[Vision2020] Showing the true intolerant one

[Michael]

J,

 

You Wrote:

 

Jesus is the true example of tolerance of those that Pharisees like Doug are
too busy putting down and looking down his nose at - such as the Samaritan
woman at the well, the tax collectors, lepers, etc.  Seems to me, it would
bode Doug better if he'd just step down off of his high chair long enough to
understand that there are many different, yet just as honest and devout ways
to worship God.

 

Me:

 

I was following you, but then you threw me off at the end a little regarding
the different ways to worship God.  It is true that when God became man and
expressed his beauty, love, and gentleness like never before that he was set
in strong contrast with the religious leader's scrupulous concern about
Mosaic death penalties, doctrinal fine points, self-righteous taunting, and
the like.  Jesus indeed went and fellowshipped with a Samaritan woman, tax
gathers, lepers, and prostitutes.  And he did so as a loving instructor, not
as a witty polemist or a worked up hell and fire evangelist.  However, the
end result was always a challenge to follow him or not. And what does it
mean to follow him?: The prostitute poured her perfume on Jesus, the lepers
were healed, the Samaritan woman was instructed precisely on what the true
worship of God consists in-Spirit and truth.  So when you speak of different
ways to worship God, are you referring to Jesus explaining that the worship
of the Father through him to the entire world?  Or are you suggesting that
Jesus gives us no instruction in how to worship him?  I'm concerned we might
sometimes confuse condemnation from conservatives (who sometimes like to
dream about how the civil penalty against adulteresses will look like in the
golden age) from a true gospel call to be healed, give your finest perfume,
take on his easy yoke. We can reject the Christian Right and yet still
distinguish what the true worship of God is.  Does this make sense? 

 

Michael Metzler

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