Scripture… As We Live It #221
This is the 221st passage in “Scripture… As We Live It.”
But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him Stop him, or at least ridicule him, for the one who is not against you is for you for the one who is not doing exactly what you would is against you.” (Luke 9:50 re-mix)
(Please read the first post for an explanation of this series.)
Alan, I’m continuously amazed by your Divine illumination…. Profound !
Alan,
I think it would be most entertaining indeed if someone took the time to compile all your “Scripture…As We Live It” postings into one volume. I would use it as a Bible-study reference. 🙂
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in church and kneeling in the football stadium in front of the television cameras in order to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.-Matthew 6:5
@Hutch,
Would you rather have them grab their crotches, thump their chests, and play the roles of the self-entitled, narcissistic, spoiled jocks who “graduate” college with a 10th grade level education, and have more child support to pay to several women than perhaps you and I make in a year??
Indeed, even in private, when we pray to our Father, aren’t we doing so hypocritically? For surely not a one of us can approach our Omniscient Father thinking He doesn’t know about our sins and failings.
Hypocrites. Aren’t we all?
@Hutch,
Besides, Paul spoke about people like this when he said in Philippians 1:
“Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
I understand the flinching in our spirits when we see sports/entertainment figures kneeling or praying publicly. There is that sense of “Oh, they’re just doing that for attention!” I, myself, have had such thoughts. But, heh, only God our Father knows their hearts, and even if they are doing it for vainglorious reasons, Christ is being mentioned. Not too shabby, is it?
@Donald-
Let’ see. First response box. First question: No-that’s a silly assumption on your part that I would rather see that, very odd. Second question: No. First statement: I don’t know anyone who does that, if you do then you know what to correct. Third question: No, but if you are then you know what to correct.
Second response box: Example made: Different issue, I was addressing praying in order to be seen by men, not proclaiming the gospel out of selfish ambition. Different issue but also a problem, but does not apply to the issue I was addressing.
First statement: They are doing it to get attention, otherwise they would be obedient to Christ and do what he taught, pray in private. Shabby is as shabby does, we can always find a way to excuse peoples disregard for the clear teachings of Christ, but His command still stands.
Good questions.
@Hutch,
Then I stand guilty of disobedience, for I have been known to publicly pray for others, with the laying on of hands. I reckon I should stick to prayer and ministry in my closet, since that’s what Jesus obviously meant.
Matthew 6:
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (There it is. Jesus is setting the precedence for all righteousness in action.) He then later teaches us how to pray ala “The Lord’s Prayer.”
1. So if I am not praying privately, far from a crowd, and if I am not specifically reciting The Lord’s Prayer in that private prayer time, then am I wrong?
———-
Peter, in the Book of Acts, gives a blistering and amazing speech after being baptized by The Spirit (according to the promise of Jesus) in which 3000 people were saved. He did this publicly. If we are told to do practice our righteousness in private, (and evangelism is an act of righteousness), then Peter was wrong.
2. He should have kept all that to himself, right?
———-
Obeying the teachings of our Jesus takes wisdom from His Spirit. Allow me to ask you, son of man: Do you have both of your eyes still in your head? How is this possible? For surely one of them has caused you to sin. Why not pluck it out? Jesus said it would be better to enter Heaven with one eye than face eternity apart from Him with both eyes.
You and I both know Jesus was speaking truth wrapped in wisdom here. But if I took His words at straight face value, I should now go and gouge out one of my eyes, as should you, and should every male who reads this comment. His Spirit shows us His wisdom, far and away from how The World translates His words.
Jesus tells us to practice our righteousness privately. You and I both know He did not mean to be recluses, or to never ever mention His Name publicly, for this would be a violation of His command, right? Of course not.
Wisdom, my friend. When you tell me these guys/gals are attention-seekers, who publicly display some kind of implied Christian piety, are not doing as Jesus taught, thus making them disobedient, and I told you earlier that Paul didn’t sweat it when people did the same thing in his time, I don’t see why there is a disconnect. So these people are drawing attention to themselves by their “Jesus actions.” *shrugs* So what? The Truth is still the Truth. When an atheist says, “Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life”, does it negate the power of said Truth because it came form the lips of a non-believer? Odd, that. For at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is LORD. Not a lot of room there for credibility regarding those being made to bow and confess, is there?
Anyhoos, thanks for indulging me and reading all this, Hutch. We are not enemies, to be sure. We merely are not agreeing. 🙂
Yep, probably just talking past each other. But I can see you have strong feelings about it. 🙂
I am glad we are not enemies that would be a huge jump, but we would even then have to love each other according to the Master. 🙂