Things aren't always as they seem

Have you ever saw someone that you've known most of your life in a different circumstance and not recognized them? We get to the root of who we are when we encounter these unexpected meetings. We tend to think of ourselves in the best of terms, but sometimes the mask is pulled back and we can see how sinful we can be.

What would we do with Jesus if we didn't know who He was? I found myself not liking the answer I had to give.

Recently, I encountered the story of Jesus, His life, His sacrificial death and His resurrection but in a different setting and I never recognized Him in the story until it was too late. I was right along with the characters in thinking He was blasphemous for His teachings. I never recognized His servant heart, instead I saw it as a traitor's heart. It was not until he had been betrayed and was being killed, did I finally understand who was being put to death - and I wept.

I realized, beyond what I may want to think about myself, that if I had been in the crowds the day of Jesus' trial and crucifixion, I would not have realized it was Him until too late. If I had not been screaming "Crucify Him," I would be one who did not care enough about Him to do anything - until it was too late.

Sure, as Christians we all say that we are responsible for Jesus' death, but at least for me, in the back of my mind I held out the hope that I would be different. I would believe and have faith even when all others doubted and fell be the wayside. I would be the one who would stay at His feet ignoring the possibility of my own death. But I wouldn't be the one; I would be part of the fickle crowd or the fleeing disciples.

This honest and open evaluation of myself caused me to consider what I do in my life, what I value and what I think about myself. I love to come here and discuss different topics and debate the issues of the day, but my first passion must be to present what Christ was done - as Paul said, to preach Christ and Him crucified.

I enjoy debating (sometimes arguing ;) ) with Sam, Louis and Stewart. They present reasoned arguments and I hope I present reasoned responses. But as much as I may want to convince them that social conservatism is right, I want so much more for them to understand the love that God offers to them and to everyone.

Again to paraphrase Paul, to be right about the war, gay marriage, taxes and every other issue of the day, but to be without God's love is to live an unfulfilled life, to miss out on so much that is out there.

There are numerous issues within Christianity to debate (gay marriage, problem of pain, end times, etc.), but apart from all those stands Jesus - the unfiltered, unadulterated truth of Him. He offers love, peace, forgiveness, hope, joy and abundant life, and all He asks for in return is all of the junk and trash that we have accumulated over the course of our lifetime.

As I have saw, when you are able to remove yourself from all of the cultural surroundings you can learn a lot about yourself and others. For those of you who do not know Jesus, please take an opportunity to investigate Him, not all the controversy surrounding this church or that, this person or that person, but Jesus Himself. See what He did, what He claimed and evaluate both His and your life honestly. Don't realize after it is too late who Jesus is and how you should respond to Him.

This has nothing to do with stances of gay marriage, the war or other social issues. You can be a homosexual, peace activists liberal and still be my brother in Christ. I believe that my opinions on those issues are right, but I KNOW that my belief in Jesus is well-founded. He has proved Himself to me countless times, give Him the chance to prove Himself to you.

Comments

[Louis]

Are you practicing for your career in the pulpit?

Aside from all that, it's easy to recognize Jesus and respond to him:just follow his advice - treat the orphan, the widow, the prisoner, and all suffering and oppressed people as you would him. Simple.

Unfortunately, I've noticed that christianists are too busy being right about dogma to actually follow his advice. Of course, it's pretty much the same with religions all over the world - "I'm right and you're wrong!" "Persecute the unbeliever!"

It reminds me of the Monty Python film, "The Life of Brian." When the crowd mistakenly takes the Jew, Brian, for the Messiah they chase him out of town, picking up his lost sandal and gourd as holy objects ("Everyone, take off one sandal like the Holy One!" "The Holy Gourd of Jerusalem!"). When they finally corner him and the naked hermit he's disturbed they try to worship him. The hermit says that Brian isn't the Messiah, just someone who's stepped on his foot, the crowd yells "Heretic! Unbeliever! Persecute him!" Hilarious, but true.

[seeker]

I think in general, Louis is correct. Christians should be loving first, truth-bearing second. It is easier to beat people w/ the truth than to love them.

As we all know, love must sometimes be tough - sometimes you have to "speak the truth in love" rather than be an enabler of destructive behavior. However, most of us, being human, default to beating people w/ treuth because love requires maturity.

