Healed from anything oblique
If Jesus were here today, would he participate in a “Pride” parade? Is the following quote an answer or is it just circumstantial evidence?
“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”.
How could anyone purposefully misinterpret the meaning of Jesus’s words or find a way to justify evil. It is a bit silly to think that Jesus meant anything favorable toward evil behaviors, and though he accepted in his midst people who had sinned, he healed them.
Jesus did indeed go into the places where men dwelt in iniquity, but he freed them from their addictions which is not the same as participating in addictions.
I love in “the chosen” how Jesus went into the place where Mary Magdeline was dwelling (brothel, bar) and said “stop, this is not for you” as she prepared to drink alcohol. He freed her from her addiction.
Jesus was surrounded by sinners, but he was clean, pure, holy. He did not accompany people and join them in their sins, and instead his purity, drew crowds to accompanied him and join him, free of sin and addictions.
Jesus never gave people permission to do evil,and to those who argued that the evil deed would be private or might benefit someone who needed something, they were healed of this mistake. Jesus said that mankind does not have need of these things marketed to us from Evil. We only have need of the father.
Jesus was direct when he spoke. He did not have a problem with obliqueness.
Those who today, purposefully misinterpret or twist the words of Jesus, are like the Scribes and pharisees the Sadducee's, Chief priests and the Elders. It is convenient and requires no self sacrifice to side with those currently in power who are choosing to continue to sin. Today, like back then, those who refused to reject sin, seemed like prominent powerful people, and though they were different groups, they were homogeneous in their opposition to Jesus who constantly told his followers to sin no more.
Because he was not oblique, Jesus demonstrated authority in the truth of his teachings by the results or fruits of his labor, making clear to all, the LACK of authority held by those coming against him. But even when targeted and persecuted, Jesus did not criticize.
Even the Centurion who told Jesus that he could command people and they would obey him was not criticized by Jesus, who had the authority to command healing and it would happen. Instead Jesus saw that the
Centurion spoke as such because he trusted how authority could be demonstrated, and had faith. Jesus was not threatened by what Rome said, and knew the heart of those with whom he spoke. To his apostles, Jesus said that if the house they entered was one full of those who did not have the heart to follow Jesus, they were to shake the dust from their feet of those houses, and be on their way. (do not waste their time). He did not say to join them in a parade.
Jesus also encouraged people to be innocent and pure like little children, and wanted their faith as strong as that of a child toward their parents.
The words that he spoke to Mary Magdalene, “Stop, this is not for you” applies to any unclean thing that is keeping us from the Father.
Free gifts that were paid for with slave labor or taxes…”stop this is not for you”.
Beliefs in climate change agenda that forces compliance of the many without regard for individuals… “stop this is not for you”
Power that comes through cheating or dishonest dealings… “stop this is not for you”.
Freedom from stress that comes only after using drugs or alcohol… “stop this is not for you”.
Taking something in private that is wrong, that no one will ever know about… “Stop this is not for you”.
Being angry, unkind, proud, accusatory, retaliatory or unjust… “stop, this is not for you”. Cheating to win…”stop this is not for you”.
The Lord says, “do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine.”
I love this truth, …and we are indeed his.
“But what I do in private does not hurt anyone” some might say…. But if we are his, we are pure, innocent, faithful and holy.
The father does not relinquish even one lost person, to the hands of iniquity. Jesus spoke about the lost sheep and cherished every lost sheep coming back to the fold.
We are called by name, to participate in his life and follow his footsteps. Humanly it might seem to require great sacrifice, but with great sacrifices comes authority over evil.
Jesus wants us all to demonstrate this authority, and express this faith and freedom from temptations, even those we have in secret. There is nothing more direct than the bible and the teachings of Jesus. Obliqueness that might have seemed to exist in the old testament is healed, with Jesus and his demonstrations, and we are all new people walking in the footsteps of Jesus.
Whose side are you on? Because God is direct and the words of Jesus are direct. If you choose to be oblique, that is the place where Jesus was stabbed. We are not part of that which attacks through the oblique, are we? No we are not.