Seriously. All this crap about a Starbucks logo?
All the flap about the California supreme court overturning the ban on gay marriage? What the heck? Why do my fellow believers feel the need to moralize everyone around them? Did Jesus do this?
When confronted with a known adulteress (caught in the act), he basically told everyone to shove off, then told the woman “I do not condemn you.”
When Jesus met a tax collector (think evil corporate shill), he not only told him to follow him, but accepted his invitation to dinner. And:
Mat 9:10 While Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other outcasts came and joined Jesus and his disciples at the table.
Mat 9:11 Some Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such people?”
Mat 9:12 Jesus heard them and answered, “People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
Mat 9:13 Go and find out what is meant by the scripture that says: ‘It is kindness that I want, not animal sacrifices.’ I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.”
It’s not keeping the letter of the law that makes God happy, but obeying the Spirit of it. Jesus repeatedly violated the letter of the jewish law by “working” on the sabbath, yet no Christian believes Jesus sinned.
He hung out with prostitutes, outcasts, homeless, messed up people. He got into their world, spent time with them, talked with them, ministered to them. Why? To show them God’s love. Why is it so hard for us to do the same?
When critics tried to get Jesus to be political he deftly sidestepped the whole debate (Mat 22:17). Why can’t we take our abundant resources ($$$) and send help to China and Burma instead of political campaigns to enshrine Christian beliefs in state constitutions?
I love the line in Derek Webb’s song A King and a Kingdom
There are two great lies that i’ve heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican…
Jesus clearly denounced the love of wealth. Most of his ministry involved “health care” for the poor. In today’s language, he was a liberal!
Jesus liberally forgives our sins. He liberally gives us the Holy Spirit. His grace abounds so we will have all we need for any good work.
To this group “The Resistance,” I say if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all.
</rant>
Why give jesus a title that was not given to him in scripture. Please do not misunderstand me the people you are writing to are giving him one. But i would ask you to please question if you are diluting the perfect holiness of christ by giving him a name that is not used to describe him in scripture.
Good question. My intent is not to give him a name or a title, but a description using a word that resonates with our modern minds and (American) culture. My purpose was not to define him (what human could do that?) but to help myself and others understand him better. Hope it got you thinking anyway.
Wow, where to start? I feel like posting comments on each of the topic you posted.I don’t know why but it seems like i changed my mind, i discover how much i love ideas: sharing them, discussing them. I like the way you think, and i understood the hidden meaning behind the modern words you were using, i do that all the time when i try to get my point across. Another comment to the above replies is how do we think Christ was successful in ministering to prostitutes, and to all this different classes ? The Holy spirit teaches me everyday: CONTENT, NOT FORM. I might get philosophical, but that’s what this Kingdom of God business is all about: SPREAD THE WORD BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE EXCLUDING OF COURSE ANYTHING THAT IS AGAINST THE MESSAGE ! i am learning as i go but i gotta give it to you, you were really inspired on this one !
Dang Joe, how’d you find me? I haven’t told anybody I had a blog yet…
if i tell you i am going to have to kill you, just kidding, always wanted to say that. Well, it was pretty easy, i just looked at your profile in the Tammaro’s group and i clicked on the link YOU provided and here we are. i like your thoughts, you already have lots of those leadership skills that are going to help for the next stage God is leading you to. i dont know you dont tell people and i am not going to, but now that i know, i will be visiting once in awhile.