Daniel:    There is a very good story in the Gospel of Mathew about Jesus attending a wedding between a man and a woman … The festivities lasted for days, and things were getting a little bit dicey, as the groom was running out of beverage for the guests.  That could have spelled disaster for the groom, as this was his chance to show the family that he could be a good provider for his new wife … So Jesus turned the water into wine.  There was no room to substitute because the other containers were already full.  And this is the start of his ministry — a wedding between a man and a woman and what is known to be his first miracle.

 

Scaughdt:   That is a good story, Dan, even though it is a story that most certainly does not prove that Jesus only approved heterosexual unions … In fact, it doesn’t even prove that he approved of that particular heterosexual union; merely that he attended the event – and that he apparently turned water (symbolic of the human Holy Spirit) into wine (symbolic throughout Jesus’ ministry of perfect, selfless Love) while there … Indeed, at least as far as Jesus himself was concerned, any relationship that was based in – and that exemplified – selfless LOVE counted as a Blessed Union.

 

P.S.  Even more interesting than that, did you know that it was quite unusual for there to be STONE urns (John 2:6) at such events in those days?   And did you know that the urns in question being made of stone was quite significant; that the Old Testament law at the time gave special credence to stone containers – noting that to touch earthen containers containing “unclean” food or drink made oneself “unclean”, and yet touching stone containers holding the same “unclean” sustenance did not? … That’s pretty interesting, don’t you think?
 

Lucy:   Scaughdt, you have already stated that you might be wrong, something that a true follower of Christ would never do!  Instead they would be willing to lay down their life for Christ, and they would never denounce their Savior.  There is no doubt in them at all!!!  He has shown us Truth from his Word, and we know him and hear his voice … I pray that God will speak to you about the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.  He is a Savior, and there is nothing that you can do to change that — and this is a free gift to anyone who accepts it and turns from their sin … That was the true message that he came to tell everyone …We need him, and He Is The Only Way to Salvation!

 

Scaughdt:   Lucy, the faith you mention here is the hubris-filled (and thus quite hollow) “faith” that Paul affirmed – not the humble, rock-solid Faith of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, how can we ever hope to be “humble as a young child” (a specific requirement announced by Jesus himself – see Matthew 18:3-4) while being absolutely certain that we are correct about anything? … And how can we be “humble as a young child” while judging another’s beliefs to be wrong, or their biblical interpretations to be flawed? … Indeed, how can we profess to accept the fullness of a Bible that clearly states that God and the ultimate majesty of His grace (and the ultimate depth of His Love and even the ultimate mercy of His judgment – or lack thereof) are all completely unknowable with any certainty whatsoever? (see Job 11:7, John 14:12, Romans 11:33-36 and even Revelation 10:7) … And indeed, how can we remain “humble as a young child” by behaving in ways that directly contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ – including his teachings about himself and his nature (see Mark 10:18, John 8:50-54, John 12:44 et al)?
No, my dear Friend, I think it is far more in alignment with The Way of Christ and the will of his heavenly Father to remain purposefully humble – to never be completely certain that their form of unconditional LOVE is feasible or functional (or “best”, or even “better”) – and yet to keep going forth every day to radically, unequivocally LOVE folks in that way anyway!

“Truly I tell you, unless you change
and become like very young children,
you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
~ Jesus Christ (Mathew 18:3)

 

Daniel:    Scaughdt … I see past your cherry-picking, and your insults don’t trump the truth … I will allow the Holy Spirit to direct my life … Jesus is the author and perfector of my faith … Jesus is my Lord and Savior … God is my boss and my God … Your ideas belong to you … Good luck, and I hope you make it into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Scaughdt:    Hmmm … I wonder, how can you get past your own cherry-picking to see past mine? … That having been said, if Jesus truly is “the author and perfector of [your] faith”, then you and I essentially agree on all the truly important points anyway, even though many of your words in this thread still seem to indicate otherwise.
And thank you for your well-wishes, my Friend … If I do make it into the Book of Life one day, then we can hang out in Heaven together and chat some more about this stuff.   Heck, I’d actually like to get God Himself in on those discussions, so we could finally get some real clarity on some of these important issues! … And if I don’t make it into Heaven, then fear not, my good man, for you can rest assured that I will be down in Hell doing whatever I can to ease the suffering of the billions of homosexuals – & Muslims, & Buddhists, & Sikhs, & Jews, & Hindus, & “fake-Christians”, & atheists, & fellow Followers of The Way of Christ – who are down there with me!

P.S.  And if I am down there while you are “up there” in Heaven, will you do me a favor, Dan?   Will you do me the honor of petitioning God to expand His mercy?   Will you ask Him to consider only letting us “sinners” burn in direct proportion to the severity of our “crimes” – instead endlessly & forever? … You can mention Matthew 5:48 and all the “reap what you sow” verses in the Bible while you are at it.  Heck, you can probably just softly read God the Sermon on the Mount and that will probably do the trick …

 

My dear Friend, I truly think you would make an outstanding advocate for that particular service of Pure Compassion & Divine Justice, and I am almost certain that all of us in Hell would be eternally grateful for it – literally! … Thanks in advance.

Filed under: Burnishing Bigotry by Scaughdt