Jesus and Torah

Does Jesus break the Torah? Does He encourage others to do so? Here, in this guest post, my friend Chuck McKnight makes some very insightful observations which I believe are on the right track.

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Jesus and Torah

Guest post by Chuck McKnight

I made this list a while ago of just a few examples where Jesus deliberately breaks Torah. Take it or leave it.

According to Torah, the Israelites were commanded by Yahweh to swear in his name.

"You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name." - Deuteronomy 6:13

Jesus not only contradicted this command, he said that it came from the evil one, which certainly means that it did not come from Yahweh 

"But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." - Matthew 5:37

According to Torah, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was an absolute mandate. The Israelites were commanded to "show no mercy" in carrying it out:

"Show no pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." - Deuteronomy 19:21

But Jesus directly contradicted this mandate, commanding his followers not to follow Torah's instructions:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." - Matthew 5:38–39

According to Torah, adultery was to be punished with death. No exceptions were given.

‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death." - Leviticus 20:10

But Jesus broke Torah in order to show mercy to the woman caught in adultery. [See John 8]

According to Torah, no work was to be done on the Sabbath.

"But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do." - Deuteronomy 5:14

But Jesus flaunted his disregard for this particular command on many occasions. Let's look at one of the most direct violations:

When Jesus healed the man by the pool of Bethesda, he not only did so on the Sabbath, but he specifically instructed the man to break the Sabbath with him by carrying his mat.

"Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath" - John 5:8–9

This was nothing less than a deliberate contradiction of Jeremiah 17:21–22, which states that Yahweh specified not to carry any burden on the Sabbath. This command wasn't one of the traditions that had been built up as a hedge around the law; it came straight from Scripture.

"This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors." - Jeremiah 17:21-22

If Jesus was merely concerned with healing the man, he would have simply done so, but he went out of his way to go against the law in the process, [by asking the man to take up his mat and carry it] and that action was what specifically raised the ire of the Jews:

"...and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” - John 5:10

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So, what are we to make of this? I [Keith] have a few thoughts:

First, Jesus himself was the first one to point out the differences between the Old and the New Covenant realities: "You've heard it said....[quoting Moses and the Old Covenant]...but I say to you...[speaking a new way of living under the New Covenant]."

Second, the New Testament writers document these two realities and wrestle sometimes with the ways that the New replaces and modifies the Old in the book of Acts, and in Galatians and Romans, for example.

Third, Jesus is the clearest picture we have of who the Father is, and what the Father is like. The prophets were men like us, but Jesus was, and is, the Word of God made flesh. He is God the Son. So whenever there are apparent contradictions, we take Jesus and apply what He says, not what those ancient prophets said through a veil that is only removed by Christ. 

Finally, Christians are never instructed to keep the Torah or the Law. So it doesn't really matter if Jesus and the Torah are in conflict. We follow Jesus, not the Torah. Christianity is not Judaism with a cross on top. It's based on Jesus and who He is and what He commanded us to do. 

The Old Covenant is "obsolete". [Heb. 8:13]

It is "fading away and vanishing". [2 Cor. 3:7-11]

We should "get rid of it" [Gal.4:30]

Jesus is "the end of the Law" [Rom.10:4]

I'm very thankful to Chuck McKnight for taking the time to identify the specific ways in which Jesus opposed the Torah and corrected it for us.

We are no longer under the Old Covenant. We are gloriously alive in the New Covenant reality that the prophets longed to see. 

God Himself, and Jesus, His Son, has made a home within us. We are now called His children. We are His beloved. 

-kg

Follow Chuck McKnight at his blog: Hippie Heretic

FOR FURTHER READING:
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OLD AND NEW COVENANT

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Guest Post: The Gospel In The Shell by Vilbert Vallance

NOTE: This post was sent to me by my friend, Vilbert. He is Indian and works as a chaplain for the Baptist Hospital in Bangalore. This is a wonderful testimony of how he shared the Gospel with a man who was dying. 

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Two days ago I was sitting beside a man who is in his 40’s and a palliative patient. [Similar to hospice care]. He was in good sense, was strong enough to speak, think and even to reflect. I was happy that the whole conversation was in our language, and the setting was a village.

I had to tell him the reality of Heaven and Hell, but I didn’t know how to start and make this important subject simple for him to understand.  Then, I noticed little chicks running across muddy and dusty path in front of his house.

