The Blog Of Dysfunction

“I think if Jesus came to earth today he would have picketed with the gay pride movement”

“I think Jesus won’t mind what I am doing”

“I think Jesus would’nt want to make people uncomfortable”

“I don’t think Jesus wants us to convert people”

“I think Jesus would vote..”

“I think Jesus would have/would not have condoned war”

I don’t know if should be happy that there are so many people out there who apparently know exactly what Jesus wants or should be worried about the mess not getting any better in-spite of there being so many “Jesus experts”.

Isn’t it funny that while we are so quick to remember that Jesus dined with tax collectors and prostitutes, we are hesitant to talk about the stark raving mad Jesus filled with righteous fury driving the coin changers and animal sellers from the temple? Surely these were people as lost as the tax collectors and the prostitutes, then why did Jesus not sit down with them and calmly tell them that they need to become “good people”. What about the Pharisees, it’s as plain as it gets that they were perhaps the “sickest” of all the people Jesus met while walking on the earth, why did he lash out at the so often why did he swear at them and warn the apostles from even associating with them.

What was is that made this other wise calm but passionate man to flare into a whirlwind of fury every time he met these sick, lost group of people he came to die for?
What was it that created this great divide?

Perhaps this passage will tell us something

Luke 18:9-14 [ESV]

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
On one hand is the devout pharisee who prays a “In my opininion Lord, you should..” prayer, on the other hand is the tax collector mindful of his sin who prays a “have mercy Lord…” prayer.

Repentance, humility, realization of one’s own sinfulness; these were what separated the sinful and lost pharisee form the sinful and lost tax collector.

He dined with ex-prostitutes and repentant taxcollectors. He drove out the un-repentant money changers and cursed the proud pharisees.
So before we quickly declare what we think Jesus would like and dislike, let us be humble, repentant, aware of our sin-fullness and above all let us look to the scripture to see what he really did like and dislike.

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Technorati tags Christianity My Faith Jesus Apologetics Repentance Humility Forgiveness