Letter: Yes, Jesus loved the liberals

Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/07/2010 7:36 AM

You ask Brett "do you meet the true test of your faith daily?" Well Brett one must know the question to really accomplish the test. Would you not agree that for God that test is measured by how we follow God's commandments. In Mark 12 Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, i.e. which questions are going to be on "the test"? He replied, "One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these." So Brett you see following the teaching of the Bible and not the teaching of man we find that Jesus sums up everything that God teaches in two commandments, and like Rick said those commandments focus mostly on our heart. Getting back to the theme of the topic does Jesus love the liberal? Yes is the answer but Jesus also loves the conservative and any other title we want to label another with to make them different from ourselves. Now Brett the real question for us comes with the second commandment, it is easy to love God for many, but to love neighbor including those who sometimes differ in view than us, well that is a challenge. Think about it Brett the next time you want to speak ill of someone on-line.

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/06/2010 11:51 AM

Amen Rick Amen! Brett I would encourage you to sit with your pastor and ask them your questions. Jesus came to this world to change hearts and forever take the powerful hold of sin off of God's creation. When questions of Government or Religious Authority arose he would always deflect the discussion back to the heart and grace and forgiveness. His challenge to others was often in their misrepresentation of God's law not human law. And Brett I am sure you are refering to the Triune God when you say that "When he parted the Red Sea and flooded the army pursuing the Jews to the promised land...not a statement against Govt?? " because certainly you know that Jesus was not directly involved in that.

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Rick C.
Willmar, MN     02/05/2010 5:02 PM

Christ did not come to change governments or societies, he came to change hearts.

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/04/2010 8:58 PM

This one is even better Brett, John 19:11 "Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." Well I know that Brett would like us to believe that Jesus is focused on the nasty Government of his day however once again good hermenutics tells us to expand out and read the context. Jesus is talking to Pontius Pilate here and he is once again pointing to the religious leaders who are failing to see that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is not anti Pilate or Pilates government, he is explaining that what is happening is indeed the fulfillment of prophesy and that all that is happening to him is part of a much greater plan.

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/04/2010 9:24 AM

Well Brett lets start with the shortest of your quotes from Scripture shall we. Again I asked you to support your statement that: "Christ loathed governments, monarchy's, all all bureacrats in general...He wiped them off the earth several times.". Now that we are on the same page here is what Luke 13:32 says, "He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal." Now if we want to only look at this verse I suppose one could conclude that the "fox" is government, monarchy's and bureacrats in general, however that would not be a correct interpretation. Exand out and look at the whole text you find that Jesus is actually challenging the religious authorities known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees in an attempt to solidify their case against Jesus brings up the name of Herod (Government) and says that he will surely try and kill Jesus. But wait, Jesus' while refering Herod as the Fox, actually is continuing his ongoing challenge to the Pharisees who have continued to protest the healings that Jesus has done because they view them has heresies due to his healing on the Sabbath and that he would heal those whom the Pharisees see as unworthy of Gods love. And Brett to back this up I would ask you to go and check the Passion story and read Herods comments when Jesus was handed over to him. IF he indeed was out to kill Christ as the Pharisees claim, why would he not declare it when the beaten Jesus stood in his midst.

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/04/2010 9:24 AM

Well Brett lets start with the shortest of your quotes from Scripture shall we. Again I asked you to support your statement that: "Christ loathed governments, monarchy's, all all bureacrats in general...He wiped them off the earth several times.". Now that we are on the same page here is what Luke 13:32 says, "He replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal." Now if we want to only look at this verse I suppose one could conclude that the "fox" is government, monarchy's and bureacrats in general, however that would not be a correct interpretation. Exand out and look at the whole text you find that Jesus is actually challenging the religious authorities known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees in an attempt to solidify their case against Jesus brings up the name of Herod (Government) and says that he will surely try and kill Jesus. But wait, Jesus' while refering Herod as the Fox, actually is continuing his ongoing challenge to the Pharisees who have continued to protest the healings that Jesus has done because they view them has heresies due to his healing on the Sabbath and that he would heal those whom the Pharisees see as unworthy of Gods love. And Brett to back this up I would ask you to go and check the Passion story and read Herods comments when Jesus was handed over to him. IF he indeed was out to kill Christ as the Pharisees claim, why would he not declare it when the beaten Jesus stood in his midst.

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Jon T.
Willmar, MN     02/03/2010 10:33 PM

Hi, all. I can't seem to keep from letting my comments turn into swearing tirades. I need to find a more appropriate setting, so I'll be unregistering and leaving here. Take care, all.

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/03/2010 9:23 PM

Show me the Scripture that supports this statement Brett, "Christ loathed governments, monarchy's, all all bureacrats in general...He wiped them off the earth several times."

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Ben C.
Willmar, MN     02/03/2010 9:21 PM

Show me the Scripture that supports this statement Brett, "Christ loathed governments, monarchy's, all all bureacrats in general...He wiped them off the earth several times."

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joel n.
Osceola, WI     02/03/2010 1:32 PM

Yes,Christ was for the poor and underprivlidged, and the rich should pay from their excess to help the common good, but does that mean he was a socialist? Maybe he was all for being a capitolist as long as you spend your money the common good. Also, to me, a liberal would be more for helping the common good through higher taxes and government aid to the poor rather than private charityies.Christ did say to a rich man"Sell what you have and give to the poor(not the government) Joel N.

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