A grand purpose of reconciliation

The famous English sculptor Henry Moore was once asked an interesting question by literary critic Donald Hall: “Now that you are 80, you must know the secret of life. What is it?”

Moore paused ever so slightly, with just enough time to smile before answering. “The secret of life,” he mused, “is to have a task, something you do your entire life, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life. And the most important thing is: It must be something you cannot possibly do.”

Moore was not alone in believing that working at a purpose is fundamental to a meaningful life. And that such a purpose must be large. Many others have said the same.

God, in fact, has a purpose. God’s overarching purpose to is to bring oneness to his creation and his children. That purpose is stated in various ways throughout the biblical narrative. Paul, for example, states God’s purpose in Ephesians 1:10 this way: “With all wisdom and understanding, [God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” That’s God’s purpose—unity in all things. Reconciliation.

Fathers and mothers and children reconciled.

Nations declaring peace to each other.

Angry voices stilled.

Hearts beating as one.

Love overcoming hate.

Reconciled.

But the mountains that must be crossed in order to reach that destination are enormous. However, contra Moore, that purpose is something that God absolutely intends to bring to pass. No mountain will be high enough to prevent the accomplishment of his purpose.

It is to that reality that Jesus speaks one day during the last week of his life. He is on his way into the city of Jerusalem when an interesting scene unfolds. Matthew records it this way:

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." —Matthew 21:18–22, New International Version

Bible readers are tempted to isolate that final sentence and make it say that whatever we ask of God, God will fulfill. But that is not what Jesus is saying. Rather, Jesus is here speaking of the accomplishment of God’s purpose in the people of his day and time. Instead of participating in bringing it to pass, they had become obstacles in the way of its accomplishment. The mountains in their lives had become taller, barring the way toward reconciliation. They had become trees with leaves instead of trees with fruit. They are, in other words, hindering God’s purpose.

So Jesus tells them that nothing will prevent the accomplishment of God’s purposes of reconciliation between God and humans and between humans themselves. Notice how one New Testament commentary sheds light on the passage.

“Removing mountains” was a figure of speech for doing what was virtually impossible. From where Jesus and his disciples are standing, the Mount of Olives … and (from its slopes) perhaps the Dead Sea would be visible; thus Jesus’ illustration would have been vivid to his disciples… [Jesus was stating that] the Spirit of God would remove all obstacles to God’s purposes... —Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 9.

Jesus is saying that there is no “mountain” that can stand in the way of the accomplishment of God’s purpose. He is recognizing that while God’s purpose is as grand as universal reconciliation, nothing, no one, can stop it.

Henry Moore said that our purpose must be something we cannot fully accomplish. By that, he was no doubt urging us to live into a purpose that is bigger than ourselves.

Here’s the good news: God’s purpose is grand. And glorious. And here’s even more good news: you can be a part of removing the mountains that stand in the way of its accomplishment. And you can be a part of that purpose for the rest of your life!

And, because of the power of God, that purpose—with your partnership—will be accomplished.

By prayer.

By action.

By faith.

—Randy Roberts, DMin, LMFT, is vice president for spiritual life and mission at Loma Linda University Health.