How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

 

 

The story about the rich man inquiring of Jesus how to have eternal life lives rent-free in the mind of today's man of West, who is the richest in the history of the world, and who turns himself into a pretzel to make the story say anything but what it actually says.

Just today: 

A Camel Through the Eye of a Needle

J.T. Young, RealClearReligion

 

... What Jesus was saying about the camel and the eye of the needle is not that riches prevent a person from entering heaven (as many who seek to twist the scriptures for secular purposes insist); it is that riches can prevent a person from seeking heaven. ... 

This is just laughable. 

In all three versions of this story from the gospels riches do not prevent the rich man from seeking at all.

In each version the rich man actively comes to Jesus to ask a question about eternal life. In Mark's the rich man actually runs to Jesus. Riches do not prevent him from seeking. 

But in all three versions of the story riches most certainly do prevent the man from following Jesus, who went away sorrowful because he was very rich and had great possessions. It's the whole point of the story.

Talk about scripture twisting.

The rich man has much to which to say goodbye in order to become a disciple. We find that very interesting. The poor man has little to which to say goodbye. But by now we just take it for granted that the Twelve also had to say goodbye and have lost sight of the fact that the cost of discipleship is the same for all, whether rich or poor:

So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

-- Luke 14:33  

This is the easy yoke of Jesus. This is why his burden is light. You come to the strait gate with nothing in your hands and nothing on your back preventing your entry. 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

-- Matthew 11:28ff. 

 

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

-- Matthew 19:16

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

-- Mark 10:17

And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

-- Luke 18:18 

 

I don't think this is going to go over too well with the true-believing Christians, coming as it does from Bibi

 Netanyahu: The West Must Be Strong To Survive, "Jesus Christ Has No Advantage Over Genghis Khan"

... You know, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century—someone that I admire a lot—was the historian Will Durant. Now, he wrote many volumes. I read most of them. He also wrote The Lessons of History, a very brief, 100-page book, in which he said, well, history proves that, unfortunately and unhappily, Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan.

Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough—evil will overcome good. Aggression will overcome moderation. ...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-- Romans 12:21

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update:

No Offense Meant by Jesus Genghis Khan Comparison, Netanyahu Says

ToI

 

We haven't checked-in on the age's most important Christian thinker in a while

Let's see:

"The rise ... are key"

"I wanted ... the devastation of wokeness"

"Parts of an intercepted Iranian missile recently fell on or near the church recently"

Verdict: As sharp as always!

 

 

Lecturer in theology says Christians can learn existential gratitude from the spiritual but not religious, who are evidently the reincarnation of Augustine lol

 

The Critique of Religion

King-Ho Leung, Plough

 

... At the heart of “religion,” in Augustine’s portrayal, is what we might call existential gratitude: recognizing our existence as a gift given by God, that we are ourselves created as gifts of God, and that we are called to give to God “the gift of ourselves” – the gifts that we are – as an act of thanks-giving. 

... many who are “spiritual but not religious” or even atheistic may say they are grateful for their existence, as if their existence is a gift given to them, even though they may not believe in a divine gift-giver to whom they feel grateful.

This “spiritual but not religious” attitude of existential gratitude is not about following certain rules or cultural conventions, nor is it about identifying oneself with a particular tribe or social group. It is, rather, as Robert Bellah memorably put it, a “habit of the heart.” And from this kind of gratitude, Christians, perhaps, have something to learn. ...

Right, right, Jesus' message wasn't about doing something in relation to the world. It wasn't about leaving your life and family behind to follow him, or selling everything and giving it to the poor, or forgiving the debts owed to you or the wrongs done to you.

Nay, nay, it was about a feeling in relation to God! It was about thanking God for your beautiful wife and beautiful house, your large automobile, your successful career, and your secure retirement.

True religion is thanking God for the gift of you, the gift that you are.

 

 

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 

-- Luke 18:11  

The Fourth Gospel remembers Jesus' belief that the world was already ripe for the end

 

 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

-- Matthew 13:37ff.

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

-- John 4:35 

It is not for you to know the times, or, the time is fulfilled?

 

And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

-- Acts 1:7

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

-- Mark 1:15

Russell Moore safely chooses the Jesus of Acts, not the Jesus of Mark. Almost no one chooses the Jesus of Mark.

Why I Changed My Mind on Bible Prophecy and Politics

Russell Moore, CToday 

 

... I have no idea what will happen in Iran. I have no idea what will happen in the modern state of Israel. I have no idea whether we have 5 more minutes or 45 million more years before the Apocalypse. ... 

Paul's interpretation of his experience is what people today might call his truth

 

Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?

-- I Corinthians 9:1

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

-- I Corinthians 15:8  

The salient points in the three accounts of Paul's conversion in Acts are that he could not see who was talking to him because he was blinded by the light, and that he did not recognize who it was that was speaking to him:

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: ... Who art thou, Lord? ... And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

-- Acts 9:3, 5, 8f.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ... Who art thou, Lord? ... And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

-- Acts 22:6, 8, 11

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. ... Who art thou, Lord? 

-- Acts 26:13, 15.

Nevertheless he calls it "seeing" the Lord. 

Meanwhile the witnesses in Acts 9 heard only a voice, and saw no one.

In Acts 22 the witnesses saw only the light, and heard nothing.

In Acts 26 Luke has Paul say that he and the witnesses were knocked to the ground after being enveloped by the light.

Most notably there, Luke has Paul summarize the whole experience explicitly as a heavenly vision, which is the experience through which Paul says elsewhere that he received his gospel (II Corinthians 12:1, 7; Galatians 1:12, 16; 2:2; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:3, 5), whereupon the governor Festus pronounced Paul a madman.

No one "saw" the Lord in the Acts accounts, but in the final analysis Paul's claims to have seen the Lord are unfalsifiable because they are heavenly and beyond our ken. They are as a result self-insulating and self-authenticating.