What Jesus did Do

Dealing with Devastation

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 17:23:00 +0000

There is no escaping devastation in life. Divorce, job loss, death in the family, and natural disasters destroying our property are just some of the things we face on a regular basis. No one is immune from devastation in life.

People deal with devastation in different ways. Some people allow a specific amount of time to feel upset, and then move on. Some people wallow in self-pity and resentment, and live that way for years, even their entire lives. Some people remain stoic, though God knows what is going on inside of them.

I had a job interview three weeks ago. When I left the interview I felt like I found my dream job. I felt like I found my calling, and I was so excited. I grew even more excited when I got a call just a few hours after the interview asking me for a second interview. Every day I grew more and more excited about this job. I had my second interview, and got an email minutes after it ended asking me to send in a writing sample. Later that afternoon I was asked for references. This job was mine. I prayed about it, I practiced positive thinking for the first time in my whole life, and did not even allow the thought of rejection to enter my mind. I practiced the "Attractor Factor", a book written by Joe Vitale discussing how people tend to attract what their minds focus on. I focused on the verse, and practiced it that says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4. There was no doubt in my mind that I would get this job. Then I got the call that I was one of two candidates, that they were impressed with me, but they went with the other candidate who had just a bit more experience in the field than I did. I was devastated.

I went home from work that night and just wanted to sleep. I sulked some the next day. I was confused about everything. Why would God not follow through on his side of the Psalm 37:4 promise? How could I follow all the practices of positive thinking and attracting, and not get this job? After some thinking it came to me. God has something better planned for me.

I created an idealized version of the job in my mind based on my interactions with the interviewers at this job. It was that idealized version I fell in love with and thought was mine. But the desire of my heart was not for that particular job. My heart desired (and still desires) a job that I love, where I feel respected and feel like I am contributing something, a job that will provide a safe and secure financial situation for my family, and a job that I really feel passionate about. Maybe this job I interviewed for was not that. Maybe the job I interviewed for would have been worse than the one I am currently in. God sees all things, and when we are devastated by something, he has something good for us right around the corner.

Four and a half years ago I had just moved to Wisconsin with my wife. I was working a job and we put a down payment on a house that we were really excited about. A week before we closed on the house I lost my job and the mortgage company withdrew its loan approval. My very pregnant wife and I were devastated. At that time we were living in a hotel room with our almost two year old and our yellow lab. We eventually rented a house, which was okay for what it was worth, but it was never home. Two years later we were able to get pre-approved for another mortgage, and this time bought a house with much more of what we wanted in a house, and we are so much happier there than we ever would have been at the house that fell through (the house we lost out on didn't have a dishwasher. What were we thinking?). We were devastated when we lost the first house, but God had a better one planned for us (with a dishwasher!)

A couple of years after my wife and were first married, we wanted to start a family. We experienced two miscarriages that were absolutely devastating. The second miscarriage shook my faith to the core, and I think I am just now getting my faith in God back. I was in a dark place for years, and we thought we would never be able to have children. Then in 2012 we had our little miracle baby. In 2014 we had another sweet baby girl. In 2018 we had a third. We are still sad about the two we lost. I think about those babies that could have been. On the other hand, I realize I have been blessed by three amazing daughters who I would not trade for the world. I am so blessed to have them.

One final story. In 2001 I was fired from a job just weeks before my parents were going to move farther south. I did not want to move. I lined up an interview, but on my way there I rolled my car. All of the events I experienced forced me to move with my parents. For the first year I was in a deep depression. I slowly came out of it, but still was not happy I had my life disrupted. As it turns out we moved just blocks away from a college campus that had a graduate program starting the fall after I received my undergraduate degree, that was just what I was looking for. Four years after moving with my parents, I met my future wife. I found my first calling in hospice because of the move. It turned out to be what was best for me.

Like children we often go through life kicking and screaming because we want something, and we don't get it. I think about the times I upset my children by telling them they can't go outside in a t-shirt when it is 10 degrees out, and the devastation they seem to experience. They think they know what is best for them, but they really don't. I know what is best for them. When I did not get the job I so desperately wanted and thought was mine for the taking, God was telling me not to go out in 10 degree weather with just a t-shirt. Every devastating event I have experienced has been redeemed by beautiful things occurring that might not otherwise have occurred. Steve Jobs once said we do not understand things at the time they are happening, but we connect the dots afterwards. In other words, seemingly unrelated events, some good, some bad, occur in our lives. These events shape us, and the bad events are connected to the positive that does eventually happen in our lives. So I am choosing to put my faith in God, and know He has a better plan for my future.

Love Your Enemies

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Sun, 02 Dec 2018 14:14:00 +0000

Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and pray for them. He taught we should turn the other cheek. Jesus practiced this to the extreme when he allowed himself killed by his enemies and prayed for their forgiveness at the very moment they were killing him on the cross. How difficult we have found it to practice this in our own lives.

The political atmosphere today is a perfect example of how we fall short of this everyday. I used to pay close attention to the news, and prided myself in my knowledge of current affairs. The divisiveness of the 2016 presidential campaign turned me away from the news and social media. I could not tolerate all of the hate and negativity I read on a daily basis coming from both sides of the political aisle. It is as bad two years later.

I, for one, find it easy to love those "enemies" of mine I have no personal contact with. Whether it's politicians, celebrities, or facebook friends who I disagree with, or people who are blatant opponents of mine, if I have no personal connection to them I have no problem praying for them and turning my other cheek. However, when it comes to people I have direct contact with on a regular basis, I have a very hard time turning the other cheek.

There is a person in my life with whom I have had a very adversarial professional relationship. I have felt unjustly criticized by this person. Frankly, this person has never liked me much. Sometimes no matter what we do, there are people we encounter who we just rub the wrong way. I have done what I could to keep this relationship amicable, but it is now at a point I can no longer continue my relationship with this person.

I keep thinking of all the possible scenarios that might result when I tell this person I am breaking off our professional relationship. I imagine how good it would feel to tell this person off to his face. I imagine the nasty things he might say to me, and how I might give back a stinging retort. There is a lot I could say to him to call him out on his hypocrisy and unjustified criticism. But what good would that do?

It might make me feel good for a short period of time to be nasty to him for once. But in reality, it would not serve him or me good in any way. He will not change or apologize because of my criticism of him. It would do nothing but lower me to his level. How much better would I feel leaving as the better man? I will break off our professional relationship by thanking him for all he has given me during our professional relationship. I will shake his hand. I will do everything on my part to live up to the call of Jesus to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, and to pray for him. I will wish him well. I will be the better man.

The Gospel of Mark According to Me

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 16:39:00 +0000

I started a project today translating the Bible be more understandable for the contemporary audience, while also trying to portray more scientific accuracy and provide a more accurate meaning of certain passages. I also provide some notes in passages I feel need some explanation. I intend to do this with all of the Gospels at the very least, and will publish the four Gospels from my translation. I do not pretend that my translation is in any way inspired by God or that my translation is intended to replace more authorized versions of the Gospels. At best my translation is a paraphrase, intended for purposes of making the Gospels clearer to a contemporary audience. I hope you enjoy. Below is the first chapter of Mark according to the translation of Brandon Parks.

1:1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus, the chosen one, the Son of God;

1:2 As it is written in the prophets, take notice, I send my messenger before you, and he will prepare the world for your arrival.

1:3 The voice of one calling out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight.

1:4 John baptized in the desert, and preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of our failings.

1:5 And everyone from the land of Judaea, and from Jerusalem, travelled to see John, and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their imperfections.

1:6 And John dressed in camel's hair, with underwear of animal skin; and he ate locusts and wild honey;

1:7 And preached, saying, One is coming after me who is greater than me, whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with his own Spirit. (Meaning Jesus will fill you with his Spirit that will clean you any failings. See Psalm 51:10-12.).

1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

1:10 And immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son. I am very proud of You.

1:12 And immediately the Spirit led Jesus to pursue solitude in the desert.

1:13 And he spent forty days in the desert, struggling with temptation; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels took care of him.

1:14 John was put in prison, and Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the good news of God’s perfect government,

1:15 And saying, The time has come, and God’s perfect government has arrived: turn to God, and believe the good news.

1:16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishermen.

1:17 And Jesus said to them, Come with me, and I will make you fish for men.

1:18 And immediately they abandoned their nets, and went with him.

1:19 And when he had gone a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship fixing their nets.

1:20 And immediately he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went with him.

1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and immediately on the sabbath day he entered the synagogue, and taught.

1:22 And they were amazed at his teaching: for he taught them as one with authority and personal knowledge, and not as the teachers of the day.

1:23 And there was a man in their synagogue who was sick and misunderstood (likely someone with paranoid schizophrenia); and he cried out,

1:24 Saying, Leave us alone; what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.

1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be quiet, and leave him.

1:26 And when the illness hurt him, and the man cried with a loud voice, the man was cured of his illness.

1:27 And they were all amazed, and questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? what new doctrine is this? For with authority Jesus commands even sickness, and even ailments obey him.

1:28 And immediately his fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

1:29 And immediately after leaving the synagogue, they went into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

1:30 But Simon's mother-in-law lay sick of a fever, and soon they told Jesus of her.

1:31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she waited on them.

1:32 And in the evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Jesus everyone who was sick, (the original said “and those possessed of demons.” To reflect our knowledge today, I have removed that phrase as those “possessed with demons” likely had illnesses the people of the time were unfamiliar with).

1:33 And everyone from the city was crowding the door.

1:34 And Jesus healed many that were sick of diverse diseases; and asked that no one speak of him being the Son of God.

1:35 And in the morning, waking up before dawn, Jesus went out, and found a solitary place where he prayed.

1:36 And Simon and they that were with him followed him.

1:37 And when they had found him, they said, Everyone is looking for you.

1:38 And he said to them, Let us go into the next towns, so I may preach there also: for that is why I came here.

1:39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and Healed those who were sick.

1:40 And a leper came to him, begging him, and kneeling down to him, saying, If you want, you are able to heal me.

1:41 And Jesus, feeling immense compassion for this man, put forth his hand, and touched him, saying to him, I will; be clean. (Note: at this time touching a leper made a person unclean. This man likely had not experienced a loving human touch for many years. Jesus showed that a person does not become unclean for touching someone, but that by touching someone who is unclean, we can make that person clean).

1:42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was clean.

1:43 And Jesus immediately charged him, and then sent him away;

1:44 And said unto him, Make sure to say nothing to any man: but go right away and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

1:45 But he went out, and began to tell everyone who would listen, and to spread everywhere the details of his healing, so much so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside the city in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.

Maturity and the Christian Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Sat, 05 May 2012 19:54:00 +0000

This week I turn thirty and I thought it would be fun to look at the changes in my own belief system and the influences that have brought about such significant changes. I hope this can be educational to show that one's belief system should not grow stagnant and remain the same throughout a person's life, but that as a person matures so should their faith.

I was raised in a Christian home with a fundamentalist bent. I was taught to read the bible, to love Jesus, to pray, and to go to church every Sunday. I was taught that I was a sinner who needed forgiveness and that without Jesus I could not be saved. I went to a conservative church growing up that taught us to "witness" to people (a term that means proselytizing, or gaining converts). I was taught to feel guilty about my sins and to always ask Jesus for forgiveness when I sinned.

My first major crisis of faith came when I was a senior in high school. I was raised in a religious bubble where I just assumed that what I was taught was right and was never exposed to anything beyond my Christianity. Imagine my surprise when searching the internet one day I came across a website that "proved" the bible wrong. I felt like the earth was crumbling around me and I didn't know what to believe; my faith had never been challenged before. My bible teacher in high school (I went to a conservative Christian high school) introduced me to Josh McDowell, thus beginning a major shift in my belief system where I fell in love with Christian apologetics (defending one's faith) and desired to become something of a theologian.

During this period in my life, while in my early 20s, I was an outspoken fundamentalist college student, defending such doctrines as the trinity, the inerrancy of the bible, and the salvation only of Protestant Christians. When someone supported a belief I felt was unbiblical, I jumped on them with such an attack that I'd make Pat Robertson proud. I was outspoken against gay marriage, against abortion, and against any religion that was not remotely close to looking like orthodox Christianity. Then would come the most significant moment in my life.

In 2009 I became a hospice chaplain and would meet my mentor Dr. Lynn Euzenas. Both have had the biggest impact in my life. Ministering directly with the sick and dying has made me change my priorities in life. For the first time in my life I was in a position where my heart would be impacted even more so than my head. As I have worked with those who are sick and dying I have realized that many of the arguments for particular doctrines do not matter because what is important to God is not right teaching but right love. I Corinthians 13 teaches that love is the most important attribute of a Christian, and I finally understood what that meant. What is right doctrine without love of one's fellow human being? What kind of Christian are we if we would rather criticize a gay man for his orientation than love him for being a child of God? This is what I learned from my mentor and this is what I have learned from my ministry with those who are in the greatest need of love, those who are sick and hurting and fearful.

I no longer find it necessary to focus on sin, mine or another's. I still believe in the trinity but don't feel that God needs much defending. I think he's got a thick skin and can handle things himself. I no longer believe in the inerrancy of the bible because, frankly, it talks about the sun rotating around the earth which is scientifically incorrect. I no longer believe homosexuality is a sin and instead feel it important to show my love to my gay brothers and sisters in Christ because they are as much children of God as I am. I still believe abortion is wrong, but I will love those who have had and who have performed abortions as much as I love anyone else, because that is what Jesus says is right.

What I hope we can learn from this is that by sticking with a particular belief for the sake of being right we end up wrong in the end. By holding to a belief for one's entire life a person is so arrogant as to believe that he cannot possibly be wrong. We cannot grow stagnant in our beliefs but must constantly monitor for outmoded beliefs that especially hold us back from loving anyone. Our guideline for tossing out a doctrine should be this question: "is this doctrine preventing me from showing love to my fellow human being." If it is the case that a doctrine is causing love to be held back, we must toss it out and forget it, because it is not what Jesus would want us to believe. Let us therefore be mature believers and love one another as Jesus has loved us.

Blessings,

-Brandon

P.S. Don't forget to stop by amazon.com and purchase my book What Did Jesus Do for your kindle. It is still free for the next four days.

Your Sins Don't Matter, You Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Today I want to share with you a beautiful story of the value Jesus gave someone who was otherwise criticized for her behavior. The story can be found in Luke 7:36-50 of a woman who was called a sinner, and likely was a prostitute, who came to a meal Jesus was having with a Pharisee and anointed his feet with her tears. The response from the Pharisee was one of condemnation as he said, "if this man was a prophet he would know what kind of woman this was he was letting touch him." The Pharisee immediately condemned the woman, whereas Jesus provided her with value. His response to the Pharisee was to share a story of two debtors, one who was forgiven a small debt and another who was forgiven a large debt. Jesus asked the Pharisee, "who loves more, the one forgiven a little or the one forgiven much." Of course the Pharisee's answer was the one who was forgiven much. Jesus continued by praising the prostitute's faith.

What I love so much about this story is how Jesus took a woman that was ridiculed and condemned by the religious establishment of his day, and instead provided her with value and worth. You see, that is what Jesus did. When he saw someone who was hurting emotionally or was alienated by the religious authorities, he accepted them and welcomed them into his circle where they received love and were shown a worth that they had never experienced before. We read of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners who were rejected by the religious elite. We read of Jesus sitting down and listening to a Samaritan woman who was criticized by her community for living with a man out of wedlock. Jesus forgave an adulteress woman who the religious elite were ready to kill, and he touched lepers whose community made to live outside the city limits. Jesus never rejected a single person he encountered, but instead brought them acceptance and love, no matter what their position was in society. Whereas the religious leaders in Jesus' time would consistently take away from the worth of others, Jesus consistently provided worth to everyone he interacted with.

What we can gain from this story is two-fold: first, you are valuable as a human being. Nothing you do can take value away from you. Your worth is based on the fact that you are part of God's creation and has nothing to do with successes or failures you have committed. Your value is safe and secure in Jesus. So when you are feeling like you have done something wrong and are feeling guilty, just know that Jesus forgives you and values you immensely. As difficult as it is to forgive ourselves sometimes, it is something we have permission to do because God forgives us without any questions asked. If you are uncertain about this, just look at the many people Jesus forgave without any hesitation. Let me say it again, you are valuable as a human being no matter what.

Secondly, we are to show people that same worth that Jesus shows us. That means when we see someone who has sinned, or who we perceive to have sinned, it is our duty not to condemn them or shun them as the Pharisee did with the prostitute. Instead our duty is to show them the forgiveness, love, and value that Jesus showed the prostitute. That means instead of judging women who have had or are contemplating having an abortion, we should show them love and acceptance. That also means that if you view homosexuality as a sin (something I myself do not) you treat them as forgiven and accept them just as Jesus would have and does. It does not matter what other people do or what their background is. It does not matter what another person's faith is, we treat them as Jesus would have: we accept them. That is what Jesus did.

Thank you, and don't forget to stop by amazon.com where you can purchase a copy of my book What Did Jesus Do: Using Jesus' Interactions in Scripture as a Basis for Our Interactions Today, for kindle. Again, thank you and God bless.

-Brandon

Jesus and the Non-Christian with Great Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

There is a famous story which illustrates perfectly the inclusiveness with which Jesus showed to humankind while he was here; it can be found in Matthew 8:5-13 and reads thus:

⁵ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶ “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

⁷ Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

⁸ The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. ¹¹ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹² But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

First off, a Centurion was a leader in the Roman military who oversaw 100 men. The Centurion was of Roman, and not Jewish heritage and would have practiced Mithraism as a religion. Mithra was a Roman god who was worshipped by the Roman military and would thus have been worshipped by this Centurion. This man with greater faith than Jesus had seen in all of Israel was therefore a pagan and did not even worship the one true God. Yet Jesus declared that his faith was greater than he had seen in all of Israel.

The first thing I want you to notice about this passage is that Jesus, knowing everything I have just stated, did not even hesitate to start heading to the Centurion's house the moment he was asked for help. Jesus did not begin to question the man about his faith, he did not ask the man for reasons why he should help him. Jesus, with no questions asked immediately began walking toward the Centurion's house because Jesus saw a need, felt compassion, and wanted to help.

Secondly, the man did not worship Jesus or become one of his disciples. He simply knew what he had heard about Jesus and went to him like anyone who was about to lose a loved one would have. His intent was not to convert to another religion or drop everything and follow Jesus. We read elsewhere that the man went back home and we presume that he went back to his normal life. And yet Jesus called his faith "great."

My reason for going through this is that Jesus did not hold back his blessing due to the Centurion's religious background or what he did for a living. What mattered to Jesus was that this man was hurting and he needed help. So Jesus felt compassion. Jesus allowed his blessing to rest on this man despite what he already believed.

Secondly, Jesus called this man, who wasn't even a part of Jesus' own faith tradition, a man of great faith. It did not matter to Jesus what god this man worshiped, or even that this man chose not to follow him after the healing; he still found it prudent to call this man's faith "great."

So what makes us as Christians so exclusive in the way we act. Why when people need help is our first question often "do you love Jesus?" It does not make much sense to me that when Jesus was so inclusive in his message, that we have become so exclusive in our message. A person can only have incredible faith if they are a Christian, according to us. And yet this man was neither a Christian nor a Jew and Jesus was able to call his faith "great."

Today we exclude people even when they are Christians. If someone is a Christ-follower but gay they are allowed no part in our services. If they come from the wrong denomination we deny them entrance into our church. And yet Jesus was able to call this strict pagan man a man of great faith.

Henry Brinton wrote a beautiful article about the welcoming table of Jesus. In it he discusses how Jesus' meal table is so large that there is always a spot open for those who wish to join. He also mentions how we have tended to shrink that table over time. I think it is time we as Christians once again work to enlarge our table to allow for a much more inclusive Church.

There are people in our community hurting and needing help, love, and compassion. When they seek these things from the Church they are often met with condemnation for one reason or another. We tend not to look past their tattoos or drug habits, their homosexuality or their foul language, their crazy hair or strange outfits. Instead we see what we disagree with and treat them with disdain. Instead, let's be more like Jesus by seeing what we have in common with them: our humanity. When we view people as human, it becomes easier to look past those things we disagree with and include them in our houses of worship. Let's show more love and compassion to all people we encounter today!

Please take the time to stop by amazon.com and purchase a copy of What Did Jesus Do for your Kindle today.

Blessings,

-Brandon

What Did Jesus Do: The Book Release

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:27:00 +0000

I am proud to announce that I have finally published my book and it is available here, on the Amazon Kindle store. Currently the book is not available in print or on iBooks, but I am working on that. What Did Jesus Do? is available for $4.99 U.S. and looks good on all devices. The book description can be found below. Thank you for your support.

Blessings,

-Brandon

In What Did Jesus Do: Using Jesus’ Interactions from Scripture as a Basis for Our Interactions Today!, Brandon Parks utilizes in-depth Biblical interpretation to analyze Jesus' interactions with three groups of people in Scripture: 1. religious leaders, 2. those within Jesus' discipleship, and 3. those outside Jesus' discipleship. Using this information, Brandon gives the modern day Christian guidelines for interacting with similar groups of people today. With this information, Christians can foster better relationships with people and learn ways to interact with people that are more in line with the way Jesus interacted with people in his day.

Judge Not: Jesus, Homosexuality, and the Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:54:00 +0000

I'm not sure at what point Christians decided to take upon themselves the task of cleansing other people from their sins. But at some point it happened: Christianity saw itself become the moral police who would call out people for their sins and institute practices such as excommunication. It became the task of each individual Christian to make people aware of their sins and bar them from participation in certain church activities such as being involved in leadership. Now, obviously if someone is involved in sinful activities that could actually do harm to someone else, those people should be barred from participation. However, we as Christians haved missed a crucial teaching of Jesus' that often goes unheeded. That injunction was to not judge sinners, and that we should remove the log from our eye before focussing on the splinter in someone else's eye.

Jesus was clear that when he spoke against sin, we were to take the information he provided us as a way of being self corrective instead of being critical of others for their sins. That of course does not mean we need to be guilt laden, since Jesus' death and resurrection atone for our sins. But we are to take the commands of the Bible as ways of instilling obedience in our own lives, not other people's.

When Jesus criticizes us for "looking at the speck in our brother's eye instead of focusing on the plank in our own eye" in Matthew 7:3, he is criticizing those who condemn others for what they perceive to be sin while ignoring the very real sins in their own lives. It is important to remember that God will judge us the way we judge others, which means that if we judge people for sinning, God will remove his grace from us and judge us for our sins. The converse of this is that the more we show compassion and acceptance to others, the more compassion and acceptance God will show to us.

I just read an article which discusses an ad that the mayor of London rightly removed which praised the curing of homosexuality. The ad was placed by conservative Christians who call homosexuality a sin and work to cure homosexuals of what they call the "disease" of homosexuality. This is a direct violation of Jesus' words in Matthew 7 asking us not to judge others. This is a more prominent form of what happens in the Church everyday. There is a profound problem in the Church today involving the criticism of other people's sins and the desire among Christians to "fix" sinners. Many of us make it our role to be the moral police of our community. It is important that we realize that regardless of what we perceive to be a sin in another person's life, that which is in our eye is always bigger than that which is another person's. Therefore, we should do our best to focus on improving our own lives instead of obsessing over the sins of others.

Blessings,

-Brandon

Does Paul Condemn Homosexuality?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 01:36:00 +0000

In celebration of my soon to be released book, What Did Jesus Do, I am posting a portion from chapter three, discussing how Christian leaders have mis-represented the Bible at times, interpreting it in ways it was not intended. In this section I discuss how Romans 1 is so often used to condemn homosexual behavior, when that is not the purpose of the passage at all. Here I go in-depth explaining what Paul's purpose is and how we can better interpret the Bible today. Enjoy!

One of the most commonly twisted passages in Scripture today comes from Romans 1:26-27:
For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

This passage is often quoted in order to bring judgment and condemnation on homosexuals for their behavior which, in turn, makes them feel alienated from the Church. When Christian leaders speak out against homosexuality, and are asked, “where is homosexuality prohibited in the bible?” they invariably point to these verses as the authority that once and for all condemns homosexuality as a sin.

I will not deny that this passage is describing same sex behavior. There is no doubt that this passage says women and men traded natural relations with the opposing sex for unnatural relations with the same sex. What is important is to take this passage in its context. Within the book of Romans, Paul is engaged in an argument in which he is describing God’s saving activity in which He brings humankind back into a right relationship with himself. He is laying out a logical argument in which he is showing why the saving act of Jesus dying on the cross was necessary for us to be brought back into the intended relationship with God. Paul is arguing in Romans 1-7 that the reason we need Jesus to be brought back into right relationship with God is because all of humankind has lost this right relationship by entering into sin. This passage is understood better when we go back earlier in the first chapter of Romans. The crux of Paul’s argument comes in vv 17-18 where Paul begins, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith,’” and then goes on to say, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.” Beginning verse 18 with “for” Paul is using verse 18 to support verse 17 (Moo, 1996, 99). The righteousness of God is God’s saving activity to bring all of humankind back into a right relationship with him.32 This saving activity, as it is revealed later in Romans, was Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection (Romans 3:22, 24, 26; 4:24; 5:1, 11, 15, 17, 21; 6:3, 11, 23; 8:1, 2, 11, 34, 39; 10:9). If verse 18 is supporting verse 17, then what this passage is saying is that God’s righteousness was revealed in Jesus because of the wickedness of men and women which revealed God’s wrath. Because of God’s wrath being revealed in the wickedness of humankind, God’s righteousness was revealed through Jesus’ death and resurrection. In other words, because of the wickedness of humankind, God’s wrath filled the earth. In order to end His wrath, it was necessary to send Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the dead in order to bring humankind back into right relationship with God.

What is important is that in verse 18 we read, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness” (emphasis added). Paul is not singling anyone out in the list of sinful behavior that follows. Paul is trying to point to the underlying sin in all humankind that makes God’s saving act in Jesus necessary. We read in Moo’s commentary that “Verse 18...begins with a universal indictment: all people stand condemned under the wrath of God” (Moo, 1996, 97). So Paul is going to argue for universal condemnation as the state of humankind prior to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Romans is a letter directed mainly to the Jewish Christians in the Roman church, and one of the issues Paul is addressing is the feeling of superiority the Jewish Christians had over the Gentile Christians.33 Essentially, Paul is laying out an argument that will put the Jewish Christians on an equal plane with the Gentiles. The way Paul does this is by setting up a case against the Gentiles in chapter one, placing the Jews in a superior, yet vulnerable, position, and then pulling their superiority out from under them. Paul, then, begins his argument at the end of chapter one, which serves to condemn the Gentiles. Moo supports this with two points: 1. “the passage is reminiscent of Jewish apologetic arguments in which Gentile idolatry was derided and the moral sins of the Gentile world were traced to that idolatry,” and 2. “the knowledge of God rejected by those depicted in 1:18-32 comes solely through ‘natural revelation’” whereas the Jews were “responsible for the special revelation they have been given in the law” (Moo, 1996, 97). So Paul is trying to bait the Jewish Christians in Rome to feel condemning of the Gentiles for their “sinful” behavior because he is trying to prove a point. The point comes with a twist in Romans 2:1 where Paul says, “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things” (emphasis mine). The situation Paul is describing in chapters one and two is the situation as it would look before the saving act of Jesus Christ. In other words, Paul is trying to tell the church in Rome that all are condemned without Jesus regardless of what their behavior is. We are all on an equal footing without Jesus, and we are therefore all on an equal footing with Jesus. So what we have in Romans 1-2 is a depiction of the sinful state of humanity as a whole (the Gentile and the Jew) which, therefore, needs the saving grace of God through the act of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are smart to remember that Paul goes on to say in Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Paul was not singling out any sin in Romans as wrong, or as being worse than any other. In fact what he was doing was placing all sins on an equal plane. He was simply describing the state of fallen human kind. Therefore it manipulates Scripture to point to Romans 1 as a prohibition of homosexuality and, therefore, a justification of excluding them from worship in our churches. We might as well exclude everyone from worship in our churches since all have sinned.

It is really interesting that the passage many Church leaders point to as a judgment against homosexuality is a passage which, in its context, condemns those who judge sinful behavior. This passage says there is no difference between sinners. Moo discusses the fact that homosexuality being singled out in Romans 1 has to do with the fact that this is not something Jews would have participated in because of how ingrained it was in their culture that homosexual behavior was impure and sinful. Yet Paul says that the Jews, in their own sinfulness, have done the same things (Romans 2:1; Moo, 1996, 113-117). What this passage in Romans does, more than anything, is condemn us today for doing the same thing the Jews were doing in the church in Rome, considering ourselves superior because we have the law on our side, when in fact the sins we have committed have made us just as guilty.

Again, the point of Paul's letters is not to condemn people, but to show people how truly loving, and merciful, and compassionate God is. Let us begin showing this side of God to people.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Easter and the Crucifixion of Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

With Easter coming up on Sunday I've been thinking a lot about Jesus' death and what he died for. I think it is often helpful in my spiritual walk at times to try and reframe some of my beliefs, not necessarily to overrule them, but to help me think of new ways a particular doctrine might be relevant.

Jesus' death is often associated with salvation for wrongs done. The question arises "why did Jesus die on the cross," and the answers come pouring in: "he took on himself the sins of the world," "he received the punishment that was due us," "he paid the debt we owed." And so it goes that the most often given answer for the reason of Jesus' death was to somehow atone for wrongs done.

Now, if you read my last blog, you know that I had a way of reframing sin as a person's hurts rather than bad behavior. This view causes us to feel empathy toward "sinners" rather than condemnation. What if we used this reframing as a way of looking at Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus did not die to atone for sins but to bear our pains and our burdens. Jesus wasn't receiving punishment, but was taking upon himself the hurts of humankind.

We read in Isaiah 53:4 that the Messiah would "[take] up our pain and [bare] our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted." This prophetic passage even addresses that we will miss part of the point of the death of Jesus. Now, I do not deny that Jesus' death was in part done to atone for our sins. I am simply looking at an additional way his death can be viewed.

This view makes God the Father less of a cruel God who would make his son take on the punishment of the world, and more of a compassionate God that would allow his son to bear our pain and our suffering; maybe because he knows Jesus can take it.

Each one of us has a burden to bare that brings us pain. Sometimes this results in addiction, sometimes behavioral problems, and sometimes mental problems. I want all of you to know that you are good just the way you are and that God has felt our pain by suffering on the cross. By his resurrection, he showed that with him we can overcome the burdens we bare. Unlike the message we so often receive from the Christian Church, Jesus is full of love and compassion and cares about each one of us with no amount of judgment or criticism.
Blessings and happy Easter,
-Brandon

Sin: It's Not What You Think It Is

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:19:00 +0000

During much of this past week I've been thinking a lot about the concept of sin. I understand that sin is a concept that is clearly addressed in the Bible, but I am wondering how much that concept has been misinterpreted and misused over the past two thousand years. Traditionally the term sin has denoted wrongs committed and has been used for the purpose of condemnation and has caused the alienation of many people because of the so-called sins they have committed. So how can we look at sin differently that might help clear things up and portray scripture in a more accurate light?

Last week I discussed sin as being a symptom of a problem rather than the problem itself. What if we look at sin this week as a hurt or a pain that one experiences? One of the definitions for the Greek word typically translated as sin is "to miss the mark," or "to be without a share in." These are both things that cause a great deal of distress and pain in the person who misses the mark and is without a share in. So it is reasonable that "sin" refers to a hurt of some kind which may result in bad behavior.

I think this is a better definition because it doesn't allow for the exclusion of someone because of a sin, but instead welcomes greater love and compassion toward sinners. Defined the traditional way, sin tends to bring about criticism by people for the way a sinner might live his or her life. If you are gay you are seen as a sinner by many in the church who will then shun you. If you have had an abortion, you will be excluded from certain church groups. The pastor gets up to the pulpit on Sundays and preaches against sin, bringing about a feeling of condemnation in those who are in the pews.

Defined in this new way, sin breeds a sense of empathy from those who sense the pain of the "sinner". Instead of creating an atmosphere of exclusion, sin now brings people together because people want to help those who are in pain. When we view sin not as a wrong committed but a pain felt, it lends itself to a more loving church body that wants to bring in sinners instead of keeping them away.

This interpretation also changes how we interpret the saving act of Jesus's crucifixion. Instead of Jesus being punished for our sins, an interpretation which breeds more guilt in me than relief, Jesus bears our burdens and our pain, making what we bear a little less burdensome. This accords with the words of Scripture where Jesus tells us that his yoke is easy and his burden light, easing our burdens. It also is in tune with Isaiah 53:4, a prophetic passage about the Messiah, which reads, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.". Not only does this prophetic passage interpret sin in the new way we have interpreted it here, but it also predicts that we would interpret sin in the traditional way in which we have by calling the crucifixion a punishment from God for our sins. It seems to me this newer way of interpreting sin is more biblical than the traditional way.

But what about those passages in the Bible where Jesus and John the Baptist are telling people to repent and turn away from their sin? Here is how that comes to be translated. The term "repent" means to turn away from one thing and towards another. What these men are saying is that I can turn away from my pain and face Jesus where I will receive comfort. When repentance is called upon by us, it is repentance from our hurts toward a man of compassion, Jesus Christ, from whom we can be healed and comforted from all of the pain that we experience in this life. Won't you repent with me and turn away from what is causing you pain, to receiving the ultimate healing from Jesus?
Blessings,
-Brandon

Sin is A Symptom, Not the Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 03:09:00 +0000

In many, if not most Christian churches today we often hear messages condemning sin and asking us to make a change in our lives. These messages are often filled with guilt-laden comments, guilting us into making a change in our lives which, because of the way the change is brought about, does not last for long and we end up deeper into our "sin" than we ever were before. Why does this phenomenon take place? It is because in the Christian church we are addressing the wrong thing when we address sin. When a person goes into the doctor with a pain, the doctor can treat the pain or look for an underlying problem. People don't normally have pain without an underlying problem. If the doctor treats the pain, the thing causing the pain might get worse and the pain might therefore get worse. In order to fix the pain, the doctor must ignore the pain and fix the underlying problem. Every sin is a symptom of an underlying problem that is going untreated in the Church. What is the underlying problem? Emotional pain.
The only reason people get involved in sin; whether it be drinking in excess, cheating on their spouse, involvement in pornography, etc., is because they are trying to self medicate. If you ask an alcoholic about their childhood they will tell you that nothing they ever did was good enough for their father. If you ask a porn addict, they will tell you they never got enough attention. What is condemnation and a guilt trip going to do to those already feeling such pain? It is going to drive them deeper into their sin. Criticizing an alcoholic for their drinking is going to make them want to medicate even more by drinking even more. Instead what the sinner needs is an increase in love. Let's take a look at what Jesus did with sinners.
The best example in the bible of Jesus's response to sinners comes in Matthew 9:9-13 where Jesus is walking along and sees a tax collector named Matthew sitting at his tax booth. Tax collectors in Jesus's day were seen in the same way as gay couples are seen today by many in the Church. Jesus did not condemn Matthew for his tax collecting. Instead, Jesus invited Matthew to follow him and even ate at his house with other tax collectors. Instead of showing condemnation, Jesus showed care and compassion by loving and accepting the tax collectors; giving them what they likely had never experienced before. The religious leaders of Jesus's day, on the other hand, did what the Church tends to do with sinners today: it condemned the "sinners" and Jesus for eating with sinners. Then Jesus gave his famous line: " it is the sick who are in need of the physician, not the healthy."
Jesus knew that sinners enter into sin because of the pain they are feeling. He knew that it was ridicule that drove them deeper into their sin. He knew that the only cure for sin for them was for him to befriend them and love them. By accepting them for who they were, Jesus helped the men and women of his day to overcome sin. The next time you see someone sinning, don't criticize them for sinning; that will only drive them deeper into their sin. Instead, empathize with the pain they must be feeling for them to be driven to sin, and show them the love and acceptance of which they are in such desperate need. And hopefully the pastors of our churches will follow our lead and end the condemnation that so often comes from their pulpits.
Sincerely,
-Brandon

What Religion Am I?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:23:00 +0000

For many of you the answer to the title question may seem obvious; you would say I am a Christian. If you had asked me a year or more ago what religion I belong to, I would have said Christian also. But I'm not sure this label fits me anymore, and let me tell you why: it is because I do not believe that Jesus himself accepted any labels for himself, and I believe that labels represent everything that Jesus was against. It creates a me-against-them mentality that Jesus was adamantly opposed too. Search in the Bible and tell me where Jesus claims a religion for himself. You can't because he doesn't. Sure, Paul labels himself a Jew, but the famous mantra is not "what would Paul do" but "what would Jesus do," and Jesus did not accept labels.

I do not want anyone to be mistaken; I believe in Jesus, I read the Bible, and I pray to God. But I am open to people of other faiths. I make no attempt to convert people from their belief to mine. How arrogant is it of me to say "I am right and you are wrong." Instead, I want to be like Jesus who accepted the Mithra worshipping Centurion who had more faith than anyone in Israel (Matthew 8:5-13). I want to be like Jesus who accepted the pagan Gentile woman with whom he had the longest dialogue in all of Scripture whose faith was so great (Matthew 15:21-28). Jesus applauded these people who worshipped a different god than he did, yet ridiculed the religious leaders of his day who belonged to his own religion.

By claiming a religion, I am doing that which Jesus worked so hard against: building boundaries. Jesus worked to tear down the boundaries that his religious group set up. His religious group set up boundaries between those who were clean and those who were unclean. Lepers could not remain in the city or have any contact with their family or friends. They were required to remain on the fringe of the city. Jesus allowed for them to reenter once he healed them. The clean were not supposed to dine with the unclean, yet that is exactly what Jesus did, and he was rebuked for it. Yet he wanted to establish that there was no boundary to be placed between the clean and unclean. Jesus overthrew the moneychangers at the Temple in Jerusalem because of the broken Temple system which created such boundaries that the farther in you go into the Temple, the less types of people were allowed in, until finally only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies. It was upon Jesus's death that the curtain of the temple was torn, thus tearing down the final boundary that was established by the Jews between humankind and God.

Now, think about the kind of boundaries one is setting up by calling themselves Christian. They are placing themselves in a position opposing other groups, such as Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. The immediate connotation that enters the head of one who hears that someone else is a Christian is, "oh, he/she thinks they are right and I am wrong." Immediately there is a sense that that person has that he/she needs to defend him/herself. One then turns to think of all of the cruelty that has been done in the name of Christianity. It is rare anymore for a non-Christian to hear the label "Christian" and think in positive terms. Instead the term works to build walls instead of bridges. To conclude, I do not know what to call myself, but I can no longer call myself a Christian. I do not deny Jesus the Christ. What I do denounce is this label which has become a term not of respect, but of derision.
Sincerely,
-Brandon

Would Jesus Be Welcome in the Church?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:21:00 +0000

The title question of this post is based off of an interview with Rick Warren done recently in his News and Views Blog where the Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of A Purpose Driven Life defends against attacks from those who are saying he has compromised his faith recently because of eating with a group of Muslims after Ramadan ended. The attacks claim that Rick Warren is sacrificing his Christian faith by eating with the Muslims which is a sign of collaborating with them to form a new church. Rick Warren simply calls it "being a good neighbor." He goes on to question whether Jesus would even be allowed in some of these churches which protest so strongly against actions that even Jesus himself might be caught doing. So the questions arises: "would Jesus be welcome in the Church today?"

If a Christian today who is seen eating with Muslims is said to be compromising his faith, then it certainly seems like Jesus would be considered by those same believers also to be compromising his faith when he eats with tax collectors and prostitutes. If association with a particular group that one considers to be antithetical to Christianity makes one less of a Christian, than certainly Jesus fits that bill.

We can look even further and see how the behavior of Christians that go to bars is viewed. My Senior Pastor's son was killed three and a half years ago outside of a local bar. Many people were stunned by the brutality and raged against this heinous crime. Unfortunately some could not get passed the fact that a pastor's son was at a bar. The issue of the evil of the attack didn't even come to bare in this situation for those who questioned the integrity of this "supposed Christian." But wouldn't Jesus go to the bar today? He sat and visited with people that were seen as the vilest scum of the earth, like the Samaritan woman, or the Gerasene demoniac who could only find solace among the tombstones. Why not say that Jesus would also visit bars and prisons on a regular basis. I can imagine Jesus going down to skid row and death row. I can see him hanging out with the crips and the bloods. These are today's versions of the people we see Jesus hanging out with in the Bible. And yet if any of us were found with these types of people, we would immediately be seen as backsliders and expelled from the church.

The moment a Christian becomes accepting of homosexuality and speaking up for gay rights, that person is immediately singled out in the church as a heretic and made to leave. Do Christians not see and understand that their behavior matches exactly the behavior for which Jesus so adamantly criticized the religious leaders of his day. Among those religious leaders Jesus was seen to be a drunkard, a reveler, a rioter, and someone who laughed too much. He was the life of the party. And he certainly would not have been welcomed in the Church today. He would have been viewed as a heretic and a backslider. This is certainly something to think about the next time we begin to criticize someone for their "anti-Christian behavior."
Blessings,
-Brandon

What Did Jesus Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:58:00 +0000

I realize that I have been absent for quite some time, and to my faithful followers I do apologize. In the time I have been absent I have been busy with other endeavors, one of which includes the book I have been working on and have since completed. I am currently trying to format my book to publish via iBooks Author for the Apple iPad. I intend during this time to continue to write articles for this site and will be happy to answer any questions and comments that you may have. Thank you for your kindness and devotion in following my blog.
Sincerely,
-Brandon

All You Need is Love

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:21:00 +0000

The title of this post reflects a popular song by the Beatles, but it also reflects the key component that was intended to fuel the Church: love. Somewhere along the line Christians have fallen into the trap that all we need is right and wrong. But believe it or not, the purpose of the Bible is not to teach morality; it's purpose is to teach love.

The problem comes from such passages as Matthew 5 where, after a long string of apparent do's and don'ts, Jesus says, "be perfect as my father in heaven is perfect," or other passages which seem to explicitly tell us to be holy as God is holy. These passages have confused a lot of people through the years. Some have wanted to just throw them out of the bible or downplay them saying Jesus was exaggerating for dramatic effect. Others have taken these passages literally, pointing to them and saying, "see, we need to do good. Good works are important." I think there has just been a gross misunderstanding of these passages.

The Matthew 5 passage uses the Greek term teleios which literally means, "complete" or "finished." It does not mean perfect. Jesus wants us to be complete. In order to be complete, or to work towards the proper end (purpose) for which we were created (which is how this passage should be translated), we must love one another. Jesus says the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one another. Jesus said that his followers will be known by their love. Jesus said that we need to love our enemies. Our proper end is love, and the admonitions that preceded Jesus' command to "be perfect" describe how this kind of radical love works.

The passages that ask us to be holy have the very same purpose. Western culture has taught us that holiness means to follow the rules perfectly. The less we follow the rules, the less holy we are. But this is not what holiness was in the Bible. Holiness was love. Holiness was having a proper relationship with God in love that spilled out into your love for your fellow human being. When Jesus told us to be holy, he was telling us to have a deep, loving relationship with God, and to let that spill over into our relationships with one another.

I do not know where churches got the idea that Christians were to be the moral police and that being a Christian was about doing right and abstaining from wrong. If a person's focus is on sin, they will fall into sin. If a person's focus is on love, it is amazing what good they will do. The focus of the gospel time and time again was on love. The example Jesus gives us in his interactions with such people as the lady caught in adultery, or the Samaritan woman at the well, or the woman who bled for twelve straight years, or the Centurion, or a thousand other people is the example of love. The fact that Jesus showed love to everyone he came across and made them feel welcome and accepted should wake us up to the way the Church should be today.

While listening to Dr. Tony Campolo, a sociologist and Christian social activist, he told a story that really touched me. You can find the video imbedded below and I encourage you to watch it. He tells a story of being down in Hawaii and going for breakfast at 3:00 in the morning. While at this restaurant some prostitutes came in and sat beside him. One said to the other that tomorrow will be her birthday. The other one gave her some grief about it, and the birthday girl, Agnes, revealed that in her 39 years of life, she has never had a birthday party. So Tony planned a birthday party for her at 3:30 the next morning in the restaurant. Over thirty prostitutes showed up and they threw her her very first birthday party. She was so touched she couldn't even describe it. Tony ended up leading the prostitutes in prayer, to the shock of everyone there. When asked what kind of church Tony belonged to, he responded, "the kind of church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning." That is the kind of church I want to belong to. Not the kind that would say, "you shouldn't do that, prostitutes are bad people." If whores are worthy enough for my Lord, Jesus Christ to eat with, then certainly I am wrong to exclude them from my dinner table. In my Bible, Jesus teaches us to bring love to those who are unloved and to throw celebrations for those who don't feel they have anything to celebrate.

Jesus never taught that the church should be the moral police. Jesus never taught that we need to focus on doing right and avoiding wrong. Jesus reprimanded those who did such things and taught them that the law was about love, justice, and mercy, not rule (Matthew 23). Jesus taught that we are supposed to love on another. And that is what I am trying to practice. And that is what I think the Church should practice too.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Parable of the Unforgiving Servant: A Reinterpretation

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:20:00 +0000

I had a good response from my contemporary interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan, and so I thought the need for this kind of biblical study was enough that occasionally I would write up a modern interpretation of the original text. Understand that as I do this, my intention is not to replace the original message or to somehow say that my translation is superior. Instead, my intent is to take a passage that uses illustrations that will no longer make sense to most readers (as they are very tied to their cultural setting) and modernize them so that perhaps we can have a better understanding of what Jesus is asking us in these parables to do today. With that said, let's now look at my modernized translation of the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant which can be found in Matthew 18:21-35.

The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a lender who wanted to settle accounts with his borrowers. He brought in a man who still owed $200,000 on his home, even though his home was not even worth that amount any longer. Due to the recent decline in the economy, this man lost his job and was currently making slightly less than $20,000 a year at the only job he could find. He was behind on his payments and was facing foreclosure if he didn't pay $40,000 by next month. The lender called this man in and was told by this man that he didn't even have $4000 to give the lender. The lender, furious, called for the immediate foreclosure of this man's house and told him that if he didn't come up with the money in the next two weeks, he would take this man to court and seize all of his assets. The man immediately fell on the ground and begged, crying for a little more time, promising to pay the debt. The lender, having compassion on this man, forgave his entire debt and allowed the man to own the home outright.

This man left the lender feeling incredible relief and joy at having been forgiven such an incredible debt that would have been impossible for him to pay off in his own lifetime. This man also had a renter staying at his home who had been living there for the last two years and never missed a monthly rent payment until two months ago, right after he had lost his job. This man went directly to his renter and demanded that he pay him the two months rent. The renter pleaded with this man, asking for a couple more days to come up with the money. But the man immediately evicted his renter, called the creditors to seize the rent from his accounts, and got a restraining order so the renter could not come into the house to get his property.

When the man's forgiving lender found this out, he immediately called the man into his office. "I forgave you an impossible debt to repay," he exclaimed, "and yet you cannot even forgive a small debt? You will regret this." He immediately reissued the debt, tripling the interest rate and doubled the amount the man owed by next month. The lender also froze all of the man's assets until the debt could be fully repaid.

Jesus finishes up the parable by saying, "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” This parable teaches us that the debt (the sin) each of us are forgiven by Jesus, is greater than anyone of us can repay in a lifetime of effort. Nothing we can ever do can ever repay the debt we have incurred due to our sin. That is why Jesus died on the cross, providing the forgiveness of our debt. Therefore, it is wrong for us to be unforgiving of the sin of others. We should be forgiving of the sins of others because no sin anyone has committed is ever as great as the sin we are forgiven in our own lives. This should make us pause and think about what we are doing when we are judging another person of their sins. We are saying that since their minuscule sin should not be forgiven, then neither should our great sin. But since God is willing to forgive us of our own sin, we should be willing to forgive others of their sins.

