Do you think you will escape?
The Pharisees were harsh and judgmental of anything that did not fit their ideology of righteousness. Yet Jesus Continually rebuked them and warned them that they would be judged accordingly. Isn’t is strange that so many Christians still insist on acting more like Pharisees and less like the Jesus that we claim to follow?
Someone very wise once said that cynicism, skepticism, and criticism are the opposites of faith, hope and love.
Harsh, Angry, Judgmental behavior is often more of an indicator of fear and lack of truth than anything else…If you are familiar with discerning truth you probably already know, Truth can stand up to challenging… without anger, without resentment, without fear.
It seems that I do not go very long these days without hearing fresh news of Christians who forget the Jesus that they follow and begin acting like the very brood of vipers that Jesus rebuked. Some would seem to believe that a position of leadership entitles them to such behavior, I would beg to differ and I beleive that I can safely say that regardless of your status as a leader, if you deal with your own brothers and sisters in Christ harshly, critizising, accusing, causing them pain, then you are a fool and you do not understand the message of the Gospel at all!
I say this very seriously and with great love in my heart for every person that reads this.
If you deal with others in a harsh, critical, judgmental manner, do you think that you will escape the judgment of God? Do not deceive yourself, such things bring shame on the church and the people of God.
My life is filled with people who have been hurt by religion and Christians in particular, and it fully angers me that these hurting people were never the ones that sat in their pews doing nothing, they were once passionate, and christlike, and hungry to serve. But some egotist made it their business to shut down the work of God. Again I tell you …. do you expect to escape his wrath?
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
PEOPLE! Give grace! love each other, be gentle with each other… LEADERS! Be kind, be compassionate, be merciful and nurturing!
If you insist on acting like a brood of vipers get out of the Church business!!! Wall Street needs you!!!
photo credit: nsaplayer
This is right on! I periodically remind myself that the only people Jesus was hard on were the religious people – the ones who were obsessed with getting it right. May I choose to abide in Him and love others more than become obsessed with “rightness”.
Tracy,
Loving others is a big enough job sometimes huh? seeking truth is an adventure! and seeking truth with the people you love is exactly what Jesus modeled. constantly trying to be right makes you grouchy… and nobody wants to hear about the truth you discovered on your grouchy “rightness” hunting expeditions. thanks for the comment!
In reality, the Pharisees were enlightened people. The dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees is a fiction of the gospel writers, and is a reflection of the acrimonious relationship between Christians and Jews at the time the gospels were written (during and after the Jewish revolt of 66 C.E.). One of the main purposes of the gospels was to send a message to the Romans: "We (Christians) and not like them (Jews)." No one should be surprised that Christianity went on to become the religion of the empire – the religion of the rich and powerful, which was enforced by law, under the edict of Theodosius, in 381.
Alan, I appreciate your comment, however I have to disagree,
1. The Pharisees, were "educated" without a doubt but "enlightened" is a stretch, There is plenty of historical evidence that the pharisees were oppressive and legalistic, being sure to enforce ridiculous distortions of the law.
2. The idea that the dispute between Jesus and the pharisees was a "fiction" is also doubtful for the simple reason that the entire ministry of Christ showed his focus on the importance of Faith, Hope, and Love. Jesus' very actions contradicted most of the Pharisees beliefs, and ultimately led to his death, where the Pharisees were sure to provide ample testimony against him. Fiction? I think not.
3. the assumption that the main purpose of the Gospels was a grand PR scheme is a hard one to swallow also, The gospels accurately portray very personal experiences and accounts of Jesus from an eye witness standpoint, the fact that they differ in viewpoints yet agree on principal contributes to their authenticity and accuracy.
4. Do you truly take the position that the teachings of Jesus are superseded by the enlightenment of the pharisees? because ultimately in my opinion that is where this conversation ends up. Are you saying that serving under strict and legalistic doctrine is more enlightened than learning to govern your actions through simple love? I think this is the opposite of enlightenment.