12.27-Why would very religious Christians be hateful against other people groups?

12.27-

-Why would very religious Christians be hateful against other people groups?


“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Theodore Roosevelt

As I was working out on the leg press machine on Monday a friend started speaking to me about what turned him off about so called “born again” family members.  “They spent eight years expressing terrible attitudes toward our President because he was African American and then carried out racial attitudes that were totally horrible.” 

I tried to respond that Jesus did not teach that kind of attitude in my opinion.

Jesus wanted joy to be strong in the heart of His disciples.  He taught His disciples not to judge each other and compare themselves with each other.  He did not set His twelve apostles up in teams to compete with each other and the ones left standing would be the winners who would be with Him in heaven.  This was not His way.  This is the way of this world.

Jesus chose twelve men who were very diverse.  Jesus even reached to incorporate women into His work of witnessing to the grace and mercy of God.  He went to visit Samaria where most Jews would not go.  He had in His group of followers to celebrate their unique diversity and encourage each other to be the best they could be.

One of the differences between Jesus and the Pharisees and Chief Priests was that they were about comparison, competition and destroying their opponents.  Jesus did not come to judge people, but to save them.

He wanted them to see the best in each other and help to bring that out of them.

He wanted them to see themselves not as competing groups based on race and ethnic background, but as one Flock of sheep with God as their shepherd.

They were not to break each other down, but build each other up.

They were no to judge each other in disputable matters.  He did not want those with more freedom and less scruples to discount and look down on others who had more scruples in matters of food, drink, holidays, places of worship and other matters of diverse opinion.

He had in mind that all His followers would accept each other instead of comparing themselves with each other with the result of pride and arrogance that destroys the servant spirit.

Luke 6.
³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
 
Larry Wishard
12.19.19