I said, “Look Mr. Narayanapp. Look at those little chicks. If a little chick in the egg were to declare that nothing existed outside the egg, and its mother were to reply, “No. In the outside world there are mountains, flowers, rivers, blue sky”, the little chick might reply “You are talking nonsense. I can’t see any of these things.” But when the shell breaks suddenly, then the little chicken would see his mother was right!

I continued, saying, “It is same with us. We are still in the shell. We see neither heaven or hell. But one day our shell has to break and then we will see.” He kept nodding his head and even started to think. Rather, he started to think deeply by closing his eyes.

I said, “Mr. Narayanappa, you see in the shells the little chick has eyes and wings. That itself is a proof he would be needing those in the future. Eyes are created to see, but since it’s still in the shell, it thinks there is nothing to see. It has wings that are created to fly, but it can’t because it is in a shell.”

I said, “In the same way, we have many desires and longings which can never be satisfied here. There must be some way to satisfying them. This opportunity is Eternity. Just like little chick needs to be kept warm as long as he is in the shell, we need to be kept warm. This surety of eternal life is given to us when we confess our sins before the Lord Jesus and invite him to come into our life and heart. He will come and gives us Eternal Life.”

“Look how these little chicks are running with energy, freedom, and a sense of joy all the time,” I said. “They are also aware that their mother is watching them closely. And God watches us when we surrender to Him.”

Oh, this made a lot of sense to this man, and I led him to the Lord.

Lilacs by Wendy Giles

My husband has once again encouraged me to write something down.  I put it off for a while, as I am not a writer by nature. Besides, how many posts about flowers does anyone really want to read?  I am very cyclical, so if you've heard me talk abut flowers in the summer before, you probably have a pretty good idea where I am headed, anyway.

Somewhere in the heat of summer I tend to get a little dry and discouraged.  Most things out here tend to scorch and die in August- especially during a drought when we have been called to conserve water.  Add to that conserving gas, conserving electricity, and not having air conditioning, and it begins to feel like my body and soul are a little parched, too.

Let me say up front that I know I am blessed.  I have a wonderful husband, two precious sons, a house to live in, food to eat, and every single one of us is healthy.  So, really, I have nothing to complain about.  God is so good, and so faithful, and I deeply know His love for me, on top of the love of family and friends.

I do at times, though, feel a bit discontented.  I look at a lot of the "stuff" around me that has seen better days more than ten years ago now, and I kind of want something pretty.  I know life has so little to do with stuff, and I don't need anything big, yet I have to admit that I am a "goober" for pretty flowers.  I love to see them bloom and move through their seasons, and digging in the dirt does wonders for me emotionally.

I had a burst of energy that coincided with a couple of days that weren't terribly hot, so I went outside and got to work.  I weeded, deadheaded a few bushes, pruned back a tree that needed some attention, removed the dead plants from my baskets and pots, added more dirt to some things, and then cleaned everything up.  It was a lot of work.

I looked around when I was finished and was sadly disappointed, though.  My work didn't translate into a big, beautiful difference. Brown was still the predominant color.  Each basket only had a little sprig of a plant inside and looked fairly ridiculous.  I knew there was the potential for  new growing things in just a few weeks, but I needed (WANTED) some color right away.  I actually drove to the nursery thinking a would spend a couple of dollars on a six-pack of annuals to brighten things up a bit.  When I got there I was saddened to see that the plants they had also looked like they had been through a pretty difficult summer, so I drove home with nothing.

Now, in the scheme of life, I know that having flowers in my yard is really not that important.  If I didn't even have a yard, and couldn't have another flower my life would still be filled with beauty.  My focus really is, and should be, more on people. However, God knows me.  He gives me so much more than I need. A lot of times He chooses to bless my heart with His quiet "I love yous" in a language that reassures me that He sees me, knows where I'm at, and cares what I am feeling- even when it is about something as insignificant as flowers.  

So guess what?  A couple of days later I happened to glance out of my back window and got a surprise.  There, in the heat of August, was a large spike of lilac blossoms.  It was completely out of season, making it that much sweeter of a gift.  If anyone knows me, they know that I love lilacs.  They have been my favorite ever since a was a little girl, fascinated by them at my grandparents' home.  I was so blessed that God cared so much about my heart that He sent me His own encouraging "I love you."

Almost three weeks late, my lilac blossom is mostly faded.  It held on for a very long time.  And, not surprisingly, little green things are growing in my planters and baskets.  In due season, they will grace me with their flowers.  Even though it is still way too hot for me, I am reassured that fall is coming.  We even have the possibility of a wet winter.  We'll see what the Lord has in store for us in the upcoming seasons, but I will also keep my eyes open for those "out of season" blessings.

