God gives Ezekiel an incentive to warn the wicked, “you will
surely die” by tying the prophet’s fate to speaking the difficult word of
warning. The “prophetic” voices of our time need no such encouragement to
preach against wicked behavior. Many of them make a lucrative career out of
warning others although they spend most of their time preaching to the choir.
There are some who risk ridicule by standing on street corners on a Saturday
night warning wicked movie goers and weekend revelers of the error of their
ways although personally I think they are misrepresenting the Jesus who ate and
drank with tax collectors and sinners. The trouble is warnings fall on deaf
ears without the benefit of a meaningful relationship and party poopers on
street corners have little chance of saving anyone save those who already
considered themselves to be saved. But the Lord’s lament, “as surely as I live
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked” is not the same as “turn or
burn” as the warning “why will you die?” is not so much a threat as it is an
invitation to live. That is because the Jesus who spent a good bit of time
cavorting with sinners decided dying for them was the only way the wicked and
the ones who warn them would have a chance to live.
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