Ears Open; Eyes Closed!

I am always amazed at the selective hearing and response of human beings. Each day people are given stories and encounters, real life situations and circumstances, by which we casually surf, swipe, invest digest or cast aside as unimportant.

It is amazing how we can hear of the pain of others, and choose not to feel, disconnecting from their agony with rationalizations and generalizations, and justify our lack of concern with political rhetoric and worse, religions (I can’t use the word I would like to use).

I am amazed at how our political and economic affiliations and backgrounds serve as a guide to who deserves mercy and grace, whom should be forgiven, who is guilty, who deserved their punishment and suffering, who is worth bailing out, who is a leach, who is profitable, who is necessary, and who lack value and the ability to contribute to society. Our affiliations also dictate to us who is a victim? And how we should hear a victim?

An argument on Facebook emerged once as to:
“Whether women that wore “sexy” outfits
made themselves targets for Offenders
and thus deserved what happened to them.”

Tempers were high! Ultimately, it was decided socially that the dress of the woman did not deem certain treatment or response, because it was her right to dress how she decided. It was determined that a woman offended even while dressed like this, even if flirting with the offender was a victim if she said “no” even if undressed down to her undergarments by her own choice. We all agreed! This woman is a victim.

This same general group of people argued about:
“Whether a black male dressed in a hoody
walking through a neighborhood deserved
to be shot even if un-armed.”

People were obsessed with the fact that it was late at night. This, even though it was agreed that a woman didn’t deserve said treatment under any circumstances. They determined that his clothing intimidated the armed man that was following him, and thus the armed man following the unarmed man had the right to shoot the unarmed man because he had on certain clothing. In this, they determined that the young man in the hoody was not a victim.

Thank you God for not taking counsel from man!!!!! I believe God would consider them both victims and that His compassion for both would be the same. I’m convinced that Jesus, whom chose not to restore the earthly throne of David, and get caught up in the political foolishness of His days on earth, would again look at us as disciples and opt of of the ignorance that we watch on a daily basis.

He would not be influenced by parties or by His own selfish needs and ambition, but would want what was best for those who were less fortunate than He. Jesus would be speaking out like John the Baptist, who’s head was on a platter because He chose to stand for righteousness. He looked, too, in the face of government officials, and sent a message to every follower by loosing his life for what was right.

Paul put his life on the line for righteousness. He chose to remain in chains than to compromise truth, using his citizenship to present the Gospel to those who were lost, not to escape punishment to live in comfort. Paul chose to walk away from his status, leave his career, confess his wrong, and make amends with those whom he persecuted. He stood toe to toe with Peter, when it came not to his rights which he had as an Apostle, but to those whom were being forced to depend on measures other than grace to be saved. Though already circumcised, he chose to side with truth, as opposed to demanding that everyone make a sacrifice that would be of no benefit to them because of the new covenant.

We have focused in the past on the saying, “What Would Jesus Do?”
And while this helped some,
it only provide an avenue to be ignorant for others.
Thus, I’m asking you, “What Did Jesus Do?”

Jesus, like John the Baptist, looked in the face of government officials, who were staining the silk sheets of the temple, exchanging favor and collecting monies. The government was working hand in hand with the Pharisees to control “their constituents,” and saw chosen church official choosing to speak out against truth because it challenged their authority and pointed out their unrighteousness.

We saw Jesus making His way to the side of families whom He physically, and to those whom He prior had no physical relationship with. He spoke the same words of life to them all, choosing to break the bread and distribute it to all that had need, not only to the ones whom He knew followed Him with the right motives and intent. The reality is that he fed those whom he knew listened and followed to eat and receive miracles.

He fed people who would eventually cry out for Barabbas. He dined at the table as the one who would betray him, walked with those who would scatter in the garden, and shared intimate moment with one who would deny him three times.

To Jesus, a victim was a victim! Victim is relative to right and wrong, not parties, prosperity and economics. He looked upon people with eyes of compassion, and invested time with the woman at the well like he invested time with the 12. He looked upon people and was attentive to their cry. He kept His Ears Open and His Eyes Open, and we have chosen to keep ours Eyes Shut, and like snakes, are charmed by the melodies of politicians. But not Jesus!!! He sat at the table with tax collectors and stood to read the scroll among the brothers in the priesthood. He took time to spit in the ground and lay hands to bring sight and spent time in worship and being transfigured. He taught the masses from a boat, and then retreated a quiet place to pray. He called a dead man from a tomb, restoring to him life, and then allowed himself to be crucified and placed in a tomb.

Jesus did only what the Father allowed, and chose to line up every action with God, and gave God the glory in all things, not to draw attention and build a following for Himself, but had the goal of pointing back to the Father. He had a covenant! He took an oath! He exchanged vows not with the Government, but with the Creator! His loyalty was not one of convenience, but one of commitment to communicate to those lost the love of God despite any current and future condition that one would find themselves in. I believe God grieves for the shooter and well as the one murdered or maimed. He cried for the children that were aborted and then shed tears for the one who committed murder bombing the clinic. He is saddened by the man or woman that lives a lifestyle of homosexuality and cringes for the man and woman who sign on to websites and sully their temple and disrupt their relationship with Him!

In the end, I have concluded like God, that we are all victims and in need of the blood provision of Christ. We are all prone to sin, and struggle with our flesh, thus are deserving of death and are only righteous because we are justified by faith in Him!

#PastorJDO3