I’m mindful of a scene from that famous trio of Godfather movie epics … the one in which a Catholic bishop marvels at the world of men. He uses a stone from a fountain to point out that the stone has been surrounded for years by water, yet when broken apart, he reveals the water has not penetrated into the center or heart of the stone. His lamentation: how can our world of men be surrounded for centuries by Christianity … yet, like the rock, our hearts have not been penetrated? But it’s not just “non-Christians.” Alas, it’s even worse … when we look at the numbers of men and women who have wrought havoc and death on other people in their belief of Christ. How can there be so many Christians whose hearts have not been penetrated?!
Jesus himself struck a similar tone when he says
“Are you still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.” Matthew 15:16
For context, it’s good to note that Jesus says this after explaining to his disciples that we need to understand the differences between the traditions of our elders … often taught as commandments … and what is sin.
This is critically important. Money is not evil. It’s the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10)! If we are willing to put money above our fellow man or even God, that is evil. I once heard a minister point out how mistaken most Christians are about sex. Sex is not evil, in fact that’s the way God made us! He made us to be sexual beings – does God create evil – did he create us for an evil purpose? Surely not! It’s not sex or money that is evil … it’s how we use it. Do we use it to dominate or demean the other? To show power over the other?! Do we use sex to manipulate and control? Do we misrepresent our feelings to others in order to have a sexual encounter only to carelessly discard them afterwards? It’s the purpose and intent we have for it that matters! It is the purpose and intent in our heart that can make things evil … it’s how we use what God has given us (or not use it) that can be evil. Isn’t this true of just about everything? My car is not evil, but I can use to an evil purpose. The gun is not evil … I can use it to hunt and feed the hungry … or I can use it to gain power, money, or destroy another life. Drugs are not evil … I can use it for good to cure or relieve pain and suffering … or I can use for evil to gain power and money without remorse or care for the destruction it has on another, precious life granted by God that has become addicted.
Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is and he responded
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39
But critically important, Jesus immediately says
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40
If we loved our neighbor, we would not steal his car. If we cared for the other person, we would not lie to them or about them. If we loved God, we would not worship false idols or gods. If we loved our neighbor, we would help them in their time of need. If I loved my neighbor I would not hurt him by sleeping with his wife! If I pray only to look holy in front of other people … and not out of humility and love, then it is sin and in vain. It goes on and on. Suddenly, we can finally understand that the Bible is not a rule book … it’s a striking history of God repeatedly guiding, nurturing, and helping his children to love. So much so that he would sacrifice his own son! That is THE message. It is strikingly consistent throughout the Bible despite the wide variance in culture, tradition, and customs that are encapsulated within its history … that God wants us to be whole with him and that requires us to put aside the evil ways of hate, fear, and even worse, failure to treasure the life of our fellow human beings.
Ok, so why this post? I was struck today when I read a recent quote about gay marriage by Pat Robertson … on his 700 Club. He claims that every nation that “embraced this lifestyle” has gone down in the trash heap of history. He says this in response to President Obama granting health benefits to the partners of gay government employees. Has Satan so blinded this man’s heart with fear and hate that he would withhold medical treatment from those in need? Of course Pat Robertson’s argument is nonsensical since every nation in history has actually gone down in ruin … eventually. But that is really besides the point … I am greatly concerned that so many who profess to be Christians fail to heed our Lord Jesus’ words in Matthew 15. They teach their personal views and traditions as if they are the commandments of God … and they lead God’s people astray.
It’s very common to hear those against gay marriage to say it’s one man and one woman and it’s always been that way according to God. Really?! Although I could be wrong, I’m not aware of any scripture saying that King David or King Solomon were sinning by having more than one wife. The only scripture I’m aware of is for the qualifications of a bishop … that a bishop should be married to only one wife. But we also know that the Apostle Paul even is bold enough to say we shouldn’t marry at all (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)! So we must be careful to not mistake tradition or advice as if it were God’s law. But what is sin? Are we still without understanding that sin is the failure to love others and God over ourselves … it’s the intentions of our heart that defiles us?
So if there is love, let there be love. We know that Jonathon and King David loved each other more than they loved women (2 Samuel 1:26). Let’s treat others as we wish to be treated. Let’s finally understand what its all about.
