WAS CHRIST A COMMON CRIMINAL?
The Chief Priest, scribes and elders sent:
"a great multitude with swords and clubs" "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief [robber], with swords and with staves [clubs] to take me?" (Mark 14:43 & 48).
Why did Jesus have to say anything at all? Why this smart, sarcastic remark? Because He wanted them to see the truth of their ways. They knew Jesus was not a man of violence. They knew He never harmed anyone. They knew he never resisted evil and taught His disciples to "turn the other cheek." With all that in mind, Jesus asks them if they think they have ENOUGH MANPOWER, armaments and weapons to apprehend one humble, non-combative person as Himself? Suggesting that they looked upon Him as a common criminal who might try to escape or overpower them. Jesus was a Master of Sarcasm! He was "in their face."
TRANSGRESSING THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS
The Scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus:
"Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread?" (Matt. 15:2 ).
Most would say the Christian thing to do is answer the question. Maybe by saying something like this: "Well, okay, that’s a good and fair question. The reason that the disciples don’t always wash before they eat bread is because…" Followed by the reasons asked for. But is that what Jesus did? Did He actually give them the answer? No, no He didn’t. Here is how Jesus answered them:
"But He answered and said unto them, Why do YOU ALSO transgress the commandments of God by YOUR TRADITIONS?… You HYPOCRITES…" (Matt. 15:3 & 7).
Many Christians just don’t approve of this kind of "in your face" language, yet Jesus used it all the time on the religious leaders. They asked: "Why do YOUR disciples….?" And Jesus answered with "Why do YOU…"!
THEY PROFESS—BUT THEY LIE
The Scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites and they were evil. Here’s another definition of hypocrisy:
"hypocrisy n. 1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness" (The American heritage College Dictionary p. 683). (Underlined emphasis is mine).
They "professed" to be true, what in their own lives was false. What does Paul tell us about those who "profess," but are hypocrites?
"They PROFESS that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being ABOMINABLE, and DISOBEDIENT, and unto every good work REPROBATE" (Titus 1:16).
ABOMINABLE, DISOBEDIENT, REPROBATE! Are these words strong enough to make Paul’s point? Many, many pastors of the Church profess that they LOVE GOD; they profess that they LOVE THEIR NEIGHBORS; then even profess that they LOVE THEIR ENEMIES, but in works they deny Him:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man LOVE THE WORLD, THE LOVE OF THE FATHER IS NOT IN HIM" (I John 2:15).
Yet WHO "loves the world" more than the tens of thousands of money-hungry, vanity-filled, power-crazed, lovers of worldliness and worldly pleasures who call themselves "pastors?" Do they "love their neighbors" when they fraudulently and unscripturally extort widows’ welfare checks to sustain their uncontrollable lusts for power, fame, and materialism? If you are a pastor who does not do these things, then I am certainly not talking about you.
TODAY’S RECRUITS ARE TOMORROW’S HERETICS
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell [gehenna] than yourselves" (Matt. 23:15).
This is pure sarcasm. Jesus said that they would scour the whole planet for just one convert that would then continue their heresy with TWICE the vigor of their teachers.
SOUNDING A TRUMPET
"Therefore when you do your alms, do not SOUND A TRUMPET before you, as the hypocrites do in the SYNAGOGUES and in the STREETS, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward" (Matt. 6:2).
Are we to believe that these hypocrites literally had trumpeters follow them into the synagogues and blast on their horns while they made their contribution? I don’t think so. This is sarcasm, Jesus was saying that in the proud and vain manner in which they gave, calling attention to their alms, it was like "sounding a trumpet." It was the strongest demeaning sarcasm Jesus could come up with to describe their shameful public acts of vanity. Do not todays hypocrites "sound a trumpet" when they do some good deed?
This is in fact how they get more money; by telling everyone on international television the many good things they are doing with your money. I have heard different heads of ministries say on international television how they wrote a check for $10,000 or some other large amount from their own checking accounts and gave it to their own ministry. Is this really a "sacrifice" for someone who "DEVOURS widows’ houses" to the tune of millions of dollars a year when their salaries from those "widows" is hundreds of thousands of dollars a year? They are "sounding a trumpet" to advertise their own sins.
It was reported by high officials that Herbert W. Armstrong (Founder of the Worldwide Church of God/Ambassador Colleges) boasted of a huge gift from his own checking account, and then CANCELED PAYMENT ON THE CHECK! Are you beginning to understand the meaning of the word "HYPOCRITE?"
SOMETIMES MAN’S GREATER SIN IS TRYING TO BE HOLY
"You blind guides, which strain out a gnat and SWALLOW A CAMEL" (Matt. 23:24).
Exaggerated sarcasm! One cannot literally "swallow a camel." But SPIRITUALLY, this is exactly what they were doing. The itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy flaws of their spiritual lives that they attempted to clean up, versus the GIGANTIC spiritual character flaws they did NOTHING to change were truly comparable to a "gnat versus a camel."
DON’T WASTE GOD’S WORD ON SPIRITUAL DOGS AND PIGS
Remember Jesus only taught in parables. Did Jesus say: "Don't bother teaching the truth to those who don’t want to hear it?" That would have been clear enough. Or, "Don't try to teach the truth to those who do not desire the truth." Simple. Oh No, Jesus would never say it like that. Here is how Jesus would say it:
"Give not that which is holy unto the DOGS, neither cast your pearls before SWINE, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and REND you [‘tear you in pieces’ Goodspeed Translation]" (Matt. 7:6).
I've had this happen to me many times by clergymen of the Church. I give them God’s Pure Word, and they spiritually "trample it under their feet," and then (spiritually) try to "tear me in pieces." Atheists and heathens don’t treat me this way—only professing Christians (I am well aware that missionaries have been virtually torn to pieces by heathens, but thankfully this is not the norm).
(Closing prayer)
Abba, We come to You asking that You strengthen our discernment thereby allowing to to realize the differences of Pastors who are in the world seeking wealth and those that seek only to gain souls for You. It is You we seek to please and not ourselves.
Lord, We ask that You empower us to overcome our earthly desires and think only of Your desires of our existence.
Lord, You sent Your only Begotten Son to show us Your Way. Please know that it is our desire to walk in the paths of righteousness in accordance with Your plans not our own.
We say this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord and Savior, Who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever...
Amen, amen and amen
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