Finally, this parable also teaches us that we are misinformed regarding the sin of others. Often we exaggerate the extent of others' sins, making them greater than they really are. Either that or we make something a sin that is not really a sin. For these reasons also, we need to be forgiving of the sins of others. Otherwise we risk losing the incredible forgiveness we are offered from Jesus. What you consider a sin, may not be considered so bad by God. So if you are met with someone who does drugs or drinks to excess, if you meet a homosexual or someone who has had an abortion, if you meet an illegal immigrant or someone who is covered in tattoos, treat them as Jesus has treated you, with the utmost of compassion, love, and forgiveness. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

The Good Samaritan: A Reinterpretation

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:29:00 +0000

In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan in response to the question "Lord, who is our neighbor?" Jesus had just told the crowd that the second greatest commandment was to "love your neighbor as yourself." Whether the Scribe who asked Jesus who his neighbor was, was trying to trip Jesus up, or if he genuinely wanted to hear Jesus' answer, I cannot say. The text says the original intent of the Scribe was to "test" Jesus and that the follow-up question was to justify his original question, so we cannot truly say why he asked; but it will become evident that he needed to know. Unfortunately, Jesus uses an illustration that is better suited for biblical times than our own. This may explain why so many Christians seem to forget who their neighbor is today. That is why I am giving an updated version of this wonderful parable, instead of simply explaining the parable, in hopes that whoever may come across it, may gain some valuable insight into and a fresh perspective from these classic words of Jesus. Enjoy!

A Christian man was taking the subway in New York, going from Brooklyn up to Queens late one night, when he was jumped by a group of muggers. He was beaten very badly, beyond recognition as a matter of fact, and was barely breathing. The muggers grabbed everything and left him for dead.

Not far from where this man was left, bleeding and bruised, a Catholic priest was leaving his rectory. It had been a long day. He made no less than four visitations that day, providing the sacrament of the sick to some shut-ins, and providing counseling to a couple that was contemplating divorce. He was tired and had one last visit he had to make before he could end his day. As he passed the beaten man, he contemplated stopping for help, but knew he just did not have the energy in him, and he had to get to his visit. "Mustn't keep people waiting" he thought to himself as he day dreamed about the comfortable bed he hoped to get to soon.

At the same time as the priest had crossed this man's path, a Baptist preacher was leaving a death visit where he had helped a family cope as their loved one passed away. For him also it had been a long day. Between board meetings and sermon preparation, he barely had time to gather his thoughts. Not to mention his time spent counseling a young drug addict, and writing up a short article for the local paper about why gay marriage should not be allowed in America. He too saw this fellow brother in Christ laying near death, but decided not to stop because God would bring by someone to help soon. After all, he had done plenty that day and needed to think about himself at this point. "Whatever happened" he thought, "it must have been for a reason."

Not long after the preacher passed by the young, dying man, two men who were on their honeymoon (having just been married in Massachusetts) were approaching the young man. These two men, raised Christian but currently agnostic, had quite the day themselves. As they ate breakfast they attracted quite a few dirty looks and few slurs from some of the patrons at the restaurant. They were threatened as they walked down the street holding hands that day and nearly escaped with their lives. The very man who was beaten and bruised was involved in a protest that same evening that these men walked by, and it was this man's spit that landed on the two gay men. But this couple looked on this man with compassion as they saw him clinging to life. They thought about his own family who must be wondering where he is. They thought about this man's emotions and the terror that must have been running through him as he lay close to death all alone in the subway tunnel. So they lifted this man up and took him to the nearest emergency room. They paid for all of his medical bills and stayed with him until they were sure he could speak for himself and oversee his own care. The gay couple never asked for anything and, when the man was well enough to take care of himself, they went off into anonymity.

You see, what makes this story so remarkable, and what makes it still so relevant for us and necessary for us to learn, is that the hero of the story, our neighbor, is always the person/people we typically most hate. It is this person we are told to love, and this is the second greatest commandment, right behind the command to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." Any group can be placed in the role of the Good Samaritan: Muslims, Abortion Doctors, Illegal Immigrants, etc. But the story does not end there. Many people miss the very end of the parable where Jesus says, "now go and do likewise." The only thing Jesus could be referring to is to be like the Good Samaritan. So we are to view those we tend to hate the most as those who are willing to help out when no one else will. But we are also to help out everyone, even those we consider our worst enemies, just as the Good Samaritan helped out the man beaten along the roadside. In other words, our examples for doing rightly, are the very people we often consider to be the worst sinners. Isn't it amazing how Jesus turns our traditional morality on its head? It is my prayer and my desire for us no longer to consider others our enemies, but to remember when we start to feel that way, that these people are in fact our greatest examples, and those neighbors to which we are supposed to love so deeply. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Jesus' Top Ten Miracles

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 20:12:00 +0000

10. The Ear of the Man in Jesus' Arrest Party (Luke 22:45-54)
In this story, when Jesus was approached by Judas and the rest of the arrest party, one of Jesus' followers (some accounts say Peter) cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest who was in the arrest party. Jesus scolded the man who cut off the ear and healed the man's ear though many would consider him to be Jesus' enemy. Even though this man was with those arresting Jesus and probably disagreed with Jesus' teachings and actions, Jesus still felt compelled not to support the swordsman's actions, but instead to help out his enemy.

9. Blind Bartimaeus (Luke 18:35-43)
In this story, Jesus and his followers were travelling in Jericho when blind Bartimaeus was by the roadside and heard Jesus walking by. When he called out for Jesus' help, the crowd rebuked him treating him as unworthy. Of course Jesus came over and healed the man. This story is remarkable on two accounts. First off, though Jesus' followers (you might say the early Church) rebuked the man, possibly calling him a sinner and ridiculing him for his infirmity (back then it was thought that physicial ailments were caused by sin and well deserved; see #8 below) Jesus saw fit to heal this man, having compassion on him, and did not ask any questions or ask for any commitments from the man. Secondly, the man's name being Bartimaeus (translated son of Timaeus) indicates that this man was Roman or Greek. He was therefore a Gentile who worshiped pagan gods, and yet Jesus healed him anyway, without any hesitation or question.

8. Healing a Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41)
In this story, Jesus and his disciples came across a man who is born blind when Jesus' followers ask "who sinned that this man was born blind, him or his parents." Jesus' statement was that it was not sin that caused this man's blindness but that it was more an opportunity to show God's glory. What is so remarkable about this story is that Jesus broke the myth that misfortune is due to sin. It really shows God's grace by establishing that sin is NOT God's focus. His focus is on blessing us and having a relationship with us. Therefore, maybe our focus can change from people's sins to how we can have relationships with them and help them.

7. Healing the Woman with the Issue of Twelve Years (Mark 5:25-34)
In this story Jesus was walking with a large crowd when a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years touched his cloak to be healed. When Jesus was made aware of this, he did not scold this woman for what she did, but instead applauded her faith. Again, this shows the incredible grace Jesus has and shows that he is not concerned with us following rules but on our faith and desire to have a relationship with him, which he is not pushy or forceful about. He did not ask this woman if she would commit herself to him. He never even brought it up.

6. The Widow's Son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17)
In this story, Jesus is walking by Nain (a small village in Israel) when he saw a funeral procession where a woman (a widow) is burying her only son. Jesus is said to have compassion on her and heal her son. Jesus is not asked by her to heal her daughter, nor does he make sure she meets any preconceived conditions before he heals her son. He simply sees a need and meets it. He doesn't see sin, he doesn't judge, he simply sees the need and meets it. I wonder if we can learned from this example of such readiness to help out and such willingness to look past differences.

5. The Royal Official's Son (John 4:46-54)
In this story, Jesus is approached by a Royal Official (presumably a Roman official as that is the occupying regime) whose son is on his death bed. What is remarkable about this story is what makes many of these stories remarkable, Jesus healed the man's son without hesitation despite the fact that being a Roman, this man was a pagan who would have worshiped many of the Roman gods and would have seen Caesar as a god. Despite this man being of a different religious persuasion than Jesus, Christ did not ask for a commitment from this man before or after healing his son. He simply met this man's need without asking anything in return. What a wonderful model for us Christians to follow today.

4. The Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20)
In this story, Jesus and his followers end up in Gerasene after a boat trip and are met with a man possessed of many demons. Jesus readily expels the demons from this man with no hesitation. As it turns out, this man was a Gentile as indicated by the location and being so close to the Decapolis. So, this man was not a Jew (as Jesus was), was a heathen/pagan, and did not follow the same God as Jesus. Yet Jesus healed the man and asked nothing of him. Because of Jesus' willingness to help this man without any question or desire for a commitment, without any ulterior motives, this man wanted to follow Jesus without any compulsion. Maybe we can learn from this style of evangelism where instead of trying to convert people, we help them first and desire nothing in return. How bold would that be?

3. The Samaritan Leper (Luke 17:11-19)
In this story, Jesus is approached by ten lepers who call out for Jesus to heal them. Jesus, without any hesitation, heals them immediately. They all went to tell the priest, as Jesus asked them to do, when one of the ten came back to thank Jesus. The one that came back was a Samaritan, one of the hated enemies of the Jews. Jesus did not care that this man was a Samaritan or held different beliefs, and performed actions that the Jews considered sinful. what mattered to Jesus was that this man had a need, and Jesus met it.

2. The Syro-Phoenician Woman's Daughter (Mark 7:25-30)
Like some of the miracles already discussed, this woman was a Gentile, a pagan who was considered unclean (sinful) by the Jews, and yet Jesus was impressed by her faith. Imagine a Christian today saying a Muslim or a Buddhist had incredible faith. It really is amazing what we can learn from Jesus.

