In 1958, a small town pastor from central Pennsylvania named David Wilkerson was deeply disturbed by an article he read in Life magazine. The article described the lives of seven teen gang members on trial for murder in New York. They had viciously beaten a young man to death during a gang fight. Prodded to action, Wilkerson then and there decided to move to New York City, intent on bringing the gospel of Jesus to the gangs there. The new arrival was forced to adapt to his crime-infested neighborhood. Alone and virtually penniless, Wilkerson thankfully found a tiny little church where he was offered shelter and meals.
It was not long before David Wilkerson encountered a street gang named the Mau Maus – led by two young men named Israel Narvaez and Nicky Cruz. At first these cynical teens regarded Wilkerson with contempt. But things changed on account of Nicky’s ex girlfriend Rosa, a heroin addict. Wilkerson and his friends took in Rosa and cared for her as she suffered through withdrawal. Recognizing the love and kindness she had received, Rosa tried to convince Nicky that Wilkerson really did mean them well. Nicky, however, remained unconvinced. Life on the tough streets of New York had taught him never to trust anyone.
David Wilkerson eventually organized an outreach event for the local gangs. The gangs have no interest in learning about the peace of Christ; they instead planned on using the event as an occasion to fight. On the night of the outreach, Wilkerson preached on the love of God made known through the death of Jesus on the cross. Nicky Cruz was cut to the heart and stepped forward to prevent the gangs from warring. That night Cruz became a follower of the Lord Jesus. Eventually Nicky became a pastor himself. In time, Wilkerson and Cruz founded a Christian ministry called Teen Challenge, which to this day provides treatment services for those battling addiction.
David Wilkerson recounted his experiences in his biography, The Cross and the Switchblade, published in 1963. The book sold widely and in 1970 became a major motion picture. Iconic actor Pat Boone took the role of Wilkerson, while Erik Estrada (Yes, the Erik Estrada of “CHiPs.”) made his screen debut as Nicky Cruz.
Everyone loves a story of redemption, none more than God himself. Luke 15 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. It begins with Jesus telling the story of the lost sheep, followed by the lost coin and culminating in perhaps the greatest short story ever told – the lost son. Each story has a happy ending. There is great rejoicing when the sheep is found and the coin recovered. Even greater is the rejoicing that occurs when the son returns to his father’s house. But the celebration is all predicated upon the son’s response to his father’s grace. Here’s the key line: “When he came to his senses…” (Luke 15:17) Living in famine and squalor in a foreign land, the son finally sees the truth of his predicament. There is a road back to his father’s house but he alone must choose it.
The book of Jeremiah is a story about that same father and son. The father is the one true God who made all things. The wayward son is the nation of Israel, called to be God’s image bearers but failing in their special vocation. But what happens if the son never comes to his senses? What if he never humbles himself and makes the long journey home? What will God do then?
God first addresses his son with words of warning.
“‘Return faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD,’I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt – you have rebelled against the LORD your God.” (Jeremiah 3:12-13)
“O Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?” (Jeremiah 4:15)
Many other passages demonstrate the depth of God’s love and patience, his eager desire that Israel return to him so that he can pour out his blessing upon them. “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.” (Jeremiah 5:1) This remarkable scripture shows how reluctant God was to bring his wrath down upon Israel. (There may be a bit of prophetic hyperbole here: wouldn’t Jeremiah count as that one honest person? Or perhaps Baruch the scribe, or Ebed-Melech, who saved Jeremiah from death at the bottom of the well?) Regardless, the passage clearly portrays God as one who is desperate to find one righteous person so that he can allay his wrath. In other words, God’s baseline character favors mercy over wrath.
Yet despite God’s patient yearning that Israel return to him, no such repentance takes place. “I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, ‘Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers.’ But you have not paid attention or listened to me.” (Jeremiah 35:14-15)
Words of warning have not been enough. God is slow to anger, but his wrath against Israel was mounting. God must turn up the volume, so-to-speak. Along with additional words of warning, God then brings warning judgments upon his wayward people – punishments meant to bring them to repentance. Sadly, we learn that these judgments did not have their desired effect; Israel only persisted in her rebellion.
“You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.” (Jeremiah 5:3)
“‘You have all rebelled against me,’ declares the LORD. ‘In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.'” (Jeremiah 2:29-30)
God’s warnings had come through his prophets, who had courageously confronted Judah with her wrongdoing. Yet the people did not just ignore the prophets; rather, they mocked and despised them and even murdered them with the sword, like a lion devouring his prey.
Jeremiah 26:20-23 tells the horrid story of a prophet named Uriah, “who prophesied in the name of the LORD; he prophesied the same things as Jeremiah did.” When the evil king Jehoiakim heard Uriah’s message, he “sought to put him to death.” Although Uriah fled to Egypt, Jehoiakim commanded his henchmen to capture Uriah and bring him back to Israel, where the king “had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.”
Because of such despicable behavior, God finally reached the end of his rope. The time of his patience and mercy came to an end. The people of Judah had become so utterly worthless and degenerate that God solemnly determined to destroy them.
“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.” (Jeremiah 4:22)
“A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way.” (Jeremiah 5:31)
“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” (Jeremiah 6:10)
“Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. ” (Jeremiah 6:15)
These passages points to a dark and disturbing truth. When people persist long enough in wickedness, there comes a time when they no longer have the ability to turn back. The people of Judah had become so proficient in evil that they no longer even knew how to do good. They made no effort to seek the truth. They didn’t just tolerate lies, they wholeheartedly embraced them. The word of the LORD was met with derision and contempt. They had become lovers of evil, incapable of repentance. When human beings descend to this awful state, God no longer has any love for them. In fact, it is precisely God’s great love for his creation which demands that he put an end to such inveterate evil. If God simply allowed evil to go on ruining his lovely world, he would not be a good God.
I’ve suggested that the book of Jeremiah could be subtitled, “How God deals with evil.” We’ve seen that God is full of love, mercy and patience. Again and again he sent words of warning to his people through his messengers the prophets, commanding, even begging them to turn from their evil ways. Next God used warning judgments – limited punishments designed to bring people to their senses. Then at last we see God’s final posture towards evil: destructive judgment. No longer would God’s anger be restrained in hopes of eliciting repentance. Rather, God’s judgment would bring about the near-total eradication of Israel. “My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place…it will burn and not be quenched.” (Jeremiah 7:20)
So remember, our God is indeed the God of second chances. He is the one who above all desires redemption and restoration for lost sons like you and me and Nicky Cruz. He is patient, slow to anger and full of mercy to all those who humble themselves and turn away from iniquity. But he is not the God of endless chances. There comes a time when warnings cease and destruction comes.
