Obama's 'shocking' and 'explosive' links

Jesus said: Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

And how this discussion has anything to do with the OP is beyond me.

 

Why was Jesus continually on the run? It was because his message was deeply threatening to those who were in power.

What does Paul's declaration of the gospel consist in? It consisted in the declaration that Jesus, and not Ceasar has been installed as the lord of this present world. The word "gospel" in that culture and time was used as the term to denote the ascendency of a new emperor in Rome.

And let's consider the parables - they are not simply stories about what "heaven will be like" or insightful observations into human nature. They are sharply focused, deeply "political" statements about how the Kingdom of God - in this present world - is coming into existence through Jesus ministry, death and resurrection.

Jesus was not a "social reformer"? Listen to how he teaches on the true way to exercize power in the world:

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

I suppose that you think that this teaching has no "social reform" implications? What could possibly be more of a social reform issue than a teaching about how to exercize power.

And even though there is a mountain of scriptural support for the notion that Jesus is deeply interested in "social reform", I will close this post with this extract from the Lord's prayer:

This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

How can the kingdom come on earth without "social reform" implications?

And if you want to argue that the Kingdom coming on earth is strictly a future thing, go ahead. I have a mountain of texts that will put that notion to bed.

 

I am always amazed when Christians use this text as if its truthfulness means that we are relieved of our responsibility to work for the establishment of Jesus' kingdom value of caring for the poor.

 

The OP was focused on the issue of socialism and we are pretty much focused on that subject, aren't we?

 

So you are saying that Jesus has been given "all authority on Earth" except for authority over the laws of the land?

 

Andre, your twisting and interpreting of scripture amazes me.

Oh yeah, give some examples of wealthy countries thriving under socialism as you stated in an earlier post.

 

You posted this:

You are clearly arguing against government mandating of care for the poor. Fine.

Since care for the poor is a kingdom value, your statement that it is not the business of government to enshrine and enact this kingdom value really amounts to a declaration that this institution - government - has not been placed under Jesus' authority.

Because if it were under Jesus' authority, it would enact Jesus' Kingdom principles. That's what it means to be under Jesus' authority - to enact his principles.

So I think you really are saying that government is not under the authority of Jesus.

Government has the possibility to exercise care for the poor - it is within the set of things they could do. So to say that they should not care for the poor is to say they will not enact this kingdom value.

But all authority has been given to Jesus - and "all" is "all", it includes government.

 

Be amazed, and that is not why I quoted it. But you are confusing Christian responsibilities with government responsibilities and this is amazing to me - you seem like a liberal for only a liberal would believe in socialism, but at the same time, liberals argue for separation of church and state. I guess which flip-flop is done depends on the issue.

Jesus on the run? I'm falling off my chair.:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Let's start a new thread under Other Denominations entitled, "Was Jesus on the Run?"

 

Pretty stupid idea, eh? That God is interesting in redeeming what He spent 6 days creating and declared to be "very good".

Silly me, thinking that God cares about his handiwork.

And silly old Paul, thinking likewise:

the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay...

And silly old John, telling us two times in John 20 that Jesus is raised on the first day of the new week - with the powerful implication of new creation being started. And that Jesus is mistaken for the gardener - almost forcing us to infer a connection to Eden, to the idea that God is undertaking a new "gardening" activity. And equally silly John, giving us the impression that he is writing a new Genesis when he opens his letter with "In the beginning..."

What was I thinking? I guess these are all coincidences, and we are not to ignore the forceful parallel of the resurrection account to what happened on that first day in Genesis.

Only a nitwit would conclude that God is telling us he is reworking his creation.

After all, its all about "us" - "us" going to heaven when we die. The rest of the effort - the first 6 days - will be thrown away, I suppose.

 

Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?

At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Still laughing?

Jesus was determined to die at passover - at a time of His own choosing. So, indeed He was on the run.

 

Yep, I'm still laughing. Once again, you are reading your own interpretation into Scripture. Jesus was not on the run. Down here in the US saying someone is on the run means they are a fugitive from justice. Maybe it means something different in Canada. Saying Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was "on the run" borders on blasphemy.

On second thought, I'm not laughing. Stop twisting the Scripture.

I suggest that we quit chasing down these rabbit trails and get back on topic or this thread will be closed. Perhaps that is what you want, for the thread to be closed, so we won't be talking about Obama.

 

Could it possibly be?

Or is he here just to expound on his very own twisted view of scripture?

 

Careful, Jesus died for them rabbits we've chased down the hole.

















:laugh: