Comment to 'The Support of Preachers by Anonymous'
Comment to The Support of Preachers by Anonymous

  • D

    David, you wrote:

    "Jesus did not believe that making merchandise of the truth was a delicate matter. Imagine the tables and money pots flying through the air. And the stinging whip of the Son of God finding it's mark.

    And remember - the profiteers were breaking no laws. They thought they were "serving the Lord". And aiding in "worship".

    Have you ever wondered why Jesus permits the exploitation of His message and His people? I am reminded of a line in Mel Brook's movie, "Oh God." John Denver's character asks God, played by George Burns, "Why do you allow all the suffering in the world?" The answer was, "Why do you?"

    This struck me the first time I heard it many years ago. People are willing to be exploited today as they were then, but Jesus is not here in a physical body to stop this.

    Sure, unbelievers see what is going on in many churches, but most believers I know will defend the system in the name of all the "good" that is accomplished by it.

    • T

      I always tie everything that we do back to our lack of understanding of the depth of our sin, Dan. When you say that believers will defend the system because they feel that it does a lot of good, what you're really getting at is that we can somehow manage the sin in our lives rather than confess it and turn it over to the One who paid for it all. In today's church, the prevailing attitude is that we only need Jesus to fill in on those rare occasions where we slip up. This runs counter to "the good old days" where preaching was all hellfire and brimstone. Neither of these is a correct view of the Gospel. Preaching that God just wants to destroy you if even your toe crosses the line fails to show mercy and grace. Preaching that God is somehow a buddy who covers our tracks speaks to how we think that we can save ourselves. Either is a form of self-righteousness that is not supported in Scripture.