My Sunday Thought for 04242016: Christ for Fun and Prophet

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

-- John 10:11-15

If your pastor is wealthier than the people he serves, is he here to serve us or are we here to serve him?  As Christians I have come to believe we're a lazy lot.  We seem to buy into the tithing, the donations, and the televangelist hype.  Want an eye opener?  Check out this link: Meet the Richest Ministers in America.  Needless to say, I have a real problem with clergy that use Jesus Christ for their own personal profit.  I'd feel a lot happier knowing there was some angelic bunko squad taking these con artists down and sending them before the high court, but when do clergy cross the line from misdemeanor skimming from the faithful to gross felony misappropriation of donated funds for personal enrichment?  

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  These "ministers" are making enough money, and living in the lap of luxury.  Their flock has to be totally oblivious to truly think these guys would give up all they have in order to save even one of them.  As sheep we become used to being taken care of and having others think for us.  Because of this we make ourselves blind to that which is before us.  We read scripture and ignore the Spirit of the Word which has been written across our heart and mind.  Have we forgotten Matthew, or do we choose to not understand the Spirit?

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.…

-- Matthew 19:20-22

Does all the money given go to the betterment of mankind?  Is it used to spread the Word?  Is it used for administrative costs to facilitate the spreading of the Word?  I have to ask what the Word is lacking that it requires so much effort to spread, but is this not why God wrote it on our hearts and minds?  Is the Spirit not supposed to now be clear and accessible to all that want to hear and understand?

"...and I lay down my life for the sheep."  When I read this, my thoughts go immediately to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), and what he said after his interment in a Nazi concentration camp:  "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist.  Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."  How soon even the righteous forget that being a shepherd, a true minister of faith, may require the ultimate sacrifice. 

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

-- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

At the end of the day, what these charlatans accomplish is to remind those of us seeking truth that only we can pave our way to salvation, and only we can walk our path.  The scripture they preach is sound in the lessons taught.  These lessons no more need to be bought than they did when Christ walked the earth.  The Word of God is free to all.  To use the Word for personal, financial, gain is heresy to the extreme, and the excuses they give for bilking those with less is an affront to the very Word they preach.  This is the very reason why I ask for no donations to spread the word of religious and spiritual tolerance.  To do so would be surrendering my ethics, and my honor.  I would be selling my soul for a golden idol which I would be placing before the very God I would use to accomplish the enrichment.  How sadly obvious is that?

True ministers have a calling.  The calling goes beyond material needs.  They work jobs in order to give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, then minister to others in order to give unto God that which is God's.  They strive to be no better than those they minister to.  Theirs is but a message of hope to those that have little.  Those seeking truth, stop to listen.  They have a choice.  It is a free choice which only they can make.  The Word can awaken in their heart and their mind, or they can ignore what they already know.  It is their path, and only they can choose which fork to take. 

I found this paragraph in an article while researching this post.  It speaks to my own beliefs concerning faith in one's self and already having the ability and tools to overcome adversity.  The idea isn't difficult to comprehend.  Putting the idea into action in one's life, however, will rely on the person believing in themselves.  Faith in one's self can be more difficult to attain than it is to see the truth in right in front them.  The paragraph reads:

"No person or spiritual system can heal you instantly, tell you what your purpose is, or tell you how to live your life. They can only, at most, give you the tools to accomplish these goals on your own. Be suspicious of anyone who tells you that you’re lacking in something and that they have the only means to correct your supposed flaws. If someone claims to have the correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth, be wary. Spiritual or internal regeneration requires consistent, uncomfortable, hard work on your part. There’s no way around this. No one can do it for you, and no one can give you an easy way out."

-- Aaron Piccirillo

There is no "easy way out," for sure.  Unless you are willing to put in the work there can be no progression to anything better in life.  My problem with people like Aaron is they tend to scare folks away from seeking spiritual enlightenment due to all of the hard work required.  More important to me would be addressing how amazed you'll be when you find out how easy it really was to arrive at where you already were and just didn't understand.  We make God's love, forgiveness, and tolerance much more difficult on ourselves than it really needs to be.  Are there "correct answers for you in regards to spiritual or personal growth" to assist you along your journey?  Probably so, but all anybody can do is guide you to information which will assist you in making your own informed decisions.  It is all about you, and your desire to discover a faith which you have already been gifted.

This Sunday, I'm going the current state of our society close consideration, especially where our faith and spirituality are concerned.  While doing so, I will remember the words of 2 Timothy 3:1-7, and I quote:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

It seems to be damned sound advice, if you ask me.  Another piece of sound advice comes not from scripture, but from a dissident, writer, philosopher, statesman, and former presidents of both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic: 

“Keep the company of those who seek the truth, and run from those who have found it.”

– Václav Havel (1936-2011)

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, and instructor. He is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path," which offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination.