A Scriptural Rewrite Maybe?
Matthew 10
34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Well this is just great! Whatever happened to "Peace on Earth, good will to men," or " to men of good will," ??? Depends on which Gospel you read. If this is Jesus goal on earth, he can just run for President! Humans already have the no peace/sword thing down to a science. Personally we don't need this kind of teaching as humans will use it to justify all kinds of religious chicanery and deceit. Besides we can't tell the Jesus wars from the human ones.
35For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
Just great! Whatever happened to lions and lambs and little children leading them? Why did I sing , "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong..." if he is going to destroy my family and make us all hate each other! I thought Jesus "loved the little children of the world!?"
Besides, we don't need anyone causing MORE of this stuff. We need something that causes LESS of it! And I thought you said I wasn't suppose to have any enemies I didn't love? Now you tell me I am the one, or you are the one Jesus who makes my enemies for me and those from the people I love! You ain't right.
37“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "
Why can't we love our parents AND be worthy of YOU? Didn't your Dad say something to us about Honor your mom and dad so we can live long? Did I miss something? Do you and your Dad get along? I'm only asking because in our last "bad teachings" discussion we should note that Paul said your Dad ordained all the kingdoms and the leadership in this world as his agents for good, and yet in Revelation, you set out to take down these guys and make them do it all your way. I'm just sayin.... Seems we have a Father/Son disagreement here! Hey, is that why you feel this way? You are at odds with your own Father so think we all have to be too to follow you? Am I psychoanalyzing you too much? Ok, sorry....
Anyway....
Dear Jesus,
Do you understand how much trouble this is going to cause in the gabillion denominations, sects, cults, schisms, splisms, slivers and splinters your "we are not divided, all one body we," churches? Men will use this to cover justify all kinds of narcissistic control and supply for the nut case pastors who demand the people do just this. These words, badly used, will cause all sorts of heartache and chaos in human lives and families and for no good reason. Whole armies of the spiritually retarded will go to war and not care if they live or die because they die for you...or so they think but we know better don't we???
Here, let me rewrite this for you...
34“Know you that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I came to bring peace, cookies and milk.
“‘a man back to his father,
a daughter back her to mother,
a daughter-in-law back to her mother-in-law—
36a man’s closest and most loving relationships will be the members of his own household.’
37“Anyone who loves his father or mother imitates and loves me; anyone who loves his son or daughter imitates and loves me;
38and anyone who does take his cross and follow will be well pleased .
39 In this love you will find your life and lose it not. In as much as you have done it unto the least of these dear people, you have done it unto me. Amen
There...that's better. :)
Dennis C. Diehl
