I cannot think of a more painful indictment then to have the lord of the universe say that the Jews that will kill him, do so thinking they are worshiping God. But in fact, they never really knew God in the first place. So what did they know instead. Was it the evil one? Was it pride? Was it a miss-understanding of the prophecies? Probably a combination of all three. But we know it was not God that put these ideas in their head, because these are not righteous thoughts, but more importantly, because Jesus said so.
So what does it mean to not know God? on some level it is not possible to not fully know Him, because He created us, and we are made in His image. We should be able to recognize Him like we recognize our own hand, but many reject and many others believe the lies that evil one whispers in their ear about God. And because of this they are so separated from the true God, so clouded in shadow, that they would not see Him if they were standing right beside Him.
This is bad, but it is far worse to once, know God, and then reject Him This is what happened to the jews of this time. They had replaced their rightful worship, with a worship of their own design, and a faith of their own liking. Like the pharisee talking about the tax collector and saying that he is glad he is not like him…, these jews were worshiping themselves. This is the difference between never knowing something and knowing fully, and then turning away. The first is ignorace, the later is rejection. But no matter, the one truth that we must hold onto, is that God is the just judge and He alone knows the truth of every person and the desire of every heart.
At the end of time, the only thing that will matter is whether you know and love God. Justice will be handed out perfectly, and if you suffer in this world, you will be exalted in the next, and the opposite is also true. If you persecute others in this world you will be persecuted in the next. So we must not focus on the worlds view of justice, and instead focus on trust in God’s perfect justice, faith in His fidelity, and love for His goodness. and at the end of time if you are in freindship with Him, you will find the peace and perfect happiness that is currently impossible in this world, but it will be your fate for all eternity.
If instead you choose this world and the lies of the devil, you will find yourself lost in the eternity of pain and suffering in hell. So choose wisely, and help those around you to make the same choice. Paul said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, and God is counting on you to break down those gates and save the lost souls in hell. We need to proclaim the gospel to these people, and open their minds a bit so that the Holy Spirit can do the rest. This is your call, will you respond?
