Luke 20:41-47
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? 42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet." ' 44 David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Matthew 23:1-12
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 6:21-24
Your Treasure and Your Heart
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
In the year 2007 there were three books on the New York Times bestseller books that were books about God...They were books written by atheists...They were the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, Letters to a Christian Nature by Sam Harris, and God the Failed Hypothesis, How Science Shows God Does Not Exist by Victor J. Stenger...They are books against religion and basically what religion stands for...These authors do not believe in creationism, or that God created the earth and the universe and they believe that God does not exist...Sam Harris also wrote the End of Faith...He and Dawkins believe in the debates, I have watched, that civilization is in danger for having religious beliefs and believing in God (I do admit that this is overstating there arguments, but this is how I have listened and read their ideas)...They believe that religion is bad...
It seems to me (and this in only my opinion), in listening to their debates and reading about their ideas, these atheist authors seem to think that the world would be better without religion and without God...Well, I think they are one half right in their argument...Don't we need religion, and don't we need God...Could we even live without God?...
Jesus seems to argue that God is needed, as He went around teaching day to day...And who better to argue that we we need God that Jesus...If your believe in Jesus, He starts from a position of Truth, because He says He is Truth...
Today's atheists in my opinion, do not agree with another author of another generation, G. K. Chesterton...Chesterton said the problem with this world is me (it is with man, himself)...I agree with Chesterton and not with the these current authors...The problem with the world today is not with religion, but it is with man...These three best selling authors do not address any or the issues of the individual man, and what he wants, desires, or believes...Man is the problem and how we treat other men and women of the world exacerbates all problems...Theses atheist authors believe in the majesty of man, instead of the Majesty of our LORD and Savior...Man is the problem, it is not God...Man looks to his own treasures and pleasures, such as money, and material wealth...Man looks to his own pleasures such as satisfying his today's desires, without much or no thought to his God and his neighbor...Then man looks at other things...These other things that might be fame, or popularity, and a place of honor somewhere...All these things are earthly desires and wants...Wanting earthly things can divide us....Getting earthly things can divide us...And money and these other things -and they can blind us from the truth, divide us as neighbors, cause wars, and be the reason for many crimes...Therefore, I do not see how any atheist author can think the world would be better with man here and all religion gone (especially, our LORD and Savior), when the very problem is man...
There was once years back, a Man, who also debated and argued about religion -with the very religious leaders of His time...This Man had ideas and this Man had wisdom...He often did not agree with the current religious views, and told us even to be aware of these religious teachers...This Man did not want money, He did not want the pleasure of the day, He did not seek fame or popularity, and He did not seek the most important seat in the synagogue (even though it was the one seat, that is actually reserved for Him)...But this Man knows all about man's heart...And He is still full of wisdom...He knows our human frailties and flaws...In His wisdom He says no one can serve two masters...We cannot serve both God and money...We cannot serve both God and material things...We cannot serve both God and things like fame (if fame is our treasure)...One or the other will take precedent...
This Man and Debater against religion was Jesus...As you read the four gospels, Jesus certainly clashed with the teachers of the religious laws of Moses, the Sanhedrin, and the Pharisees...All these debates and arguing with His opposition got Him crucified on a cross...This man came to teach us about the heart, and how to fill it with love...This Man came to serve others...And these very two things are what He did...He taught us to fill our hearts with love, and to serve the others around us...These two things are what makes the world better or worse -what is in each of our hearts, the problem is not religion...The problem is what is the treasure in our hearts...
Jesus' teachings and miracles and resurrection are all quite mysterious...So mysterious that many want to see Him only as a myth and a legend...But His teachings reach the hearts of mankind...And the things He did while He was on earth satisfy the needs of man, more than anyone who has ever existed...I believe His nature and ideas, His ways are like no other and touch mankind's heart in such a way that can only be explained by a great mystery or His Divinity...