A Rant (1)

Today, I think I will rant about something that annoys me greatly. I will start with a common problem, Bible verses used out of context, such that it distorts the original meaning. This is actually a commonly used phrase in our culture “Don’t judge me,” I actually heard it at church today, not from the pulpit, or I wouldn’t be going back.

Matthew 7:1 Don’t judge, or you too will be judged. 

and there’s another verse as well … 

Luke 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 

The problem with these verses is that they have been separated from their historical and literary context. Literarily, they are both surrounded with Jesus speaking on the subject of hypocrisy. That is their proper context, do not divorce them from it. 

Historically, judging was not looking at something and saying that it was wrong. Jesus was talking to his disciples, in front of the pharisees, as usual. They had a habit of judging, but not in the modern sense. If they ‘judged’ you, it meant that they deemed you a ‘sinner’. You were an unsavable, unlovable, and rightly damned in the sight of God. They agreed, with God’s supposed judgement, and avoided you. You were not merely considered ‘sinful’ in the modern sense, but rather, you were socially ostracized, you were less than human. They prayed to God, that He would bring the day when you were wiped from the face of the earth, and they would be rid of you, forever.

This judgement has no view of God’s compassion and grace. It encompasses God’s holiness without understanding His love. Yes, we are to view other human beings with compassion. You who have been shown mercy, show mercy to others. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Matthew 5:44 We are called to show God’s love to the world. A large part of that is compassion. However, compassion cannot be fully understood, unless it is in the shadow of judgement.

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Who are you?

What do you believe? What do you like? What do you dislike? What do you hate?

These are important questions, but they are only the surface ideas. What do those beliefs, likes, dislikes, and hates lead you to do? What difference does what you believe make in your life? If it makes no difference in your life, does it even matter?

See, I’m a Christian, but what difference does it make? For the majority of Christians, that means that they go to church on Sunday morning (or Saturday, and possibly one other service). Period. That’s it. They go to church, instead of sleeping in. If that is all you do, I recommend sleeping in, as it will have more impact on your life.

{I am including a Bible passage that I think backs me up in this. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%208:27-38&version=NIV It is in NIV, but you can change the version and the language to one you prefer.}

It doesn’t look like American Christianity, it seems like something else entirely. There are no ‘fuzzy’ vibes from this passage. It sounds a bit more hardcore.

It’s like this: you have to be willing to die. You have to be willing to face your greatest fears. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything. If you haven’t lost anything from your faith, what is it worth?

Let me flip this around, if you have lost anything, what have you gained? See, it’s this that defines you. Is it fire insurance, or something more? See, because fire insurance doesn’t insure you against fire, it just pays for damages once the fire has past. Eternity has no end, by definition of course. Could you even claim such insurance?

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