By Carol Harper
It's really difficult to catch up with everything that's going on in the world these days. I've been getting some great night's sleep lately, so I want to keep that feeling of being refreshed and ready for the day. But then I've been quite a bit focused on the things happening in my tribe...then I miss what's going on in the nation and the world. I drive to work listening to the radio, getting bits and pieces to catch up. Then I walk into the station and never know what fresh brand of whatever awaits there. Knowing that ultimately everything is my Creator's hands, it's still very difficult to "be of good cheer" (John 16:33) and not let all the distractions waste my time.
The scripture God put on my heart today came from Matthew 15 (KJV):
"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
But he answered and said unto them,
Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
Obviously, nothing needs to be added to that! But here's a little bit of perspective for those who are defending Foundations for Nations: Please try to get back to what Jesus really said. So many like to interpret and twist scripture because quite frankly, it's because of fear. There are so many who have been off the road of Faith for way too long, programmed from the pulpits, get comfortable in systems and structure until the blindness catches up to them when something happens. Then they desperately and blindly spout off scripture in defense of their own selves, church, or religion (or political party).
Hypocrisy is a very slippery slope. What I gain from Jesus' words is Him using just one example (honoring your father and mother) in a brilliant attempt show the Pharisees...those who were highly respected and very well versed in their traditions, beliefs and practices...that they worship in vain. Wow, no wonder they were offended and wanted Jesus to die...and this was over 2000 years ago!
Jesus didn't care about appearances. He didn't care if anyone washed their hands before they ate. He didn't care about political or social status. He didn't care if you knew the law so well that you could twist it to benefit for your own gain or self.
I think about the confused, displaced, hurt and dying every day. It's a part of my job, actually. As I read the reports and narratives of our EMTs and Paramedics (and I've read literally thousands of them), I often get drained with compassion fatigue. I think about our veterans who have fought and sacrificed so much for this country, and how funding and care has been cut through the decades. I think about both our veterans and military, how they have fought and still fight for these lands right alongside others of different race, color, and creed.
I went to the Ethete pow wow a couple weekends ago. They are both social and ceremonial. Does anyone see or know how we honor our veterans in the Grand Entry? Does anyone see how many flags are flying in the wind? Kayleen Harding is an EMT here in Fremont County and the WRIR. She was a Stars of Life recipient and the Head Woman dancer. Does anyone see how we honored her?
The LDS missionaries were sitting/standing right behind me. You didn't see them proselytizing or pushing the Book of Mormon. They were guests and behaved as such. And given my last writing about the LDS church, you didn't see me going over and rebuking them. You didn't see me trying to argue and call them out over their false doctrines. You know what I did? Prayed for them with every step of the dance that night. Had hope that they one day they might be cured of their blindness, unshackled by their blind leaders, and they would see and know the Jesus I know. I put it in the Creator's hands, because that's where it belongs.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside
but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous
but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
(Matthew 23: 27-28)
It's an election year. We will be voting for leaders who will take us through the next four years. The vote has become so, so difficult because of extreme partisanship and division. There are many vying for seats of power (or wanting to stay in their seats of power), that quite frankly we really don't know if they have our best interests at heart. I came up against this during the presidential election. There were way too many things that I didn't know about either candidate, didn't know if this was going to be a bait and switch of promises made. So I didn't vote for either of them and put it in the Creator's hands.
But Jesus doesn't care about accolades. He doesn't care about who you greet in the marketplace. He doesn't care about what fancy restaurants you eat at, how much silverware surrounds your plate, or even if you washed your hands before you ate. He doesn't care about how many likes or followers you get on your Facebook page, or how much you spent on billboard signs. He doesn't care if you know the law so well that you could twist it to benefit for your own gain or self.
No, the Jesus I know was homeless (Luke 9:58). His 'job' given to him from the Creator was to preach Light, Life, Love and Truth, and it certainly wasn't a job He was paid to do. He called out the leaders on their hypocrisy; they tried to silence Him many times. They brought Him before a corrupted court, against trumped up, ridiculous charges, and ended up crucifying Him under Roman law. Believers were put in prison or to death in order to silence them as well.
Sound familiar? Karma has this way of making it around and through centuries of pain, suffering and death, and those who are blinded by their own political traditions, ambitions, or self-interests - whether partisan or religious - refuse to learn those history lessons and fail to see the destruction that always lies ahead.
But Jesus saw it.
Jesus called them together and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you
must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20: 25-27
P.S. Crack open those bibles and read all of Matthew 23 before voting!
Amen
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