Wendy Giles

*Photo: Wendy and her miracle lilac on the day it blossomed.

Guest Blog: Reflections on Indiana Law by Donna Savage

NOTE; This guest blog article was written by a dear friend of mine, Donna Savage. I worked with her for many years at Vineyard Music Group. She is a follower of Jesus, and a friend, and she is Gay. 

I ask that you, my readers, listen to what she has to share and please, dear ones, temper your comments with much love. I will post a blog here later in the week with my own thoughts and comments about this post.

Thanks,

-kg
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I find it interesting as I read and listen to the different opinions on the whole Indiana "Religious Freedom Restoration" ordeal. The proponents for this law consistently speak of how this law protects people of faith in juxtaposition to the liberal's agenda of tolerance.

Can I just say that there are many, many liberals who are people of faith. I am a person of faith. Yet, because I am also a lesbian, am I automatically considered a liberal... with no faith? I'll be the first to say that many of my viewpoints are liberal. I, however, hold many conservative viewpoints, as well. There is a delicate balancing act I find myself in as I try to live authentically in community with both my liberal and conservative friends.

What I would like you to hear, is that as a liberal, I do not take my relationship with God lightly. If you know me well, you know that my faith in God is not only central in my life, it is based on my understanding and belief of, not only God's love for me, but his love for all of us. When I hear comments about this law that polarize the sides, as people of faith vs. the liberals, I struggle with trying not to be offended. Namely, because as I have said, I am a person of faith, as well as, a lesbian, as well as, a liberal-conservative.

If I lived in Indiana, the religious freedom law would not protect me as a person of faith. Although I have faith, I would still be penalized due to being a lesbian. Not all "people of faith" are being protected by this law. The reality is that doctrinal interpretations have now been attached to our legal system. Today it is legal to not sell to a gay person... tomorrow, will it be legal to kill a gay person for being gay? (There is an initiative being proposed for that very thing here in California! It's not as far fetched as you may think!) This subtle law in Indiana only protects a segment of Americans. It merely protects the faith or beliefs of a certain group of people, who hold a certain doctrine. In my understanding, this is discriminatory.

And this law, in my opinion, is the antithesis of the words written in our constitution, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,..."

If there are laws to keep me out of the public market place due to our differences in doctrine, than that is discrimination and I am not being treated as an equal.

Governor Pence said, "There needs to be tolerance on both sides."

The difference in our tolerance is this: the laws that enable me to marry the person I love does not ask or compel a heterosexual to become a homosexual for my marriage to take place. It merely provides me with the same civil liberties and rights that heterosexuals enjoy. I promise that if I ever get married, I will never require my heterosexual friends to become homosexuals! I not only tolerate your heterosexuality, I think it's great... for you! However, with this law, which protects business owners who hold the doctrine or viewpoint that who I am is sinful and therefore, they are not required to treat me as an equal and sell their goods to me... unless, of course, I stop sinning and become a heterosexual like them, is just... intolerant and quite frankly, ugly.

I think it is safe to say, if I should get married, and I am protected under the law to do so, you as a heterosexual, will not die. However, hypothetically speaking, every store owner in any given city in Indiana could legally hold this religious freedom restoration viewpoint and be protected by the law in doing so. If I, as a liberal lesbian, lived there and could not buy food, I could literally die of starvation. How can that ever be ok? Their faith/doctrine is now protected over and above my right to life? Exaggerated... yes, but now a possibility. In my mind, there is a huge difference between the tolerance we are asking each other to live by.

There is an ugliness that this law shadows. It doesn't protect people's beliefs, it protects their judgments.

As a Christian, as a lesbian, as an American, and as a human being, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act is offensive to me. I applaud any person or organization who protests, boycotts, or advocates against this law in Indiana or in any other state in our country. Remember Martin Luther King's words, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This law is a threat to justice everywhere.

-Donna Savage

3-D Communion: From Ritual to Relationship

Guest Post by Christopher Dather

A few months ago, our organic church group celebrated its first Lord's Supper.  Think less a wafer and a shot of grape juice, and more a "love feast."  

Everyone pitched in and served everyone else.  The meal was homemade- nothing processed.  Everybody helped make the bread- even the children.  We did everything but stomp the grapes.

We fellowshipped while we prepared the feast.  We shared thoughts, songs and passages of Scripture during the meal as the Lord led, and we carried that communal time into the post-meal cleanup.  In short, this experience revolutionized the word "fellowship" for me.  