1. The Centurion's Servant (Matt 8:5-13)
Finally, in this story Jesus is approached by a Centurion, a Roman officer, who asks Jesus to heal his beloved servant who is on his deathbed. Jesus, without hesitation, starts to go with this man who stops Jesus saying he is not worthy to have him in his home. Jesus commented on this man's remarkable faith, saying it was greater than any he had seen in all of Israel, and healed his son. The kicker is that this Roman Centurion, being a soldier of the Roman military, was most likely a Zoroastrian. These were followers of the god Zoroaster and believers in dualism (the belief that there are good and evil forces, equal in power, struggling with each other for control). This was hardly a follower of the true God and a heathen. Yet Jesus healed him. He did not hesitate to heal him. Jesus did not even ask anything of him. He left it up to the Centurion if he wanted to follow him or not; he did not ask of him any commitment but showed his willingness to help him without ulterior motives and even called his faith the greatest he had ever seen.

So what can we learn from Jesus' miracles? That he modeled for us to be receptive to the needs of all people, regardless of who the person is, what they believe, or what they have done. We learn that we are to look passed sins and behavior we disapprove of, and focus on what people's needs are. We exemplify Jesus by having compassion on people, which means being non-judgmental and focusing on what we can do for people and how we can support them and love them and meet their needs. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Anthony Weiner and Jesus: The Biblical Response

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:13:00 +0000

When big events occur in our time, I often wonder how Jesus would have responded. When I see church leaders on TV proclaiming the message to repent, I wonder what Jesus would say to them today. When athletes outspokenly thank God for their superstar performance, I wonder what Jesus might have to say to them. And when politicians are caught in a scandal and our leaders fall, I wonder if Jesus would be condemning of them or merciful.

Just about everyone in the United States is familiar with the scandal surrounding New York representative Anthony Weiner. Today he admitted having sent lewd photographs of himself to a young woman over twitter, one of many it turns out he has sent over the previous few years. In the weeks since the tweet was made (publicly instead of privately like he had intended) he lied to several media outlets, claiming his twitter account had been hacked and that he had not sent the tweet.

Behind tears today Weiner admitted that his actions were foolish and that he knew that what he did was dumb. He confessed to the entire United States today everything he had done with regard to the many photos he has sent out and the lies he has told. He reported that he had confessed his sins to his wife and then he stayed and answered questions for quite awhile from the reporters.

As I listened to his news conference today which was being played by a local talk radio show, the host of the radio show could be heard making judgmental and condemning comments about the New York representative. He made comments questioning the motives of Anthony Weiner's confession today. He ridiculed Weiner for his tears and voiced his scepticism about Weiner's story regarding how he confessed to his wife and how his wife, though disappointed, stated her love for her husband. The radio show host constantly berated Weiner throughout the news conference and did his best to kick him while he was down. And then I asked myself, "how would Jesus respond to Anthony Weiner today?"

Whenever we want to know how Jesus would respond today, all we need to do is find a similar situation from the Bible. Since Jesus had many different encounters with people in the Bible, there is an example for pretty much every kind of situation. We could point to Jesus' interaction with the woman caught in adultery (a similar situation to that of Weiner's) where he says, "let him who is without sin cast the first stone." We could turn to the story of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well where, without condemnation, he offers living water which will take away all of her thirst. We can turn to the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector who Jesus has no problem dining with even though tax collectors are seen as some of the worst of the sinners. There are many illustrations in the Bible where Jesus shows the proper interaction with sinners such as Anthony Weiner.

I am not in any way defending Weiner's actions. I believe what he did was wrong. But who are we to judge? What can we add by stating what is already known to all including Weiner himself. If Jesus, the only sinless individual who ever walked the earth does not judge Weiner (read the story of the woman caught in adultery again in John 8:1-11) then who are we to judge. I can tell you with absolute certainty that based on my reading of the account of the woman caught in adultery and having listened to Weiner's confession today, Weiner seemed much more repentent than the adulterous woman. So why is she let off and Weiner condemned? If you ask any Christian if one sin is worse than another, I guarantee you that 90% of the time he or she will say "no." And yet he or she will have no hesitation standing up with that radio talk show host who can't be quiet about what a terrible person Anthony Weiner is. I cannot judge Weiner for his actions because even though I have not done what he has done, and maybe in our cultural milieu I have not done anything nearly as bad, I know that I am just as big a sinner as he is and to judge him would be to heap judgment on myself. Imagine how much more peaceful this world would be if no oned judged another person. Imagine how little hatred there would be.

This is why Jesus told us not to judge; this is why Jesus told us not to focus on other people's sins; this is why Jesus wiped away all condemnation, so that we could all draw closer to the unconditional love of our heavenly Father, and because none of us are free from sin. Yes, what Weiner did was wrong. But he made a mistake, just as we all have done and will do in our lifetimes. And he admits his mistake. Isn't that enough to warrant grace and mercy. I know that's what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Top 10 Jesus Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:21:00 +0000

10. "Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength." (Matt. 22:37)
This is a great quote reminding us that our main love, our top priority in everything should be God and to bring him glory in everything we do.

9. "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:39)
This quote reminds us that it is important not only to maintain an amicable relationship with God, but to maintain a good relationship (as much as is within our power) with our neighbor. And who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is the Samaritan, the person who represents the ones we tend in our personal lives to consider our enemies. For the straight Christian it is the gay man. For the gay Christian, it is the straight Christian who constantly condemns him. It is these people we are asked to show love and gentleness towards.

8. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Luke 6:31)
This is a passage that reminds us to empathize with people as much as is within our power. For some of us it is more difficult to do than for others. But it is important for us to think of ourselves in another person's place before we say anything harsh about them, or gossip about them, or judge them in any way. This quote from Jesus is the single most important quote for those who are constantly condemning and criticizing people.

7. "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11)
This reminds us never to think of ourselves as less sinful than anyone else, or holier than anyone else. Think of the worst sinner you can think of and realize that Jesus says we cannot even exalt ourselves above that person.

6. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." (John 8:7)
Just another reminder that we should not judge another person for their sins while we remain with any sin in our own lives. This means that we should not ever in our lifetime judge another person for their sins.

5. "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." (Matthew 7:1)
This reminds us that if we do judge, we will be judged just as harshly.

4. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt. 5:44)
This goes back to the "love your neighbor quote," but it reminds us that we are to treat those we perceive to be our enemies, just as lovingly and gently as those we consider to be our neighbors.

3. "Your sins are forgiven" (Various)
This is a beautiful quote often said by Jesus which reminds us of the grace God has toward us, which we can hopefully extend to other people.

2. "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
By doing things like judging others for their sins and condemning them, by avoiding "sinful" people and associating with only the "righteous," we are pursuing the goal of attaining the whole world (as far as reputation and applause goes) while at the same time losing our own soul.

1. "I have desired compassion and not sacrifice" (Matt. 9:13)
This reminds us that Jesus does not desire that we sacrifice sinners in order to purify the Church and be close to Jesus. Instead, Jesus desires that we have compassion for all people and treat them with the utmost of love and care and compassion. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

How To Treat Our Enemies the Way Jesus Did

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Within the last century or so, Christians have been perceived as more and more judgmental. The media shows images of Christians in the United States protesting at funerals and abortion clinics, as well as outside of LGBT events. We are quoted in newspapers and on the internet saying we won't allow homosexuals to lead ministries or even participate in worship, and calling pro-choicers "baby killers." Christians use what many would consider hate speach and justifying it by quoting Scripture. It is no wonder there is a sense that Christians are condemning and hypocritical. But what did Jesus do? What example does Jesus provide us with on how to treat our "enemies?"

First let me clarify that I do not consider the kinds of people described in the above paragraph to be my enemies. Being gay or having had an abortion does nothing to cause that kind of division between me and them. As a matter of fact, I am good friends with people who are gay. I know and love people who have had abortions. I know gays and pro-choicers who have incredibly strong faiths and strong relationships with Jesus. When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he did not intend for us to have enemies by our choice. It is our choice to make those we consider "sinners" to be our enemies, and Jesus desired us not to choose to make anyone our enemies. Jesus intended that we always consider others to be our friends and to leave it up to them to choose to be our enemies or not. So right away we see that we have things backwards, making these people our enemies by protesting and using hate speech against them. But when Jesus finishes his statement about loving our enemies, he defines who our enemies are: "pray for those who hurt you." Those are our enemies who consider themselves our enemies, who desire to hurt us, not those we consider our enemies, or who are simply sinners. Instead we should always consider others to be our brothers and sisters.

But many Christians do consider gays and pro-choicers to be their enemies. So for those of you who are reading, let me ask, how did Jesus treat his "enemies?" He offered them forgiveness.

As Jesus was being crucified, he did not shout "you sinners, repent now or face eternal judgment." He did not say, "you are not doing the work of Christ," or "you are sinners in need of salvation." He simply forgave them, saying, "forgive them father for they know not what they do." Even when Jesus was being nailed to a cross, he had compassion on those who considered themselves his enemies. And that is the model we should follow when dealing with those we consider our enemies (even though we aren't supposed to consider anyone our enemies).

So when we are faced with those we think are our enemies, when we are dealing with supposed sinners who we think need to repent, it is not our responsibility as Christians to tell them to repent or change. It is not our responsibility to protest them or speak hatefully about them. It is our responsibility to show them compassion and offer them forgiveness. We can withhold the keys to the kingdom of heaven, or we can offer them freely just as Jesus does for us. If you are thinking Jesus could do this because he was God, but we cannot, let me point you to Stephen in Acts 7:60 who, while being stoned to death by his "enemies," found the ability to show them compassion and forgave them. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Where is God in the Joplin Tornadoes

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:13:00 +0000

This past weekend Joplin, Missouri was hit by some devastating tornadoes that killed 116 people and injured countless more. This comes in the aftermath of some other severe whether they had which included tornadoes some weeks ago. It is times like this, just like when Hurricane Katrina hit six years ago, and 9/11 hit 10 years ago, that the question is asked, "Where is God?" Whenever something occurs such as this, we call it evil and ask either why God did it, or why God allowed it. These questions are common to humankind during such times.

