Psalm 137:9 Happy
is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
Luke 9:54-55 When
the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us
to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked
them. (NIV)
I do not like militant, triumphalist
Christianity. It’s something which turns an ordinary believer into a fanatical
despot. In my opinion, it’s a severe kind of religious faith that casts aside
both compassion and common sense, seeking to glorify God by puffing up pride
and demeaning others. Left unchecked, it can become dangerous and inhuman – we only
have to read the last verse of Psalm 137 to see how this kind of unfettered
zeal can lead to cruel and wicked deeds.
I find it hard to accept
this kind of Christianity because it seems to oppose everything Christ stood
for. In fact, when He is faced with it among His own disciples, Jesus quickly
shuts it down with a rebuke (Luke
9:51-55). James and John, the sons of thunder, want to destroy all of the
people in a Samaritan village simply because the inhabitants wouldn’t welcome
Christ. The two brothers are offended at this lack of respect and feel
justified in asking Jesus to destroy His ‘enemies.’ Thankfully, Christ will
have nothing to do with this aberrant type of faith. Instead of destroying the
village, He rebukes His disciples; rather than making the Samaritans pay for
their disrespect, Jesus reproaches His ardent followers.
When I come across smug
and heavy-handed Christians who use their faith to self-righteously condemn
others, I remind myself of two things: firstly, I have sinfully been guilty of that
in the past and now regret it; and secondly, I want to defend those who are
being so cruelly crushed and demonically demeaned. If I truly want to be a
Christian, He alone must be first in my heart and evident in my daily deeds.
Point to ponder
Am I guilty of religious
zeal and a lack of Christian compassion? Am I willing to confess such a sin to Christ
and seek to change my ways?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us fully and completely,
so we cannot hide our sins or mask our prejudices from You. Protect us from
being over-zealous, pompous, or proud. Teach us Your holy ways of compassion,
decency, and love. In Your Sacred Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for
worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊
Today’s image is one of
John’s latest drawings based on a verse from Psalm 138. If you would like to
view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm
138.
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