What Breaks God’s Heart…
05.04.25
(From chapter 41 of What if Jesus Was Serious About the Church- Skye Jethani.)
“I want what breaks God’s heart to break my heart.” You may have heard this well-intentioned cliché in your church community. It’s a sincere way of expressing a desire to be more like Christ, and that should be affirmed. But have you ever wondered “what doesn’t break God heart?” Is there a degree of pain, suffering, or injustice that doesn’t rise to the Lord’s attention? Are there broken things in this world over which the Creator does not grieve? When we say certain things “breaks God’s heart” we’re implying there is also a category of things beyond His concern. That doesn’t sound like the One Jesus said counts every hair on our head and notices every sparrow that falls to the ground. (Matthew 10:29-30)
Still, the instinct to prioritize certain people, things, and activities over others is a part of every religion. It’s a way of ordering the world into what matters and what does not, and then validating those who focus on the “right” thing. It’s why so many churches, whether explicitly or implicitly, function with a dis-integrated vision of the world. Most religious communities label certain things as “sacred” and therefore within the scope of God’s concern, and a far larger group of things as “secular” which exist beyond God’s care if not His sight. Sadly, this tendency has severely reduced our understanding of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, the scope of His redemption, and the breadth of the mission He’s given to His church.
The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the cosmic scale of Jesus’ sacrifice. Paul said through the cross, God has “reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven.” (Col 1:20) And in his most extensive articulation of the gospel (1 Cor 15) Paul reiterates Jesus’ intent to rule over “all things” no less than eight times!
When the church narrowly defines “what breaks God’s heart” it ends up producing narrow disciples who do not recognize the reign of Christ over every part of their lives and every atom of creation… When huge parts of our lives and world are seen as beyond Christ’s concern, we shouldn’t be surprised to discover false gods defiling those domains.”