Feel like turning over the tables in the temple? Read this first

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:44 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Feel like turning over the tables in the temple? Read this first 2016-09-30T17:44:14-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

John Martens at America’s blog “The Good Word” has a few good words for those who consider themselves the next John the Baptist — or even the next Jesus:

John the Baptist was a prophet and Jesus is considered by Christians to be both God and man, the Messiah, Lord, who will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. The next time you feel like shouting at someone, or judging them, or using blunt criticism or calling them names, you need to take a breath, count to five and ask yourself, “Am I the son of man,the Messiah?” If you answer “no,” you might want to rethink your strategy and try speaking the truth in kindness and gentleness. You might want to keep in mind a particular word: presumption. Do not presume to speak like a prophet if you do not have the calling of a prophet.

This is not, by the way, an argument against speaking the truth, in season or out of season, but it is an argument against using the language and behavior of Jesus as an excuse to satisfy your desire to bully, hurt, and manipulate others with your words. How do I know? Because I have always had a sharp tongue and a way with words and I was constantly looking for excuses to justify my speech when I hurt people. Usually, though, rough speech is intended to satisfy the speaker emotionally and not help the one they hurt. So, when we want to use this sort of speech and justify ourselves for using it by pointing to Jesus, we need to keep one word in mind: presumption. You are not the Messiah and you do not know the true heart and mind of the one to whom you are speaking. Jesus’ speech and John the Baptist’s speech was divinely ordained speech, contained in revelatory documents. Is your speech divinely ordained? Do not presume to know how proper your cutting words are if you do not know the person to whom you are speaking as the Messiah does: completely and perfectly.

It is an act of presumption to speak in the manner of Jesus and John the Baptist, with blunt criticism and hyperbole, speaking of hypocrites and whitewashed tombs, and broods of vipers, with righteous indignation, when you do not have the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Then you just seem to people like a scold and a judgmental bully. Do not be surprised that if you act with this kind of presumption, people will not have a lot of time for you when you stumble and fall, except to accuse you of being a whitewashed tomb, a hypocrite, and a member in good standing of a brood of vipers.

Check out the rest.

Blogging

Great links

Hanging with the saints

Previous Post

April 18, 2011

From 1897: How to hear a woman's confession

Next Post

April 18, 2011 Got a backpack of sins? Unpack 'em in confession!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which principle is taught in "turn the other cheek"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Argue your case Do not retaliate Fight back Mock your enemy

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »