Scripture Countdown: Number 95

Matthew 22:37: Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Here’s the whole story:

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40).

This is what is known is “The Great Commandment” – loving God and loving one another.  And loving God is “the greatest and most important commandment” of all.

Jesus is being quoted here, but the Bible is full of contradictions and inconsistencies.  When I’m doing Bible study I understand that I need to use discernment if I want to feel comfortable that I’m on the right path, that I’m really following Jesus.  So is “The Great Commandment” consistent with the other teachings of Jesus?  Does it make sense that he would make this statement?  Is it possible that this was an invention of Matthew?  Is so, is it a good invention inspired by God, or is it a jarring inconsistency?  How much weight should I give this scripture?  How important is it?

When I’m weighing and evaluating individual scriptures I rely a lot on my gut.  I’ve read the Bible cover to cover many times and some scriptures just feel “right” and others feel “not as right” to me.  I take this into account, because I ultimately have to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit to enlighten me as I study scripture.  It’s a prayerful experience.  However, I also use an objective methodology that I’ll share here.  As in this case, I ask a series of questions, and do a little research to test the scripture.

Is it consistent with Jewish Law?

The answer is yes.  Loving God is mentioned many times in the Torah, especially the Book of Deuteronomy:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5).
• Remember that the Lord your God is the only God and that he is faithful. He will keep his covenant and show his constant love to a thousand generations of those who love him and obey his commands, but he will not hesitate to punish those who hate him. (Deuteronomy 7:9-10).
• Now, people of Israel, listen to what theLord your God demands of you: Worship the Lord and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, and obey all his laws. I am giving them to you today for benefit.  (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
• Love the Lord your God and always obey all his laws. (Deuteronomy 11:1).
• So then, obey the commands that I have given you today; love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart. (Deuteronomy 11:13).
• Obey faithfully everything that I have commanded you: Love the LORD your God, do everything he commands, and be faithful to him. (Deuteronomy 11:22).
• Prophets or interpreters of dreams may promise a miracle or a wonder,in order to lead you to worship and serve gods that you have not worshiped before. Even if what they promise comes true, do not pay any attention to them. The Lord your God is using them to test you, to see if you love the Lord with all your heart. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).
• The Lord your God will give you and your descendants obedient hearts, so that you will love him with all your heart, and you will continue to live in that land. (Deuteronomy 30:6).
• If you obey the commands of the Lord your God, which I give you today, if you love him, obey him, and keep all his laws, then you will prosper and become a nation of many people. The Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are about to occupy. (Deuteronomy 30:16).
• Love the Lord your God, obey him and be faithful to him, and then you and your descendants will live long in the land that he promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:20).

Is it consistent with the teachings of the prophets?

Yes, the prophets continue to emphasize that God wants humanity to love him.  They warned that God wanted emotional involvement, not just obedience to the laws.

• The Lord said, “These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions, which they have simply memorized. (Isaiah 29:13).
• I will give them the desire to know that I am the Lord. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God, because they will return to me with all their heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)
• You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
• The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their heart I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:33).

Is it part of Jewish tradition?

The importance of loving God is deeply rooted in Jewish consciousness.  It is part of what they call the Shema, the oldest fixed daily prayer in Judaism.  As a Jew, Jesus would have recited this prayer morning and evening, and it is still recited by Jews today. This part of the Shema is based these words from Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

“Israel, remember this! The Lord—and the Lord alone—is our God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  Never forget these commands that I am giving you today.   Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working.   Tie them on your arms and wear them on your foreheads as a reminder.   Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.”

Is this scripture found in all of the Gospels?

It is found in all of the Synoptic Gospels –  in addition to Matthew, this scripture also appears twice in Mark and once in Luke.  It does not appear in the Book of John.

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
• And you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God.” (Mark 12:33).
•  A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?”  The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” “You are right,” Jesus replied; “do this and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28).

Is it consistent with Jesus’ actions and the rest of his teachings?

Jesus didn’t talk a lot about his love for God, but he demonstrated his total devotion to God through his actions.  He gave up everything – home, family, stability, safety, comfort, money, etc. – in his commitment to God.  He gave up all possibility of a normal life to be in ministry.   From the time that he was baptized he was all in – heart, soul, and mind.  In the wilderness Satan offered Jesus the whole world if he would turn his back on God and worship him, and Jesus replied, “Go away, Satan! The scripture says, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him!’”

Jesus’ relationship with God was a very personal one, evidenced by the fact that he referred to God as his “Father” and encouraged everyone else to do likewise.  A healthy father/son relationship isn’t based on legalism.  It’s emotional.  It’s grounded in love.  And when he ultimately chooses at Gethsemane to submit to die on the cross at the hands of the Romans and religious authorities, I interpret it as an act of love for God.

Finally, in his ongoing critique of the Pharisees he points out that the Law isn’t as important as love:

• “You hypocrites! How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you! These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me.   It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!’” (Matthew 15:7-9)
• “How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42)
• But I know what kind of people you are, and I know that you have no love for God in your heart (John 5:42)

 Is it carried over into the rest of the New Testament (the Epistles)?

Not really.  Believe it or not there are only two references to loving God in the letters of the apostles.  Once you get past the Gospels (first four books of the Old Testament), there are only two references to loving God:

• We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
• But the person who loves God is known by him. (1 Corinthians 8:3)

Only 2 references, compared to more than 50 references in the letters about God’s love for us as revealed by the sacrificial death of Christ.  After the Gospels, the theological emphasis changes from the importance of loving and serving God to the importance God’s love for us and his sacrifice laid at our feet.  The emphasis is on receiving love rather than extending it.

Maybe the writers of the Epistles just went a little overboard.  In the Old Testament, God’s love was conditional; it was dependent on obedience to Jewish law.  Later on the prophet Jeremiah predicted a new relationship between God and humanity:

The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  None of them will have to teach a neighbor to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs. (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Jesus went a step further.  He said that God loves even the outcasts and non-Jews.  I guess the writers of the Epistles were so excited about the expansive love that flows from the heart of God that they didn’t feel the need to remind folks that Jesus said that loving God was the most important commandment.   But then again, unlike the Gospels, the Epistles weren’t intended to be definitive, universal theological treatises.  They were letters to particular groups of people, addressing very specific issues and concerns at a given point in time.  Probably all of the people they were writing to were extravagant God-lovers so it wasn’t an issue.  But sometimes it seems like we have to go a little too far to the right, and then a little too far to the left, then back and forth a few times before we get it right and hit the right balance.

Summary

Back to the scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”(Matthew 22:37).

I think the Great Commandment (of which this scripture is a part) is perhaps the most important of Jesus’ teachings.  I guess others throughout church history agree, which is why they call it “The Great Commandment”.  What’s hard to believe is that this scripture about loving God is #95 on this list of the 100 most popular scriptures.  That’s not very popular.  But on the bright side, at least it’s on the list, unlike loving your neighbor (the second part of “The Great Commandment”) which didn’t even make the cut.

In the Gospels, Jesus encourages a reciprocal relationship with God, where we love and are loved at the same time.  Today we know that this is the hallmark of every healthy relationship.   Jesus showed us how to love and honor God (by loving and serving others), and also how to receive his love and acceptance (as one receives and accepts the love of a father).  In this scripture he says that this love should be extravagant – heart, soul and mind.  We should love God (and neighbor) without reservation.

Loving heart, soul, and mind is risky business emotionally.  It means loving God even when things don’t go your way and you feel like he’s not loving you back.  Just like Jesus felt when he was on the cross.  Unloved and abandoned.  To me, it seems like we pretend that the Great Commandment is to receive the love of God, as opposed to giving our love to God.  And then we seem to get spiritual constipation – retaining the unconditional love we receive from God rather than passing it out freely to our enemies and society’s outcasts as Jesus commanded us to do.

Anyway – I say that if you follow this scripture you are 100% following Jesus.  What do you say?

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/day-59-matthew-712/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/day-114-matthew-126-8/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/day-17-matthew-517-18-part-1/

Scripture Countdown: Number 96

Psalm 133:2: It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.

This scripture needs to be read in context with scripture so that it makes sense:

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God’s people to live together in harmony!  It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron’s head and beard, down to the collar of his robes.  It is like the dew on Mount Hermon, falling on the hills of Zion.  That is where the Lord has promised his blessing—life that never ends.  (Psalm 133:1-3)

I find it peculiar that this scripture is one of the most popular, as opposed to the scripture preceding it (about harmony) or the one that follows (about eternal life).  I guess it’s because the part about the oil is a very sensual image and consequently a very memorable one.  Probably people remember the image and so they search on it on their way to the passages about either unity or eternal life.  Interesting.

Anyway, to get back on track, the scripture says that harmony is wonderful, pleasing to God, and the path to eternal life.  But is this something Jesus would agree with?

Harmony vs. Uniformity

How interesting that this version of the Bible (Good News) uses the word “harmony.”  In the NRSV version that I grew up with it’s translated as “unity.”  To me, unity and harmony have two very different implications so I decided to go back to the original Hebrew and look at the words.  This concept “live together in harmony” is derived from three Hebrew words (Source: Strong’s Concordance):

• Yachad – together (alike, all, altogether, completely, one accord, safely, together, together in unity, united)
• Shiyr – musical (a song, singing)
• Ma’alah – step (a journey to a higher place, a thought arising), or a climactic progression (things that come up, (high) degree, go up, stair, step, story.)

Wow is this exciting!!  It’s about MUSIC!  It’s about journeying to a higher place, together, through music!  It’s about the kind of unity that you feel when you are making beautiful music with other people.  That great feeling.

Music has always been an integral part of worship in the Judeo-Christian tradition.  The Psalms served as the Jewish songbook; they were originally sung, not spoken.  As I reflect on this scripture I think about how worship music has evolved with the church as it moves from the uniformity and totalitarianism of the medieval church to the freedom and originative unity that we enjoy today in our individual congregations.

The early church continued the Jewish tradition of singing the psalms.  The psalms did not have a fixed melody so they were sung by an individual who made up the song as it went along.  Later on as the church grew in power the melodies became fixed so that they could be sung by more than one person.  Gregorian chant, the music of the Mass, and plainsong are examples.  This kind of music is characterized by everyone singing the same note at the same time. Regimented uniformity, just like the church itself.

Even as the church was at the height of its power – around the 13^th century – a new kind of religious music began to evolve outside the church.  Carols were festive, creative songs characterized by people sang different notes at the same time, or even simultaneous intertwining melodies.  The polyphonic carols marked the emergence of harmony as a form of religious musical expression.  This, however, was a populist movement and carols were not sung in the churches.

After the Reformation in the 1500s, the new Protestant churches gradually began to use hymns as the main form of musical expression.  Hymns embraced musical harmony and choirs emerged, just as various schools of theological thought and religious practice began to emerge..

Today’s church music is characterized by its exuberance and creativity, just like today’s church.  You never know what might happen.  There is very little uniformity.  But music almost always creates a sense of unity.  I always find that when people are making music together in the church, they are united in spirit.  The disagreement usually arises when the music ends and the talking starts, because there are as many personal theologies as there are musical melodies.  The possibilities are endless.

So would Jesus prefer uniformity or harmony?  Would he agree with this scripture that harmony is pleasing?  At one point he uses an analogy about singing to describe people who are unwilling to connect with others on an emotional level:

“Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group shouts to the other, ‘We played wedding music for you, but you wouldn’t dance! We sang funeral songs, but you wouldn’t cry!’“ (Matthew 11:16-17).

There is also this scripture where Jesus explicitly acknowledges that people are diverse:

For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.”  (Matthew 19:12).

If you’ve read the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke you know that Jesus wanted a new, flexible, pragmatic, loving approach to God’s laws as opposed to the traditional uniform, regimented approach embraced by the Pharisees and the scribes:

• “Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of theLaw of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
• “Or have you not read in theLaw of Moses that every Sabbath the priests in the Temple actually break the Sabbath law, yet they are not guilty?” (Matthew 12:5).
• “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the greatest and the most important commandment.  The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’  The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

Repeatedly Jesus stressed that there are always extenuating circumstances when it comes to obeying the Law; for example, appropriate application of Sabbath laws were hotly debated in his time.  Again and again Jesus says that kindness and love are what’s really important.  And the, of course, there are all those teachings about peace – blessed are the peacemakers, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, forgive seventy times seven times.  He always taught that peace was more important than being right; that love was more important than justice.  He didn’t want people marching together in uniformity like a religious army.  He wanted them to flow together in harmony, each singing their own song of love.    He wanted the kind of unity that happens when people are connected to each other heart to heart.

Anointing

So if the substance of this scripture is consistent with the teachings of Jesus, what about the analogy? Did Jesus think anointing was a good thing?  Would he think that the excessive use of oil described in this scripture was wasteful?

First, a little background.  When God called Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, Moses resisted because he felt he wasn’t a good speaker.  This didn’t make God particularly happy, but even so he cut Moses some slack by allowing him to enlist the help of his brother Aaron.   God said that he would talk to Moses, Moses would relay the information to Aaron, and Aaron would talk to everyone else.  (Exodus 4:10-16).

Later on, after the exodus from Egypt, Aaron became the first High Priest of the Hebrew people.  Part of the instructions that God gave to Moses included the recipe for a fragrant anointing oil made from myrrh, cinnamon, olive oil, and a couple of other ingredients.  This oil was used to consecrate holy objects, like the Ark of the Covenant and the Tent of the Lord’s Presence.  It was also used to ordain Aaron as the High Priest, to set him apart as a holy man.  The consecration ritual involved pouring this holy oil over Aaron’s head.  The idea was that all holy things were separated from ordinary things by their scent.  Holy things had the fragrance of holiness (Exodus 20:22-33).

How did Jesus feel about anointing?  Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the story of the woman who anointed Jesus shortly before he was killed:

Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a dreaded skin disease. While Jesus was eating, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar filled with an expensive perfume, which she poured on his head. The disciples saw this and became angry. “Why all this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold for a large amount and the money given to the poor!”  Jesus knew what they were saying, and so he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? It is a fine and beautiful thing that she has done for me. You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me. What she did was to pour this perfume on my body to get me ready for burial. Now, I assure you that wherever this gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”  (Matthew 26:6-13).

Summary

I think that Jesus would definitely agree with this scripture, both the substance of it and the analogy as well.  He taught that God wanted unity, but that it must be on the love level, not the legal level.  Jesus taught that when people love one another and live in harmony it’s a beautiful thing.   That’s how he wanted us to live – acknowledging our differences, respecting each other, and making it work.   The kind of unity where everyone doesn’t have to sing the same note at the same time.  He wants the richness and of a beautiful harmony that emerges when everyone is allowed to sing life’s song of love, contributing in their own special way.  Part of the heavenly choir.

So if you follow this scripture are you following Jesus?  In my opinion the answer is yes – it’s 100% Jesus.

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https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/day-107-matthew-1116-17/

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https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/day-59-matthew-712/

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Scripture Countdown: Number 97

Matthew 5:16: “In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

 

One can hardly underestimate the importance of the concept of light in traditional Jewish thought, as described in this quote from a Jewish website:

 “Light, fundamentally, does not belong to this world; it is, rather, an emanation of a different essence, from the other side of reality.  Light serves as the symbol of the good and the beautiful, of all that is positive.” (www.chabad.org/library/article cdo/ aid/39771/jewish/Shades-of-Light.htm)

When God created the world it was dead, formless, and dark.  When God said “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) it all changed. In the understanding of Jews God wasn’t just creating the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.  He was saying things like “Let there be goodness.”  “Let there be beauty.”  “Let there be otherworldly emanation.”  “Let there be positive spirituality.”  These were all necessary precursors for the creation of life.

Part 1: “In the same way your light must shine before people….”

This scripture has two components.  In the first part Jesus says that we carry (Jewish) “light” and that we must let it shine.  Based on the Jewish meaning of the word “light,” Jesus is saying in this passage that we must allow the goodness, the beauty, the otherworldly emanation, and positive spirituality that is within us to be manifested in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

This, Jesus says, is the will of God for our lives.   That we would live lives in a manner that our legacies would be acts that reflect the goodness, beauty, positivity, and otherworldly spirituality of God.  Jesus says we must offer the best of all that is within us to those around us.  This will affirm the idea that life (and God, the creator of life) is good, which certainly opposes Calvinist theological views that emphasize original sin and the depravity of man.

So this scripture is attributed to Jesus, but is this a questionable statement?  Is it consistent with the other teachings of Jesus.  On one hand, this statement by Jesus about humanity being full of light doesn’t appear in the other synoptic Gospels of Mark and Luke.  However a little research shows that Jesus didn’t come up with the idea that we carry the Jewish concept of “light.”  It can be found 3 times in the Book of Isaiah, which was one of Jesus’ favorite books:

• “I, the Lord, have called you and given you power to see that justice is done on earth. Through you I will make a covenant with all peoples; through you I will bring light to the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)
• The Lord said to me, “I have a greater task for you, my servant. Not only will you restore to greatness the people of Israel who have survived, but I will also make you a light to the nations— so that all the world may be saved.” (Isaiah 49:6)
• “Other nations will be covered by darkness, But on you the light of the Lord will shine; The brightness of his presence will be with you. Nations will be drawn to your light, And kings to the dawning of your new day.” (Isaiah 60:2-3)

Furthermore, the idea that we all carry this Jewish concept of “light” is affirmed in the teachings of Jesus.  There is no sign in the Gospels that Jesus believes that people are “born bad” (original sin theological paradigm).  He teaches that people are capable of doing wonderful, fantastic things because of the light within them.  For example, Jesus says that ordinary people are capable of:

• Healing other people
• Healing themselves
• Forgiving sins
• Calming storms
• Feeding thousands with a little bit of food
• Walking on water

The only way that this first part of the scripture could possibly lead you off the Narrow Path that is the way of Jesus is if you develop spiritual pride.  After all Jesus never said the light was reserved for just a few of us.  He says that we should refer to God as “Our Father”, recognizing that we are imprinted with God’s DNA.  The light is our inheritance, part of our spiritual genetic makeup.  As long as you don’t think the light is reserved for a select few then this image will help you image yourself as a spiritual being and inspired you to lead the kind of life that Jesus wants all of us to live.

Part 2: “…so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

So the first part of this scripture seems consistent with the other teachings of Jesus.  But, when one examines the second part of this scripture – the part where Jesus says that we should let our light shine, “so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven” – there seems to be a little inconsistent with Jesus’s other teachings.  There is a lot of evidence that Jesus didn’t really teach that the primary reason for good works is to promote God or advertise his goodness.

First, Jesus teaches that we should never make a show of our good works, even if we are doing them for God.  For example,

• “So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”
• “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see I assure you, they have already been paid in full.  But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. (Matthew 6:2-6)
• And when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do. They neglect their appearance so that everyone will see that they are fasting. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.” (Matthew 6:16)

Also, there are several occasions where Jesus specifically states that he doesn’t want to call attention to miracles, even though they might indeed cause people to glorify God.

• After he heals a man with a dreaded skin disease he says: “Listen!Don’t tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and let him examine you.” (Matthew 8:4)
• Again after healing two blind men, it says that “Jesus spoke sternly to them, ‘Don’t tell this to anyone!’” (Matthew 9:30)
• Finally, after the mystical “Transfiguration” experience “Jesus ordered them, “Don’t tell anyone about this vision you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from death.”  (Matthew 17:9).

Second, Jesus teaches that people don’t necessarily appreciate good works.  If you are doing good things solely to impress people with God’s goodness, then you will be disappointed.  Good works and God’s truth are not always well received because people don’t know which end is up.  Here are some of these teachings of Jesus:

• “When John [the Baptist] came, he fasted and drank no wine, and everyone said, ‘He has a demon in him!’ When the Son of Man came, he ate and drank and everyone said, ‘Look at this man!  He is a glutton and wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!’ God’s wisdom, however, is shown to be true by its results. (Matthew 11:18-19)
• “And so I tell you that I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers; you will kill some of them, crucify others, and whip others in the synagogues and chase them from town to town.” (Matthew 23:24)
• “Everyone will hate you because of me.” (Matthew 10:22)

Also consider what happens after Jesus heals a couple of men with demons.  Rather than thanking Jesus and glorifying God, the townspeople ask him to leave:

“The men who had been taking care of the pigs ran away and went into the town, where they told the whole story and what had happened to the men with the demons. So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory. (Matthew 8:33-34)

And, the public’s reaction to his sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth doesn’t exactly endear people to him or turn their hearts to God:

When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger. They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way. (Luke 4:28-30)

Finally, Jesus repeatedly warns the Pharisees that good works are not the main thing God wants.  God wants love, and love results in good works.  In his famous “Woe to the Pharisees” speech, he says that God isn’t glorified by legalism (doing the right thing).  He says that God wants his followers to demonstrate things like justice, mercy, honesty, and compassion.

 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.  Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!

 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have gotten by violence and selfishness.  Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too!

 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside.  In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins. (Matthew 23:23-28).

Other examples:

• “’These people’, says God, ‘honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me.’”  (Matthew 15:8)
• “Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’” (Matthew 9:13)

Jesus says it’s all about what’s on the inside.  If your heart is right, God will be revealed through your deeds.  If your heart is far from God, your deeds will be of no use to him.

Summary

I really like this scripture and there’s no reason to think the Jesus didn’t say it.  I know that there have been many occasions when people (both Christians and non-Christians) have been kind to me and that I have given thanks to God as a result of their kindness.  I think it’s true.

But this scripture (and most of these other “favorite scriptures” I will be reflecting on), when taken out of the context of the rest of the Gospel, can become a slippery slope.  I can just imagine pastors looking up this scripture because they are trying to impress upon their congregants that they need to do more good works so that people will like God and come to their church.  This kind of thinking is pure Madison Avenue.  It’s a slippery slope.

Keep in mind that if the only reason you are doing good works is to advertise God or promote your religion, you could start veering off the straight and narrow “Jesus Path.” We are supposed to have kind hearts and do good things as a natural consequence of our love for others, not because people are watching and we are trying to impress them or convert them to our religion.  We are not here to save the world or to defend God.  That’s not our responsibility. We are here to be light, whether or not anyone is watching.

This scripture – 100% Jesus.  But it’s an anecdote, not a law.  Good works don’t glorify God.  Loving hearts glorify God.  Good works that flow from a loving heart?  Glorious!!!

 

For more about Original Sin vs Original Blessing:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/carlgregg/2011/11/embracing-christianity-and-evolution-matthew-fox-original-blessing-and-creation-spirituality/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin

 

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/day-39-matthew-62-4/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/day-45-matthew-619-21/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/day-108-matthew-1118-19/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/24/day-100-matthew-1042/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/day-114-matthew-126-8/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/day-201-matthew-2323-24/

Scripture Countdown: Number 98

Isaiah 55:8: “My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours.

Jesus began his ministry with a great oratory referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.”  This, his first, and greatest sermon, opens with a series of statements we call “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5:3-10).   From the very beginning, Jesus was intent on teaching people that God has a different view of things.  Instead of affirming conventional wisdom that people are happy (or blessed) when they are surrounded by loved ones, healthy, confident, ambitious, and prosperous Jesus preaches that God has a different view:

“Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor;     the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!  “Happy are those who mourn;     God will comfort them!  “Happy are those who are humble;     they will receive what God has promised! “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires;     God will satisfy them fully!  “Happy are those who are merciful to others;     God will be merciful to them!  “Happy are the pure in heart;     they will see God!  “Happy are those who work for peace;     God will call them his children!  “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;     the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

According to Jesus, you are happy (or blessed) when you are spiritually poor, grieving, humble, God-serving, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaking, and persecuted.  Other examples of Jesus’ teachings that defy conventional wisdom?

• Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-45)
• God’s blessings are freely available to both good and bad people (Matthew 5:45-46)
• God and money don’t mix (Matthew 6:24 and 19:21-24)
• Family is NOT the most important thing in life (Matthew 10:35-37)
• You have to lose your life to gain it. (Matthew 16:24-26)
• The last are first and the first are last. (Matthew 19:30)
• If you want to be great, you must be a servant of others and if you want to be first you must be their slave. (Matthew 20:26-27).
• Violence always results in more violence (Matthew 26:52).

These are just a few examples of the teachings of Jesus that the world might say are convoluted logic, totally impossible, or just plain untrue.  And so, if one accepts the premise that Jesus’ teachings accurately reveal the heart and mind of God, it’s pretty clear that Jesus would agree with this scripture.  God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours. At first glance this seem a little depressing.  It makes it sound like our thoughts and ways are all wrong, but I don’t think that’s the point of this scripture.  I think it’s important to remember that this is not personal, nor is it all inclusive.  While not all of our thoughts and actions are unlike those of God, one only has to spend a couple of minutes watching the evening news to acknowledge that collectively humanity has a lot of wayward thoughts and actions.  But If you go back to this Isaiah scripture in context, it’s actually very encouraging:

Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive. “My thoughts,” says the Lord, “are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.  “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that I speak—it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do. (Isaiah 55:6-11)

The scripture, when read in context, is not a condemnation of human nature.  It’s not intended to impose guilt or make us feel flawed.  It’s a celebration of God’s kindness and his forgiving nature.  It’s an expression of relief that God, unlike human beings, doesn’t hold a grudge.  This scripture reassures us that because of God’s goodness, the cycle of life will continue and everything will turn out well in the end. I think Jesus would approve of this scripture.  He spent his entire ministry trying to convince everyone that God’s thoughts were different from the thoughts of men, and that the Kingdom of Heaven was profoundly different from the kingdoms of the earth.  He desperately wanted people to change and do things God’s way. So I would say that If you are following this scripture, you are following Jesus 100%.

For more about who wrote the Book of Isaiah:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Isaiah https://bible.org/seriespage/1-introduction-study-book-isaiah

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/day-7-matthew-53/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/day-35-matthew-545b-46/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/day-47-matthew-624/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/20/day-96-matthew-1035-36/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/day-149-matthew-1623-26/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/day-170-matthew-1921-23-24/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/day-172-matthew-1928-30/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/day-176-matthew-2025-28/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/25/day-241-matthew-2652-55/

Scripture Countdown: Number 99

Hebrews 4:15:  Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. 

In this beloved scripture Jesus is proclaimed to be our “High Priest.”  Priests (and priestesses) have been around as long as religion itself.  They are those who have special spiritual gifts, so others rely on them to serve as intermediaries between man and God, heaven and earth.  They are the mediums through whom God communicates with the ordinary people.  Traditional religions have shamans who have special spiritual powers.  New age people have mediums.

Although Jews gave up on priests after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem shortly after the death of Jesus, Christians keep the tradition alive.  Roman Catholics and all of the Orthodox religions have priests.  Protestants call their spiritual leaders pastors or ministers, but they often are regarded as intermediaries with God who have special powers so they are, in effect, still priests.

People seem to like to have priests and it’s one of the reasons this scripture is so comforting.  However, from the time of Moses God has been trying to get people to get rid of their priestly fixation.  More than thousand years before Jesus was born God told the Hebrews – his chosen people – that he wanted all of them to serve him as priests, communicating with him directly.  He said, “Now, if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own people. The whole earth is mine, but you will be my chosen people, a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests.” (Exodus 19:5-6).  God instructed them to purify themselves so that they would be ready to meet with him at the top of Mt. Sinai.  They did everything they were instructed to do, but when God gave the signal to come up the mountain they were afraid, so they sent Moses up alone to be their mediator (Exodus 20:18-20).  They were afraid that God would kill them so they weren’t ready to be in true relationship with God.  Sadly they missed the opportunity to meet with God face to face like Moses did.  They were more comfortable hanging back and letting “special” people like Moses and Aaron serve as their priests.

So is God wants everyone to be a priest, why did he allow the people to continue to have priests like those in pagan religions?  I think the answer can be found in the Book of First Samuel Chapter 8.   At that time Samuel the Prophet was serving as the leader of the Hebrew people.  When he got old, the people said they wanted a king, not a prophet to succeed him:  “Look, you are getting old and your sons don’t follow your example.  So, then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have.”  (I Samuel 8:5).  God comforts Samuel, saying, “You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king.”  (I Samuel 8:7). He then instructs Samuel to tell the people how their kings will treat them.  Samuel tells the people:

He will make soldiers of your sons; some of them will serve in his war chariots, others in his cavalry, and others will run before his chariots.  He will make some of them officers in charge of a thousand men, and others in charge of fifty men. Your sons will have to plow his fields, harvest his crops, and make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. Your daughters will have to make perfumes for him and work as his cooks and his bakers. He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your grapes for his court officers and other officials. He will take your servants and your best cattle and donkeys, and make them work for him. He will take a tenth of your flocks. And you yourselves will become his slaves. When that time comes, you will complain bitterly because of your king, whom you yourselves chose, but the Lord will not listen to your complaints. (I Samuel 8:11-18).

But the people didn’t care.  They wanted a king so that they would be like other nations.  They didn’t want a prophet to lead them.  They wanted someone who would lead them out to war and fight their battles.  What did God do?  He told Samuel, “Do what they want and give them a king.” (1 Samuel 8:22). God is the good father who knows that if the kids have their minds set on something, they have to figure out the truth for themselves.  In fact it took a long time for humanity to give up kings.  It took thousands of years for democracy to take root.  Even so, many nations still have kings even though their roles are largely ceremonial.  I think it’s the same thing with priests.

In the story of Jesus the priests are despicable characters.  They are the ones who arrest Jesus, try Jesus, turn him over to the Roman authorities, and convince them to crucify him.   While the Pharisees are in dialogue with Jesus, the priests have absolutely no use for him.  They are evil.  They are the ones who orchestrated his demise.

On the basis of all of this, I don’t think Jesus wanted to be a priest.  He referred to himself as the “Son of Man,” which in Jewish tradition meant “an ordinary person.”  While Jesus does indeed say that he will be on a throne in heaven, he also says that he will not be there alone.  He says that his disciples will be right up there with him: “You can be sure that when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne in the New Age, then you twelve followers of mine will also sit on thrones, to rule the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake, will receive a hundred times more and will be given eternal life.”  (Matthew 19:28-30).  Rather than setting himself up to be someone special, Jesus is continually trying to get his followers to embrace their own power and develop their own relationship with God.  He wanted everyone to be “priests”, just like Moses said.  And, as in the case of Moses, it really didn’t work.  People still want their priests, even today.

Jesus tells his followers to go directly to God.  He says, “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock.” (Matthew 7:7-8).  Priests were the “healers” of Jesus day.  He sent out his followers to be healers who healed without the help of priests.  Priests were the ones who declared people to be ritually clean, but Jesus promoted baptism by ordinary people like John the Baptist.  Priests were the only ones who could declare that people were forgiven.  Jesus said that God’s forgiveness is boundless and freely available.  Jesus repeatedly refers to God as “Our Father”, and in healthy family relationships we don’t need priests or intermediaries to approach and communicate with those who love us, nurture us, provide for us, and give us life.

Actually, if you look at this Great High Priest scripture in context, the purpose is clearly to convince people that it’s time to give up their earthly priests and embrace their own relationship with God.  The very next scripture is “ Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:16).  Right after the “High Priest” reference the next statement is that we don’t need to go through Jesus or saints or priests to get to God.  The next statement is that we can is says we can go boldly to God’s throne. With confidence.

The problem with this scripture is that it’s like methadone.  Better than the heroin of having earthly priests, but not as good as being freed from addiction altogether.  The fact is that in the narrative (synoptic) Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus never said he wanted to be anyone’s priest.  He didn’t like priests.  He had no use for them whatsoever.

So, on the basis of this, I say that if your theology is based on the idea that you have to work through a High Priest to communicate with God, then you are really not following the teachings of Jesus.  You are probably not even following the Apostle Paul.  You are most likely following an unknown, nameless author.  I’m not saying that you should abandon this imagery if it’s helpful to you.  I mean, if you need an intermediary I think Jesus, in the spirit of serving others, would be more than happy to do anything that would bring you closer to God.  However, I don’t think it’s what he would prefer.  He would prefer that you “go boldly.”  He would prefer that you go alone – open and vulnerable.  What do you say?

More about who wrote the Book of Hebrews:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Epistle_to_the_Hebrews

http://www.biblica.com/en-us/bible/online-bible/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/intro-to-hebrews/

http://www.insight.org/resources/bible/hebrews.html

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/day-70-matthew-826/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/day-72-matthew-92/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/day-242-matthew-2664/

Introduction

“Follow me.”  (Matthew 9:9)

For the past couple of years I have been promoting my blog “Listening to Jesus” where I explore the words of Jesus in the Book of Matthew.  In that blog I look at every scripture in Matthew where Jesus speaks, in order, omitting nothing.  I share reflections on all of his quotes – sometimes it’s theological, sometimes academic, sometimes personal.  You can find this original blog at https://josusblog.wordpress.com/index/.  If you want to know why I chose the Book of Matthew go to https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/day-221-matthew-2435/.

This new blog “Who Are You Following?” was inspired by a post in Bible Gateway.  Bible Gateway is a great online concordance with an excellent search engine and I use it all the time. One day I saw an article by Bible Gateway entitled “The 100 most-read Bible verses at BibleGateway.com” by Andy Rau (https://www.biblegateway.com/blog/2009/05/the-100-most-read-bible-verses-at-biblegatewaycom/).  When I examined this list of scriptural gems I saw many that I have heard people say are their “favorites.”   I also couldn’t help noticing that this list provides evidence of something I’ve long suspected –  that Jesus’ words and teachings aren’t that important to most Christians.  Of the 100 most-read Bible verses on this popular online Bible resource, only 17 of them are “Jesus quotes”. That means that the top 83 scriptures that people are most interested in were comments made by someone other than Jesus.  21 of them – one fifth – are from the Old Testament.  Only 9 were from the Book of Matthew. I sometimes think that Christians don’t really like Jesus all that much.  He’s still too radical and his ideas aren’t a good fit with American ideology about what constitutes the good life.

I once heard legendary evangelist Steve Hill preach on Matthew 15:14: “When one blind man leads another, both fall into a ditch.”  In this scripture Jesus warned people about the dangers of following the religious leaders of his day.  Steve Hill asserted that whether we know it or not we are all following other people.  We all develop our own philosophy about things based on the ideas, facts, and knowledge that we are exposed to at some point in time, and that it’s important to know who we are following.  In my opinion it makes sense that Christians should try to follow the teachings of Jesus – not Paul, not John, not Christendom, not tradition.  Both the church and the rest of the Bible can be informative, interesting, entertaining, and even inspiring – but if we are to be faithful followers of Jesus we need to really focus on his teachings.  After all, Jesus took exception to many of the Old Testament laws and teachings which, in Jewish tradition (and in the minds of many Christians), were handed down to Moses by God himself.  For example, Jesus openly criticized the laws regarding justice (an eye for an eye) and divorce.  As followers of Jesus it is perfectly appropriate to examine all scriptures carefully and even question their legitimacy, because that’s what Jesus did.  He also criticized religious traditions, teachings and leadership.  As followers of Jesus this is a perfectly acceptable practice.

I am not a “Biblian” who feels compelled to follow every word written in the Bible.  I’m not a “New Testimentarian” who follows every instruction in the New Testament.  I’m not a “Gospelist” who hangs on every word of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  I’m not a “Churchian” who is follows the teachings of church leadership.  (I just made up these names, so don’t bother looking them up). I’m a Christian.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ.  Everything else in the Bible, everything else ever written about God, everything else ever said is just “the prequel,” “the sequel,” or commentary.  For me Jesus – his words and actions – are the main event.

I think that while most Christians would agree in theory that as true disciples of Jesus we need to be sure we are following him, we have all had teachers who omit or dismiss Jesus’ radical teachings in favor of the teachings of others.  We end up being Christians that don’t look very much like Christ.

In “Who Are You Following?” I will look at each of these 100 most-read Bible verses and reflect on whether or not I think each scripture is consistent with the teachings of Jesus.  I will study up on each of these verses, provide information about the source, and identify who I think you are following when you incorporate this scripture into your personal theology.  Sometimes it will be Jesus, but in many cases it will be someone else.

What is my criteria?  I think the biggest clue is the Great Commandment that appears in the Books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Here Jesus says that all of the laws and teachings in the Bible are supposed to lead us to love God and love other people.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:34-40).

In my opinion, any scripture that encourages me to love God and love humanity is consistent with the ministry of Jesus.  Any scripture that does not is leading me away from the Jesus path.  It’s all very subjective, but I hope it may stimulate you to think about Jesus, who he was, what he taught, and what he expected of his followers.  I hope it will help you discern who you are following, and inspire and equip you to be a faithful follower of Jesus.  One he would be proud of.  And I am a Christian because I believe that the Jesus path is the path to true joy, inner peace, and the sustainability of the human race.

That’s about it!  Oh – I have used the Good News/TEV Bible.  Enjoy!

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/day-76-matthew-99/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/day-193-matthew-2237-40/

Scripture Countdown: Number 100

John 13:35:  “If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.” 

Right after Jesus goes through that nasty little business of predicting the betrayal of Judas at what in the tradition of the church is referred to as the Last Supper, Jesus says these words to his disciples:

And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”   (John 13:34-35).

This is a direct quote from Jesus so if you follow this scripture you are following Jesus all the way, right?  Well, not necessarily so.  This scripture is from the Gospel of John, the authorship of which is questioned by Biblical scholars who think it was probably written by others in the name of John.  What they think John would have written if he had chosen to do so, as opposed to the first-hand “eyewitness” accounts of Mark and Matthew.  The Gospel of John is stylistically different from the “synoptic” or narrative Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.  It generally is considered to be more, well, for lack of a better word, poetic than the other Gospels.  Other words might be creative, inventive, heroic, romantic, epic, idyllic, symbolic, allegorical, spiritual, etc.  The point is that sometimes there are many quotes attributed to Jesus in the Book of John that don’t appear in any of the other Gospels, so I always take that into consideration when I’m reading John.  I always wonder just a little bit who I’m listening to when I read John.  It is generally considered to be more creative than credible, but inspiring nevertheless.

That having been said, in this case the somewhat questionable credibility of quotes attributed to Jesus in the Book of John is not a problem because this particular scripture seems to be a restatement of the Great Commandment which is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark:

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together, and one of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to trap him with a question. “Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments.”  (Matthew 22:34-40).

The only possible problem I see with today’s scripture is that in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is instructing his disciples to love one another, but John’s quote goes a little further.  After issuing the command to love, the writer of John has Jesus using neighborly love as a “litmus test” of discipleship.  A litmus test is something science uses to produce a simple true/false result.  A pass/fail challenge.  Home pregnancy tests are a good example of a litmus test.  You are either pregnant or you are not.

The problem with theological litmus tests is that they encourage people to make judgments about people and whether or not they are “true Christians,” “our kind of people,” “good guys vs. bad guys,” etc. which in and of itself is antithetical to Jesus’ teachings about judging each other.  In Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus says, “Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and he will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.”  Similarly, when Jesus teaches about discerning true or false prophets he does not offer a quick litmus test.  Instead, he says you have to watch and wait and see what they do:  “Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs.” (Matthew 7:15).

Christendom (my euphemism for institutional Christianity) seems to like litmus tests.  Instead of encouraging people to have a good relationship with God, they tell them that certain behaviors and beliefs are valid indicators of  your status as a “true Christian” and a true indicator of whether you will go to heaven or hell when you die.  Here are a few popular ones used throughout the history of the church:

• In the earliest days a “true Christian” was one who was a baptized member in good standing within the “one true church” (Catholic or a specific Orthodox sect).
• Eventually churches required that their members must profess belief in a set of creeds (like the Apostles Creed)
• In the 1600s Martin Luther started the Protestant movement, and these rebellious churches claimed that their members were the only “true Christians.” (Or at least they were “better” than the Catholics and Orthodox, who were being deceived).
• When the Enlightenment in the 1700s prompted the rise in Biblical scholarship, there was a backlash movement that said that “true Christians” believed in Biblical literalism and inerrancy.
• Early 1800s the revival movement litmus test was a “converting experience,” where a person “confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,” preferably at an “altar call.”
• In 1900 the Pentecostal movement ushered in an era where certain churches asserted that cannot be a “true Christian” unless they “receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by “speaking in tongues”.
• The Scopes Trials in the 1920s made creationism vs. evolution the new litmus test.
• Since the 1960s the main litmus tests have been related to human sexuality – birth control, abortion, and homosexuality.

I must say that I like this scripture a lot.  I really like the idea that love and Christianity go hand in hand.  And while I’m not so big on litmus tests I’m really big on love.  The way in which this scripture emphasizes love is certainly supported by the Great Commandment in Matthew and Mark and so I’m sure Jesus would approve.  So, if you follow this scripture you are following Jesus, as long as it doesn’t lead you to have a judgmental attitude.  If you want to be a faithful follower of Jesus you must always remember it’s not your job (or the church’s job) to judge who’s really a Christian and who is not.

Is this scripture consistent with the teachings of Jesus?  I say 80% Jesus, 20% someone else (the author of the Book of John).   That’s my opinion.  What do you say?

For more about who wrote the Book of John check out these resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_John

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-shelby-spong/gospel-of-john-what-everyone-knows-about-the-fourth-gospel_b_3422026.html

http://www.theopedia.com/Gospel_of_John

http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/did-john-write-his-gospel

Related posts by this author:

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/day-193-matthew-2237-40/

https://josusblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/08/day-54-matthew-71-2/