A Message for 2017

Jesus came away from his luncheon with the 'big boys' and warned his disciples of their hypocrisy. This is a message for the year 2017. We find this amazing note in Luke 12:1, “In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, beware ye the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites. He described hypocrisy as leaven – a thing that swells, getting bigger and bigger. Two synonyms for the word hypocrite are 'fraud' and 'pretender'. The object of fraud is personal gain. Many accuse Christians, and the church in general, of hypocrisy while maintaining that they are spiritual, that they are believers, that they have a connection to God, vicariously, through concepts such as 'nature' and attitudes such as 'live and let live'. That, in itself, is hypocrisy.

We of our day and age may clearly see hypocrisy at work in Muslim radicals who claim the will of their God, yet murder, rape destroy, and pillage. The three major religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam share the same ten commandments with one exception, that the Sabbath observance is held by the Muslims to be a matter specific to the Jews. It is the core law of all three faiths and includes prohibitions on murder and theft. When terrorists and extremists use their faith to justify their bloodlust and many crimes what is evidenced is clearly hypocrisy.

I take this excerpt about the core laws of faith from an article in the Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.; the article is authored by counselor Ahmad Kutty:

The Ten Commandments—with the exception of the fourth one, which deals with observance of the Sabbath—in essence and spirit constitute an integral part of the Qur’anic ethics and laws. The Qur’an presents itself as a book through which Allah has guided humankind to the noble ways of the previous prophets and messengers, who are to be emulated as the perfect role models of humanity. (See Qur’an 4:26; 6:90). Also, in a more fundamental sense, the Qur’an stresses that all the prophets and messengers, speaking different languages and raised in various times and places, taught essentially the same perennial religion (core religion called deen), although their precise promulgation of the laws of religion, responding to extremely divergent historical circumstances and milieu, assumed different forms. However, these fundamental commandments, in essence and spirit, belong to the perennial religion that allows for no abrogation or alteration. Although one hardly finds these commandments enumerated in a single place in the Qur’an as they are listed in the Torah, nevertheless, all of them with the exception of the rule to observe the Sabbath— which, according to the Qur’an, was specific to the Jews, and, therefore, has only a rather limited significance—are enumerated in various places with varying emphases in the Qur’an; hence one can safely conclude that these commandments are of universal relevance meant for all times and places. Here is a listing of these commandments as enumerated in the Bible with their parallels in the Qur’an:

1. In Bible, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20: 2-3); in the Qur’an: (Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him) (Al-Isra’ 17: 23).

2. In the Bible: “You shall not make unto you any graven image … You shall not bow down to them or worship” (Exodus 20: 4–5); in the Qur’an, (Therefore keep away from the defiling idols.) (Al-Hajj 22: 30).

3. In the Bible: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20: 7); In the Qur’an, (Make not Allah, by your oaths, a hindrance to your being righteous) (Al-Baqarah 2: 224).

4. In the Bible: “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20: 12); in the Qur’an: ((Your Lord has decreed) that you show kindness to your parents) (Al-Isra’ 17: 23).

5. In the Bible: “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13); in the Qur’an: (And kill not one another) (An-Nisa’ 4:29).

6. In the Bible: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20: 14); in the Qur’an: (Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts… And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts.) (An-Nur 24: 30-31)

7. In the Bible: “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20: 15); in the Qur’an: (They shall not steal) (Al-Mumtahanah 60: 12).

8. In the Bible: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20: 16); in the Qur’an: (You shall shun false testimony) (An-Nisa’ 4: 29).

9. In the Bible: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet you neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20: 17); in the Qur’an: (Do not desire the things which Allah has given to some of you in preference to others) (An-Nisa’ 4: 32).

I added the above excerpt to make a point. That point is the core law. That law is now just as it has always been. It is the law for all three faiths. We should remember, as the Pharisees should have remembered, that we must not assume the name or faith of our God in vain. If we claim a connection to our God, his will must come before our own. Bloodlust or personal advantage of any stripe – these are of men, not God. If God sends a message, we should listen. If God sends a savior, we should seek him out. If God sends a bridge to a real connection, we should avail ourselves of that bridge. If we are given only one door, we should seek the key.

It is a sad testimonial that we who live in 2017 are not breaking down the doors to get close to Jesus. Any one of us who has walked the Avenue of the Americas at lunchtime knows with certainty just what an innumerable multitude of people is like. So – what, we can walk all over each other for a bite to eat, but not to get closer Christ? Who are we anyway? Those people in Luke 12:1 were poor, humble, and illiterate, but they knew enough to try that much to be near him. We, on the other hand, have substance, pride, and a surfeit of smarts. I wonder – have we out-smarted ourselves?

Of all the people who tried so hard to get next to Jesus, his disciples had to really work overtime to keep their place in the shadow of the son of God. They were so close they all but stepped on his toes. But, here is a secret about their closeness – their desire was shared by Jesus; the disciples desired to remain close to Jesus, and Jesus wanted them in just that place. When he came out, he spoke to them “first of all.” Folks were tripping over each other to be close to Jesus, and he could have spoken to all of them, but he did not.

Why were they the closest to Jesus? All of them believed and all of them desired to hear Jesus speak, but the disciples, above all others, desired to learn from Jesus a particular truth – one they could adopt and practice. That truth was how to be like Jesus. That truth was how to become the truth – how to approach and achieve the nature of the son of God and the relationship with God that Jesus was willing to teach.

Jesus does not exist to justify anyone's opinion of how the world should be, or who is right and who is wrong. He is not presently the judge of any one of us. That will happen when he returns as King. He said this in Luke 12:14, “Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?” Who, indeed? God did not send him as a judge or divider but chose for him the role of teacher and example, of door and bridge. God sent Jesus as the one and only way that man could escape his self-induced exile and come home.

Will you get close to Jesus? In the year of our Lord 2017, will Jesus speak to you first of all? Will this be the year you open the door and cross over the bridge. Or, will you remain like the Pharisees – hypocrites?