You Fools! You Hypocrites! You Snakes 11
Contents
WHEN LIGHT IS DARKNESS
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore, your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the LIGHT that be in you is DARKNESS, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6:22-23).
What? If the LIGHT that be in you is DARKNESS? Isn’t that a little demeaning and sarcastic to say that even our own goodness is evil (dark)? This is not only an exaggeration; this is a physiological IMPOSSIBILITY! Yes, a "physiological" impossibility, but NOT A SPIRITUAL impossibility! Jesus is saying that even the supposed "goodness" (light) in us, is actually "evil." (darkness). How can that be? Because:
"…None is good, save One, that is , GOD" (Luke 18:19).
AN ANGRY CHRIST IN A DEN OF THIEVES
Did JESUS ever get angry over crime and corruption within the church?
"And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to CAST OUT them that sold and bought in the temple, and OVERTURNED the table of the money-changers, and the SEATS of them that sold doves: And would NOT ALLOW that any man should carry any wares through the temple"(Mark 11:15-16).
Now then, were any of these activities being performed in the Temple ILLEGAL? No, they were not. The officers of the Temple allowed it according to their laws, and the Roman Government allowed it according to their laws. So these merchants in the Temple were not criminals. Or were they?
Jesus said they were CRIMINALS! But woe unto me if I should suggest that this same buying and selling in the Churches today is criminal! It IS criminal, I assure you, it is CRIMINAL. And they do FAR WORSE in today’s churches! They not only sell trinkets and religious junk in the Church, they MAKE MERCHANDISE OF THE VERY WORD OF GOD ITSELF. THEY SELL THE WORD OF GOD FOR PROFITS! Here is what Christ said concerning their activities of buying and selling in the Temple:
"And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But you have made it a DEN OF THIEVES" (Mark 11:17)!
Does anyone believe that Jesus was SMILING while He turned over their tables and accused them of making His House a "DEN OF THIEVES?"
ANSWERING A FOOL ACCORDING TO A FOOL
The proverb tells us to "Answer a fool according to a fool." And Jesus was a Master at doing this. The Chief Priest and Elders of the temple asked Jesus by what authority He did the things He did. Here then is my favorite New Testament sarcasm by Jesus:
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which IF you tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say unto us, Why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, we cannot tell.
And He (Jesus) said unto them, NEITHER TELL I YOU by what authority I do these things" (Matt. 21:24-27)!
Sarcasm? Maybe. But SHEER GENIUS! Yet millions and millions of Christians read these verses in Scripture and they don’t get it. They don’t see any sarcasm whatsoever. Well it’s there, and it’s everywhere in Christ’s ministry.
HEAVY LOADS AND BURDENS
"For they (Scribes and Pharisees) bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born, and lay them on men’s shoulders…"
Have all such "grievous burdens" been abolished in the Church of Christendom today? I speak as a fool. And do the Religious Leaders lend a hand and carry equally "grievous burdens" as their parishioners? Again, I speak as a fool. Here is Jesus’ sarcastic answer to this question:
"…but they themselves will not move them with ONE OF THEIR FINGERS" (Matt. 23:4).
Yes, they will CRUSH THE BACKS of their followers, but they won’t even lift a LITTLE FINGER to help. Unbelievable.
WHITED SEPULCHRES
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within FULL OF DEAD MEN’S BONES, AND OF ALL UNCLEANNESS, even so ye also outwardly appear RIGHTEOUS unto men, but within ye are FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND INIQUITY" (Matt. 23:27-28).
Let me borrow a few statements from some of my detractors emails to me, if I may.
"Why do I feel so much anger in your teachings Ray?
"I find it difficult to concentrate on the subject matter for all the sarcasm and innuendoes that are scattered throughout your teachings Ray"
"Enjoy reading your stuff Ray, but feel there is somebody who upset you along the way and that you need to forgive them…SOON…"
And this one just came in minutes before press time:
"Wow, what venom! …please use more caution, discretion, and wisdom, and less personal rancor in your writings and/or teachings."
Maybe it is about time some of you started to feel a little anger toward all the spiritual swill and filth that is merchandised and peddled to the world in the name of Christianity! For those few, however, who are teaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, GOD BLESS YOU ONE AND ALL!