This experience also brought an entirely new meaning- a deeper meaning- to Paul's rebuke of the Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

Under-Interpreting 1 Corinthians 11

Some Christians in the contemporary church today fail to grasp the deeper meaning of 1 Corinthians 11.  We don't necessarily misinterpret, but we probably under-interpret the immensity of the problem.  It wasn't until I began to experience organic church life that I was able to grasp the depth of the offense Paul was seeking to correct in the Corinthian church.  

Many of us cannot fathom what a 1st century Lord's Supper may have looked like.  I couldn't.  Until recently, I never knew the Lord's Supper as a full meal. All I knew was a Styrofoam wafer with a factory-stamped cross on it, and a shot glass of grape juice, served on a golden tray that passed by me as I sat quietly in my pew. Somber music played in the background while I waited for everyone else to get their Communion elements before we "feasted" on the Lord "in our hearts."  

This scene is a far cry from the Communion of Paul’s day.  The 1st century Christians knew Communion as the Lord's Supper, a love feast- an entire meal shared between disciples who gathered to fellowship with one another and remember the Lord who sacrificed Himself for them on the cross.  And now that I've experienced natural, God-led fellowship in the context of a full-fledged communion meal, Paul's rebuke of the Corinthian believers becomes more pointed and heartbreaking than ever.

Re-examining 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Paul told the believers in Corinth that he could not praise them for the way they acted when they gathered together to break bread.  Why not?  

The Corinthians who gathered to celebrate the love feast honored neither God nor neighbor by their actions.  When they gathered, some believers gorged themselves while others went hungry.  As Paul wrote,

"...When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper that you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers.  As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk" (11:20b-21).  

His most incriminating rebuke comes in v. 22: "Don't you have homes to eat and drink in?  Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing?"

He even goes on to say that those who are guilty of acting in this way are "guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord" (11:27).

Ouch!  That's a weighty accusation to throw out against a church.  But honestly, I couldn't completely understand why.  I never got it because I always assumed it was about the communion elements themselves.  While, yes, that's obviously important, that also misses a huge detail.  It was never only about the food.  It was also about the people; the people who missed out on the fellowship; the people who didn't connect with other believers; the people who were shortchanged of the opportunity to both serve others and be served by them.  

I'm also floored by the way the offending believers acted toward the poorer disciples at these love feasts.  I simply cannot imagine someone showing up to our supper and me telling them, "I'm sorry, brother, but we went ahead without you.  We feasted- and it was good!  We fellowshipped and really connected in such a powerful way that only God could have done that!  Sorry you didn't get here sooner.  We don't really have much left, but maybe I could whip you up a bologna sandwich...."  The poorer believers were left with not only mere physical crumbs of food, but also spiritual crumbs of fellowship.

Do you see how spiritually criminal this was?  They gathered together to celebrate the Lord's Supper, but they obviously forgot to bring God with them!  Expecting God to be okay with the way these believers were acting was no different than the wayward Israelites offering sacrifices while trampling mercy and love underfoot.

The believers at Corinth failed to realize the truth that James so beautifully captured when he wrote: "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (Jam. 2:17).  

If our faith is not a tangible faith, then what good is it?

From Ritual to Relationships: A Paradigm Shift

What tripped me up when I used to approach this passage was that I looked at the situation in terms of the sacrament, but failed to truly grasp what was going on.  I failed to understand that Paul warned the believers to check their hearts before taking part in the Lord's Supper, (not because we have to be paranoid about any lurking unresolved sins and confess them lest we invite the punishment of the Almighty), but rather because communion had become something less than it was intended for the Corinthian believers.  It had devolved into something somewhere between a rote ritual devoid of its true meaning and an outright excuse for the wealthier believers to get together and feast without restraint.

So, where's the application here?  Actually, I have two application points.  First, we have to be so very careful when we approach the text of the Bible. It’s easy to read what we think it says rather than what it actually says. This is a Hermeneutics 101 lesson- check your biases at the door.  It's easy to slip up, anyone can do it.  

The second point plays off of the first: faulty interpretation can lead to misguided application. I misinterpreted this passage and only saw the ritual, but Paul was speaking just as much about the people who were being overlooked as He was about the supper itself.  I saw communion elements, he saw the poor being neglected.  I saw ritual, he saw relationships.

Our new life in Christ was never supposed to be primarily about lifeless religion- the world has enough of that. It's supposed to be about a living, breathing, vibrant relationship with the Lord that is expressed in the context of relationships with others.  

