Yesterday, we started to unpack Lucado’s parable.

It’s a parable titled, “The Parable of the River.”

Briefly, I gave you a taste of Max Lucado’s book, “In The Grip Of Grace” in yesterday’s post. We looked at the core premise, that Lucado’s metaphoric parable relates to the first few chapters of Romans. Before reading any further, may I suggest reading my previous post to gain some context?

Assuming that you’re caught up, our four brothers have left the safety and provision of their father’s castle and have found themselves in difficult circumstances. Let’s to jump into addressing the brother on the hillside from Lucado’s parable.

This next sections tracks back to the second chapter of Romans. So, let’s read through Romans 2:1-16, then make note of a few specific words and phrases.

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Romans 2:1-16 (ESV)

How does Romans 2 connect with Lucado’s parable? I’d like to walk you through five principles to consider.

1. We analyze the word, “Therefore”.

The first word in Paul’s second chapter is “Therefore.” In starting his thought with this word, we can assume that it’s a follow-up statement from Chapter 1. A quick flip back shows us that Romans 1, focused on a whole pile of sins.

These sins included but were not limited to envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. Note that Paul also mentions some sexual immorality in that section of his letter. The bottom line is that this church has problems, and “Therefore…”

2. We note a shift in perspective.

If we only had Chapter 1 of Paul’s letter, we’d be feeling pretty fired up, hearing about how much God hates those sinners. We might be thinking, “You tell ‘em, Paul! Let the wrath of God come down on all those sinners! And I’m glad you called out those homos and perverts!”

All of a sudden, with that heart condition, we’d be sounding like the brother on the hill from Lucado’s parable.

3. We return to the Brother on the Hill.

The Brother on the Hill looks down, scoffing at his brother below, mirroring those of us who scoff at the sinners, whom we see as below our standard of self-proclaimed righteousness.

“How good that you are here to behold the sin of our brother! Are you aware that he turned his back on the castle? Are you aware that he never speaks of home?“

Hearing this, the eldest brother replied, “‘We need to deal with your sins first.’

‘My sins?’” the brother exclaims. “‘Don’t worry about me. Let me show you who needs help,’ he said, running toward the hut. ‘Come, we’ll peek in the windows. He never sees me. Let’s go together.’ The son was at the hut before he noticed that Firstborn hadn’t followed him.”

The Parable of the River, Lucado, 1996

This is where we see a connection between Lucado’s parable and Paul’s starting point of “Therefore”.

4. We pursue a gospel heart.

A gospel heart is centred on grace, not a heart of judgement. Christians who live out the Gospel are not meant to be a church full of religious finger-pointers.

Lucado’s parable points to the truths of Paul’s letter that are just as true today as they were in the First Century. If we’re honest, we all have secrets, packed away deep in our hearts, that we dare not tell a soul.

5. We recognize our own struggles.

If you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with envy and deceit, you’re mistaken. If you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with rage and malice, you’re mistaken. If you believe that Christians aren’t struggling with all forms of sexual immorality, you’re mistaken.

All of sudden, the brother on the hill starts to look a lot like you and I. Aren’t we so good at setting levels of sin and letting the world know about it? When we’re up on our hilltop looking down at others, it’s so easy for us to start categorizing who should be judged more severely.

What’s next? Check back for Part 3 as I continue my review of Lucado’s parable and Paul’s instruction to the Roman church.