Seriously, what is the Point?
So. Much. Controversy. Who is right? Who is wrong? Who has the edge on truth? Who has the exhaustive list of answers everyone is seeking? How do we really know when it comes to things that aren't easily identifiable facts? Which is practically everything!
The short, easy answer is...its Jesus! Jesus is the point, He is the reason and the answer, and all answers to truth can be found in Him! But whenever that is lost - where and how we find truth - then we search for truth and make propositional statements about truth that force people into camps and either/or thinking. Everything in the West (practically) is built on dualistic, either/or thinking. Either I am a Democrat or a Republican, I cannot be both/and. Either I am for Trump or against Him. Either I am a Calvinist or an Armenian. Either I am an Evangelical or I am a Liberal. Either I agree with you, or I do not.
There is NO middle ground...or for that matter, no alternative. And yet, to use a really interesting story from Scripture, in Joshua 5:14, Joshua met a stranger with his sword drawn. He asked this stranger, which was really God, or in theological terms a Theophany (like an epiphany is the “a-ha” moment, a sudden appearance of an idea, this is an appearance of God. Though I personally believe it was a Christophany, or the appearance of Christ), but Joshua asked whether he was for Israel or for his adversaries. He replied, “No...”. He was neither! He would not place himself in either of those camps!
Now, because of Jesus, because He came to reveal and demonstrate that there was an alternative kingdom, I get to also maintain this middle ground. I am neither. I am both. I am not against anyone. I don’t need to be. But if I was against anything, it would be against religion that corrupts and doesn’t allow people to realize they already have access to God! If you don’t believe me, then why did the Temple veil tear from top to bottom?
Jesus spoke concerning the religious of his day and told a group of people called Lawyers (the term for those who studied and expounded the law of Moses), “Woe to you, Lawyers, you have taken away the KEY TO KNOWLEDGE. You did not enter yourselves and you hindered those from entering.” (Luke 11:52)
Or elsewhere Jesus said, “"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. (Matt 23:13)
Woe to anyone who puts things in front of people and hinders them from entering the Kingdom of God! When we make the kingdom of God a race issue, woe unto us! When we make the Kingdom of God a political issue, woe unto us! When we make it a socio-economic issue, and American issue, or even a religious issue...anything that keeps people away from Jesus, woe unto us! When we make it any other thing than simply following Jesus, woe unto us! Jesus came to remove all barriers and hindrances for all people at all times!
Don’t you know that any justice issue is simply an issue where we remove Jesus? When we fail to see human dignity (which categorizes all justice issues), then we remove Jesus from them and place them into a specific camp or category. The Image of God places dignity upon each and every person. They carry a facet of Jesus, whether they believe in Him or not, and that demands dignity for every person. They actually DESERVE it.
No political issue, no “just-war”, Trump or Hillary, American or Middle-Eastern, White or Black, Islam or Buddhist or Hindu or Jew...nothing comes between people and Jesus! There is no barrier now! Jesus did away with barriers! And who are we to think we have the key of knowledge! Woe unto us!
I am thankful Jesus made a way for all to enter into the Kingdom of God! And if you are confused at to what God thinks about all of this? Just look at Jesus! Read what He said! He kind of spoke both for and as God.
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