plan – a second fulfillment in restoring his people back to the land – what if it’s only a tiny cog in a much larger wheel? “Light to the Gentiles” is still in effect. But today, Israel’s most difficult antagonists are Palestinians, and not far behind, most of the Arab/Muslim world.

Some Christians think it’s critical to have Israel as a nation and the temple rebuilt on the mount for Christ’s return. If that’s true, then fighting Muslims will only make this more impossible.

If God wants all – including Middle Eastern Muslims – to be saved, establishing Israel and the salvation of Muslims must somehow fit together. We evangelicals had better figure out how we will cooperate with this plan. As long as we elevate Israel’s wellbeing to the neglect or denigration of Muslim/Palestinian salvation, we may be fighting God’s larger agenda.

I share this unrefined statement because it came from a gut feeling that has been bothering me for some time. Christians seem willing to see injustice inflicted on certain portions of the world because Christians perceive those people as enemies.

I believe God calls us to be ambassadors of Christ and his reconciliation initiative (2 Corinthians 5). And I believe God will judge us on the basis of Matthew 25.

Did we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help the oppressed? These mandates call us to consider how we think about those in need of the gospel, no matter what kind of destruction they may perpetrate. We can’t give up on sectors of the world that seem impervious to the gospel, the kingdom, change, assistance, or solutions.

For example, I support in principle Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) work in assisting Palestinians because it somehow ties into God’s bigger redemption project.

At Gathering 2006, Tim Geddert taught us that Jesus’ portrayal of the kingdom of God is characterized by stories of seeds dying and growing, of people sacrificing or selling all to get a pearl or treasure of great value – not by stories of armies and conquering. So as we watch the news, we have to wonder, “What’s God up to? Is there a kingdom surprise we should be ready for? How should we think and act in light of that?”

We might be surprised at how our thinking changes.

David Wiebe is executive director of the Canadian Conference of MB Churches based in Winnipeg.