These questions are so common that we can find them dating back to the time of Jesus where we have the disciples asking Jesus a similar question (albeit for a far less tragic event) in the bible. In John 9 we are told a story where Jesus and his disciples approach a man who has been blind from birth. When they see this man, the question asked by the disciples is telling. Their question to Jesus was: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind" (v 2)?

The question the disciples had came from the same assumption that many of us have today: that if something tragic happens, it was caused by God because of some sin of ours. The only question remaining is "whose sin caused this tragedy?" This question, of course, has led to much of the bigotry and hate speech we hear about today. When 9/11 occurred, those who held this assumption answered the question, "whose sin caused this," by pointing to the LGBT community. When Hurricane Katrina occurred the question was answered the same way.

The Westboro Baptist Church, as well as many other churches and individual Christians, follow this assumption today. The reason they go around picketing funerals is because they are trying to put a stop to the sin of homosexuality which they believe to be causing the deaths of the people they are picketing. They feel that the death of these people are good because it brings recognition to the sins that are causing these deaths.

Many of us live our own lives with this assumption. Some event occurs in our life, maybe we lost a job or a house, or a loved one, and we start to wonder: "what sin did I commit for this to happen?" We think: "what did I do wrong this time?" Or things are going really well and we avoid sin simply because we think if we sin we might ruin everything (not exactly the best motivation for refraining from sin). What a terrible way to live, and what a stressful life that must be.

But this way of thinking, this assumption, is completely unbiblical, and we see this in Jesus' response. He replies to his disciples' question by saying, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him" (v 3). The tragedy of this man's blindness was not a result of anyone's sin. This response by Jesus guides us to no longer ask the question "whose sin caused this?" because we learn that sin is not the cause of natural evils. Sometimes these natural evils just happen. But we know, from this passage, that when they do happen, it allows an opportunity for God to perform amazing works in these situations. And how does he do that? By working through others. The work that God performed in John 9 was working a miracle through Jesus. In the next few days, you will hear of non-profits and churches going down to Missouri to help with the cleanup. You will hear of miraculous situations where some people should have been more severely injured but weren't. You will hear stories of people performing heroic feats and rescues. You will hear of the works of God.

When things like this happen, it is not because of the sin of any individual or group of people. To assume this is to nullify the grace of God and to place undo blame on others. God does not cause bad things to happen and neither does our sin. God's grace is big enough, infinite enough to forgive all sin and look past all sin. What Jesus teaches us in this passage is not to blame the sin of others for the occurrence of any disaster or tragedy. Instead, we need to focus on the grace of God and the good he does in the midst of tragedy. That is what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

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May 21, 2011: Who Will Be Raptured?

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Fri, 20 May 2011 23:15:00 +0000

By now almost everyone has heard the prediction from Harold Camping that tomorrow May 21st, at 6:00pm (I'm not sure in which time zone) the world is going to end, Christ is going to return, the saved will be raptured (taken up into heaven), and the damned will be left behind on earth to face some pretty terrible times (as if we aren't facing some pretty difficult times now). If you want the history of Harold Camping and a confusing (there isn't a simple) explanation for how he came up with the date for the end of the world, read Jaweed Kaleem's Harold Camping: The Man Behind 'Judgment Day,' May 21, 2011. For those of you who have read my blog before, you know my take on the end times. For those who have not, you can look at my article End Time: A Marginal Belief.

What I want to discuss in this article is what heaven will look like on the day of "the rapture" (I do not particularly like this form of Christianese and will try not to use it frequently in my blog). The traditional belief among many Christians who focus on end-times doctrine is that when Jesus returns, the saved (Christians) will be lifted up into heaven while those who are not saved will remain here on earth to face incredible suffering (there is another view in which some Christians will remain during the period of tribulation [the Christian term for suffering] and will be taken up when the suffering is over). So the question is, who will heaven be filled with, and who will remain on earth after May 21, 2011? What will the make-up be of each location during the Apocalypse?

I think we will all be surprised by the way things turn out. I think who will be left and who will be taken, will be a complete shock to us. I think when the saved get to heaven, many will be surprised who was taken, and I think those on Earth will be quite surprised by who was left behind.

Jesus explained regarding those who will enter heaven, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS'" (Matthew 7:21-23). The major point Jesus makes in this passage is that many who expect to enter heaven will not, even though they thought they were acting on his behalf. Many today are making prophesies about the end times and telling people how they need to behave in order to be more in line with Jesus, when they are in fact not in line with Jesus themselves. They think they will be taken in the rapture, but because of their harsh judgment, because they themselves have locked the gates of heaven on people, they themselves will be left behind. Jesus will say to them as they knock at the gates, "I never knew you; depart from me."

While at the same time many who thought their salvation was secure only to be left behind, others who the Church shut their doors on will find in Christ welcoming arms as they are taken up, lifted into heaven. Like Lazarus in the parable (Luke 16:19-31) those who were persecuted and oppressed, even by Christians themselves who emphasized their sin instead of God's grace, will find comfort and peace.

When Jesus described who would be taken and who would be left behind, he stated that those who fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited prisoners, etc. would find their place in heaven, while those who neglected such things would be left behind (Matthew 25:31-46). Nowhere did he say that those who obeyed the laws of the Old Testament would be saved, and nowhere was sin (or the lack thereof) considered in reference to the elect. From a couple paragraphs above, we can conclude that those who followed the law and considered themselves righteous (and even more righteous than others) are the ones who will not be taken up during the rapture. Again I reiterate Jesus' admonition, "I have desired compassion and not sacrifice." Compassion through helping out the less fortunate is what Jesus desires, not a perfect report card.

When the end times come, if that occurs on May 21st or not, we will enter heaven and be surprised by who we find there. We will find gay couples and straight couples; we will find those who have had abortions and pre-marital sex; we will find people who were absent from church for years. We will find people we thought were lost because despite all our evangelizing to them, they just would not listen. We will find Democrats and Republicans. Because those who go to heaven are not those who followed the law to a tee or who followed our particular ideals for each other. Those who go to heaven are those who showed compassion and love to everyone, especially to their enemies.

We will also be surprised by who is left behind. Remaining on Earth we will find pastors and priests. We will find consistent church-goers and leaders of different ministries. We will find people who spent their entire lives trying to convert people to Christ and who read the bible daily. We will find the most adamant Christians.

What occurs when Jesus returns will be a big surprise to every individual. No one will be able to say, "that is exactly what I was expecting." This was the purpose of Jesus' parables, to turn people's expectations upside down. So when it comes to predicting the future, try not to have too many expectations, because in the end they will be turned upside down. That's what Jesus did.
Blessings,
-Brandon

Gay Rights and Freedom of Religion

noreply@blogger.com (Brandon L. Parks) — Thu, 19 May 2011 00:11:00 +0000

I read an article today entitled Religious Liberty vs. Same-Sex Marriage: Is There Really a Conflict? in which the author, Marianne T. Duddy-Burke discusses the latest rhetoric against the promotion of LGBT rights and gay marriage. Christians everywhere in the U.S. cry foul against their religious freedoms claiming they will be infringed upon if gays get their rights. Marianne comes at this from more of a political perspective. Today I will approach this from a Christ-followers perspective.

The issue many Christians are concerned about is what will happen to them legally if members of the gay community are allowed to marry. If the church in which the gay couple want to be married doesn't believe gays should be married and refuses to provide the service, can that church be sued? If the florist or photographer or cakist (I assume that is what a wedding cake baker is called) refuse service to a gay couple, will the gay couple have legal rights against those businesses? If an organization is strongly opposed to a gay couple, do they have the right to refuse service, or can discrimination be claimed. Marianne states that she thinks legislation can be written in a certain way so as to allow homosexuals the freedom to marry while protecting Christian organizations that oppose gay rights from being sued for refusing to serve them. I think this could take place as well, but then "separate but equal" comes to mind. You see, to say that legislation can allow the freedom of gays to marry while protecting Christian business from having to service them is like saying we will free the slaves but businesses are not required to service them. I can see "straights only" signs being placed up around floral departments and churches. Instead of the Jim Crowe laws, perhaps we could have the Elton John laws (he is a gay Christian by the way). It would certainly be legal to implement such laws, but is that what Jesus did do? Absolutely not.

Jesus broke down walls that the religious leaders of his time built up in order to exclude people. The Temple in Jerusalem which served as the center of worship for Jews at the time was set up with different divisions. The farther in you went, the more exclusive it was. In the outside of the Temple, all people were allowed. In the next level in, only Gentile men and all Jews were allowed. In the next level in, only Jews were allowed. In the next level in, only Jewish men were allowed. In the next level in, only priests were allowed. Eventually, when you got to the Holy of Holies, only the High Priest was allowed.

When Jesus overthrew the moneychangers at the Temple, he was showing his harsh disagreement with such an exclusive system that held people back from entering into the presence of God. When Jesus said he would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days, he meant he would destroy the current system of exclusion when he died, and would institute a system of inclusion when he rose from the dead and would unite people as the body of Christ. Finally, when Jesus ascended up into heaven and gave us the Holy Spirit, we became the Temple. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" Being that each person that accepts Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior immediately receives the Spirit and therefore becomes the Temple of God, there is now no exclusion. Jesus is the God of inclusion, and to withhold that grace from gays and lesbians is to do dishonor to the grace we receive from Him. Whenever there was a situation in the Bible where a system of exclusion took place, Jesus turned that system upside down and instituted instead a system of inclusion where everyone felt loved and accepted for who they were.

If you are worried about your religious freedoms being impinged upon, think of the religious freedoms being excluded from gay Christians. Think of the religious freedoms being excluded from those of other religious bents that see nothing wrong with homosexuality. And think of what Jesus did. Jesus made people feel welcome, he made them feel loved, and he made them feel accepted. That is the least we could do.

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Blessings,
-Brandon