The world needs to see authenticity like this – true disciples filled with the love of Jesus and living missionally. 

You were reborn for more.  Don't settle for anything less.

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(Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version NIV

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.)

Dear Keith

I received an email yesterday from someone who follows me online at Facebook. The person, who asked to remain anonymous, shared some very profound insights and asked some very honest questions about the way we sometimes relate to one another via social media.

I'm sharing this email here, with the person's permission.

I'd like to ask you to read what they have to say and consider how you would respond.
-kg
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Dear Keith,

I have been reading your stuff off and on for quite a while now.  I joined the facebook "community" too, thinking that it would be encouraging.  I have found the opposite to be true, however.

In real life, as well as here on the internet, it kind of feels like more and more I am "losing my voice" in the Christian community. At so many turns, I feel like the words  I have given as an encouragement to someone have been misinterpreted by someone else and provided an opportunity for attack against me or the person I try to encourage.  I am not a great communicator and I am not a biblical scholar, but I do know the words of Jesus.  So I have been a little surprised and kind of overwhelmed with peoples' responses.  It seems that, in large part, readers immediately see/hear/believe the absolute worst in people they may or may not know. It also seems that we are unable to discuss issues without resorting to attacks on people's character.  This makes me think that perhaps the internet is not the correct place for these conversations, and I have grown silent.

That doesn't mean that I have left my faith, or that I have quit trying to serve the people that Jesus puts in my path.  It just means that I do so more as an individual, and not in cooperation with my church(in my community/at large). Perhaps that is just what Jesus wants for me right now, to possibly grow me up a bit.

I wanted to share a couple of my issues, as they seem to echo here, as well.  I don't know how to reconcile things, and the last thing I want to do is start a new argument, but I feel like I must say something.

I have noticed what seems to me to be a political foundation for a lot of arguments on line.  I come from an area where the Republican party is basically labeled the Christian party, and the Democrats are basically seen as the "lost liberals".  I have seen people (I'm not lying!) shake their heads sadly on hearing that a dear friend voted for a Democrat and say "I thought they were a Christian..."  Maybe I'm just still too "young and foolish" but I have to say that seems so simplistic to me.  I don't get it . When I look at both sides, I have to say that I see good and bad.  We are all, after all, human.

I'm not even really discussing politics, although it all strangely gets lumped into that, it seems.  I just want to follow Jesus, and try to walk in the manner that He calls me to, and it seems that I offend my brothers and sisters in Christ as much or more, actually, than I offend the rest of society. I seriously don't get it.  At the risk of offending your readers, I have to share the extreme example that troubles me so deep down, I don't really know what to do with it.

My family has traveled through parts of the U.S.  We have friends and relatives spread out quite extensively.  I have been shocked to hear people I consider to be brothers and sisters in Christ laugh and joke (but perhaps with some seriousness) that they hope someone will "take out" our president. They have their reasons for not liking him, but this hardly reflects how Jesus told us to treat our enemies.

OK, so you're probably wondering why I would pick something so divisive and political to share here, but let me explain.  I consider myself a very conservative person.  I have committed my life to Jesus.  I am trying to love, honor, and serve Him with my whole heart and life.  Yet, in my little community, I live in fear of being labeled a "liberal" because I don't fit in with everything the Republican party stands for.  For some reason, they have the freedom to make jokes about killing someone, but I don't have the freedom to stand up for the poor or those suffering from racial prejudice. I just can't wrap my brain around it.  It is an alienating thing in a small community to be labeled a liberal.  So how do I/we look at issues without the bias of politics??? I am seriously open to suggestions here, because I am struggling.

The other issue that seems to cause incredible amounts of division is that of police brutality.  I have seen some pretty ugly stuff being said.  Let me say, first of all, that I have dear friends, and even relatives who are officers, and I know that their hearts are committed to serving others and sacrificing for their communities. They have a tremendous opportunity to bring the light of Jesus into some very dark places. As you know, and I have read you affirm, the vast majority of them are outstanding individuals, and many have a relationship with Jesus.

Let me temper what I am about to say first with a word of encouragement for you.  I have been reading your writings for a few years now, and I do not see them as "hate" filled.  What I do see in you is a desire to have a heart like Jesus, and to stand up for those that you believe He would make the extra effort to stand up for.  You seem drawn to issues of justice, and giving a voice to the marginalized.  I agree that those things are important.  We can't just put our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is wonderful just because it is for us. There are people for whom (in our country, as well as around our globe) things aren't that great.  In fact, some things are pretty awful. If my heart doesn't cry out for them, then what does that say about my perception of their value to our Savior? (And I realize the issues are so huge and so many, that it can be overwhelming and where do we even begin?)

