A Dreadful Thing

Passage: Hebrews 12:14-29

One of the most beloved rituals of my childhood was our annual St. Nicholas party. St. Nicholas, the historical figure who has been reinterpreted in our culture as Santa Claus, was a 3rd century Greek bishop who became a patron saint of, among other things, children and students. An annual festival was adopted around St. Nicholas’ birthday (Dec. 6) in a number of European countries, including the Netherlands. The tradition was carried on in countless Dutch Canadian families, like the one I grew up in. Our St. Nicholas party, or “Sinterklaas”, went like this:
A group of the families of my parents’ closest friends would gather at one of our homes. After a lavish meal – that none of the children could enjoy because we were so excited about what was coming next – we’d gather in the living room. We’d sing traditional Sinterklaas songs. We’d speculate about what St. Nick was going to bring us. We’d go half crazy with anticipation. And just when we thought we couldn’t stand it any longer, the living room door would open a crack, and a handful of candy would be thrown into the room. The door would close as the kids would climb over each other to get the candy. The door would open again, another handful of candy launched into the room. Finally the door would burst open, and St. Nick would stride into the room, dressed in his full saintly regalia, white mane of hair and beard flowing around his obscured face.

Now those of us who had been through this routine were beside ourselves with excitement because St. Nick always brought with him a bag full of presents, and there was always one with your name on it. But every year there was at least one little kid for whom this was his or her first Sinterklaas. When St. Nick burst through the door, the youngest kids would invariably react one way: abject terror. They would scream, cry, and scramble to get behind a parent or piece of furniture. I’m sure more than one pair of pants had to be changed over the many years we celebrated Sinterklaas.

It seems funny now to think of such a joyous occasion being punctuated with consuming fear. In Hebrews 12 the author describes a similar joyous occasion – a day of celebration unrivaled by anything the human race has ever seen. And yet, says the author, that day will be a day of unparalleled terror for many. Why?

The day the author of Hebrews describes is the day of Christ’s return. The day on which every human being who has ever lived is brought face-to-face with the God of the universe. For those who lived their lives in communion with God, this reunion will be a moment they’ve anticipated with great excitement. There will be, however, many for whom God is a stranger. Their response will be one of consuming fear. As the author of Hebrews says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The author offers this as both an invitation and a warning. He says, “The day is coming. It can be a day of incomparable joy. Or it can be a day of ultimate terror. Your call.” Get to know God, so that the day of our reunion comes as a pleasant surprise rather than a terrible shock. Now’s your chance.