National news reported a televangelist asking his followers to buy a jet for “my ministry” ($50,000,000 plus), claiming God endorsed the idea, validating his plea with, “If Jesus were coming here today, he wouldn’t be riding on a donkey, he’d come on one of these jets.”
Jesus must be sobbing or worse.
How does the health/ wealth/gospel connect with Gospel Truth?
Does the Bible encourage “naming and claiming” stuff, like perks, in Jesus’ name?
Wealth isn’t a sin.
How we get or use it, can be.
The Bible tells the story of God’s children growing impatient with the God they couldn’t see, who’s engaged in a long talk with Moses atop mount Sinai. Moses’ brother, Aaron, babysitting below, gets a “wonderful-awful idea”, like Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and tells them to bring all their gold earrings, which he melts and fashions into the infamous golden calf. God’s kids get their wish, a tangible god.(Exodus 32)
Psalm 106 in The Message laments,” They traded the Glory(of God) for a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull! They forgot God, their very own Savior…” (v. 20-21a)
God’s and Moses’ anger’s understandable at such a tawdry trade and flagrant forgetfulness.
But what’s God’s view of self-righteous me?
What’s my jet?
Who’ve I forgotten?
Where do I assume God’s got my back, not yours, or blesses my country, not theirs ?
Maybe if I’d focus on Jesus’ quotes in the Bible, I’d pepper God less with my wishes, be more apt to pray and work at loving, knowing and meeting the needs of others, asking God’s or their forgiveness, praying for mercy.
Meanwhile, I’ll bet big bucks Jesus wouldn’t show up in a jet, more likely sitting at the back of the bus, having passed by front seats for the Rosa Parks of this world.
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Yes, Jan! Lord, have mercy on us!
Jan, your last line is a wonderful explanation of the divine humanity of Jesus.
I’m “sobbing” with Jesus. Not because of one idolatrous person but for a whole nation that has hoisted up the golden calf and it’s leader who worships himself as well. I have been using Jesus’ quotes for my spiritual food for over a year now, setting them down on 3x5s to try to memorize.
He would patiently wait out the patdowns, and would fly coach, taking the middle seat between two others rejected by society.
I have a really hard time wrapping my mind around this… Thank you for your challenging words to yourself, that I need to ask myself as well. <3
Don’t recall Jesus riding around Judea and Galilee on a donkey. If my memory serves me correctly, He walked!!