SENSES NOVELS – DOES GOD DISCRIMINATE?

What does this have to do with the books? If you have read or listened to the fourth book in the series, Synesthesia, you might have found some interesting information that pertains. This particular novel deals with people from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, China, Japan, South America and, North America.

Do you remember the Great Commission? Read it in Matthew 28:19: “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

While Jesus was speaking directly to the eleven disciples that were left, Christians have taken it as a command to all of them. So, if Jesus is telling us to make disciples of, and baptize ALL nations, I have a problem believing that God differentiates based on a person’s skin color or country of origin. But, God does discriminate. Once again, let’s go to Matthew:

Matthew 25:31 – 46 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

This may run counter to what some think when it comes to salvation. These are ‘works’ and, supposedly, we aren’t saved by such things. Yet, here it is in black and white. Now, there are places that emphatically state that one has to believe in Jesus as the Christ and acknowledge that He died for our sins. The proper thought then should be that we have to do both.

Still, discrimination literally means “the act of making or perceiving a difference.” So, does God discriminate? Yes, it is part of the job. Does God discriminate based on race, age, or sex? No, and there is a lesson there for all of us.

If you have a problem believing that there is no real difference between black, white, red, brown or yellow skinned people, then you don’t want to pick up any of my books. I have no truck with prejudice of this type. Sin, that’s another matter altogether. But then, we’re all sinners, aren’t we?

KM