However, as a counterbalance, I must also say that Liberals love to quote such excellent scriptures as "help widows and orphans" (Apostle Paul, NOT Jesus), "against love there is no law" (Apostle John, NOT Jesus) and "love your neighbor as yourself" (Jesus)- all the commands to love. However, love and truth go together.

As it is said, "Love without truth is sentimentality, truth without love is brutality."

Actually, jesus said "lover your neighbor as yourself" right after "love God with all of your heart mind soul and strength."

In another place, he defined this by saying "If you love me, you will obey my commands."

What were his commands?

There are the excellent commands in the Sermon on the Mount, including:

1. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Mt 5:16)

2. If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Mt 5:23-24)

3. Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny. (Mt 5:25-26)

4. I command you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply Yes or No; anything more than this comes from evil. (Mt 5:34-37)

5. I command you, Do not resist one who is evil. If any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. (Mt 5:39-41)

6. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. (Mt 5:42)

7. I command you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Mt 5:44-45)

8. You must be spiritually mature [teleios], like your heavenly Father. (Mt 5:48)

9. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men, to be noticed by them, if you do you shall not receive a reward from your heavenly Father. (Mt 6:1)

10. When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt 6:3-4)

11. When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt 6:6)

12. When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mt 6:17-18)

13. Do not lay up for yourselves wealth on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Mt 6:19-20)

14. I command you not to be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. (Mt 6:25)

15. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. (Mt 6:33)

16. Do not condemn [krinoô] so that you be not condemned. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

17. Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. (Mt 7:6)

18. Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

19. Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; this is what the Law and the Prophets teach. (Mt 7:12)

20. Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Mt 7:13-14)

21. Beware of false teachers, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.

22. Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

23. He also commanded His disciples (which includes all believers) to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

[Louis]

hmmm...going down your list makes me wonder what happened to xtianity, why so many xtians ignore their leader. Rules 9-16, particularly, are usually given lip-service while ignored in reality. And I think #5 is one of the most pernicious things I've ever heard. Don't resist evil, indeed! Sounds like a soft-brained, bleeding heart liberal to me.

[seeker]

Interesting idea, don't resist evil. What about situations like in the Sudan, where they are coming to kill you and your family? Do you merely follow this one excellent passage and "turn the other cheek"? I don't think so. Much of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount had to do with personal relationships with people, not invading hordes. However, he did say to love an pray for one's enemies.

Xianity does have a theology of personal and civil defense - you can defend yourself, but the sword can never spread the gospel. But I'm not clear on which scriptures apply.

The real key is what goes on in your heart - can you forgive the people who try, or succeed at killing your family? Can you defend yourself without stooping to hatred? Tough challenges.

[Aaron]

Louis, I know you have said that you don't believe Jesus was deity, but it is hard to say, "yeah do what he said about loving other people, but ignore what he said when he claimed to be God."

There is something about Him that attracts and intices people. It is not neccesarily the words that He said or the actions He did, but who He was behind those things and what they point to about Him - knowing Him, not doing His things is the important aspect of it.

And no that was not an attempt at practicing for a career in the pulpit, I honestly don't know what God is going to have me do with my life. That was merely my heart and something I wanted to say after being woken up to how I would respond to Jesus in different circumstances.

[Corey]

I think seeker's point is right. We cannot say we love without the activity of love, and to know what that looks like, we need to obey scripture. Paul does not say "don't do all these things (RM13)", only that if you do them without love as the motivator, they are worthless. Buying my wife flowers because I "have to" is not the same as when I bought her flowers yesterday for her first day back to work after 8years, just to say "I love you".
If we are to be like Christ, then we need to live by his commands (Jn 14). Obedience is a part of love, or at least it can be.
As I look at that list, it occurs to me that my witness and that of most of the church rings hollow because we say we love, and yet spend 3 grand on a vacation instead of helping the poor etc.

[seeker]

My guess is that Loius, like many, likes the ethical and moral teachings of Jesus, in part because they are sort of universal truths that most of us agree on - you don't have to "believe the bible" to agree with these.

Jesus' divinity is not a generally accessible truth - in fact, it is a revealed truth, as opposed to a common, empirical truth.

[Sam]

I appreciate your reasoned plea Aaron - and I think that we, in our own very different ways, are working toward the same ends (betterment to those that we can help) - but religion's not my bag. I'm just not a joiner.

The closest I ever got was a man who explained that Jesus didn't care about rooms and walls and churches - all he cared about was his message. That interested me greatly. Unfortunately, that has very, very, very little to do with today's Christianity.