We can argue back and forth about the problems of our broken system, the abuse of power, the lack of training of certain people for certain situations and specific people groups, and the issue of racial inequality, but in the end, we often end up with nothing beyond the arguing. So my question is, how do we have meaningful conversations?  And after that, how do we move forward to promote change that leads to living out the love of Jesus in these difficult things? I am seriously asking here.  I don't have the heart to argue, even though my heart is burdened with many of the same things you post. I feel a great need for something more productive, and I don't know what it will take to unify us as the Body of Christ into love in action. I don't even know how to encourage objective discussion that will open our imaginations for what the Spirit might want to do to bring His kingdom to this very dark world. But I feel like the love of Christ compels me to move from words into action.

I also wanted to encourage you, because I feel like I have been reading your stuff long enough now that I kind of know at least a little of you heart.  I can see that you are trying to focus on an issue, and I kind of feel like your character is being attacked.  I'm sure that probably hurts.  Perhaps those people haven't read enough of your stuff to see that you stand up for people who don't have a voice. At any rate, I'm sorry.  May we all be more sensitive to how easily our words are misinterpreted and how damaged we all are.

I remain hopeful for true conversation.  I pray for the Spirit's leadership and grace as we seek to find the common ground of the heart of Jesus for all of His children in the midst of so much ugly messiness. May He bring unity and His kingdom to our hearts and lives.

Sincerely,

A broken follower of Jesus

Cognitive Dissonance Re-Examined by Laura Anaya

[NOTE: This guest blog post is a response to my podcast “Cognitive Dissonance”]

A thought on cognitive dissonance,  and the anger people have at being confronted with truth  - even truth you agree with. 

One of the key teachings of the church I grew up in was that the sin of Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil was disobedience. Very little attention, if any, is placed on the effect of the fruit itself, or the doubt in Eve's mind about God being on her side leading up to taking the fruit. 

However in my walk back to understanding God's love I found that there is a profound effect of fear that the fruit of needing certitude of good vs evil has on one’s  life.  It is a shame-based fear that envelopes us when we see ourselves in the wrong.  And we instinctively take measures to protect. 

Adam and Eve covered themselves and hid.  We continue to cover ourselves and hide from each other even when we know our errors.  Often we embrace the certitude of claiming Christ’s name and believing He is God to ensure we are in the “Good” camp, but we do not give up the false security of the fruit of the Tree of Death. We remain self-protective rather than embracing Christ's way of vulnerable self-sacrificing service, and placing our certitude in Him rather than ourselves getting the right understanding and right doing and right saying that will earn the favor of God. 

When this happens we often look good on the outside but continue to rot on the inside.  And any truth that confronts our beliefs will be met with anger or defense, not because it is wrong but because if we realize we can be wrong in one area of our life it shakes the foundation of our salvation, which is a right understanding, and doing Christianity rather than Christ Himself.

I truly appreciate your love and the messages you speak.  Many must die to self-protection and embrace Christ-protection to hear the truth.  It is a painful process to die to self-protection and self-certainty; the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good vs Evil. 

When we claim this as Adam and Eve's sin and don't recognize it as fruit we continue to eat of it ourselves we deny it's deadly effects in our lives today. 

It is difficult, if not impossible, to eat of it and embrace the self-sacrificing service of love Christ made us for and died to regain for us.

-Laura Anaya

 

Guest Post: Steve Kline

Contemplating how love and fear are opposites, Steve Kline took a few liberties with 1 Corinthians 13 and wrote the following:

Love sees the best in people and fear sees the worst.

Fear is impatient and is evil; fear envies and lusts for what others have; 
fear parades the self for all to see; fear puffs up; fear is rude, disrespectful, and demeaning, 
fear seeks its own gain, fear is provoked and brings the self under the control of what is feared; 

Fear thinks evil continuously; fear rejoices in iniquity and lawlessness; fear rejoices in lies;
fear is impatient, it bears nothing and demands everything now; 
fear believes nothing and is skeptical of everyone; 

Fear despairs and says all is lost; 
fear waits for nothing and takes action immediately.

I have acted in that fear. Sadly, I still do. 

But, praise God I'm learning more and more to walk by, with, and in, Christ.