Ngunit dahil sa ating mga kasalanan kaya siya nasugatan; siya ay binugbog dahil sa ating kasamaan. Tayo ay gumaling dahil sa pahirap na dinanas niya at sa mga hampas na kanyang tinanggap.

Isaiah 53:5

Many of us are familiar sa image ni Lord as a good and loving God. When we think of Him, we picture a loving Father who opens His arms and welcomes us back every time we sin against Him. Laging handang magpatawad. The God of infinite chances.

While this is a correct description of who God is, many forget that He is also a just and jealous God. God hates sin. And because of this, He punishes all evildoers. The prophet Ezekiel declares, “I will not look on you with pity; I will not spare you. I will repay you for your conduct and for the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I the Lord who strikes you” (Ezekiel 7:9 NIV). This is the Lord’s message to the Israelites back then. This is also His message to us now.

Jehovah Nakah. The God who strikes. Nakakatakot. Nakakapanghina ng loob. But let us not lose heart. Remember that the Father allowed His only Son to die on the Cross to pay for our sins: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32a, NIV). And because the Father struck down Jesus in our place, nagkaroon ng daan para makalapit tayo ulit sa Kanya. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord doesn’t need to punish us anymore. He no longer needs to judge us for our sins. The God who strikes has now become the God who forgives.