Jesus' Litmus Test: Are You Bringing People Together? Or Are You Causing Harm?

It seems reasonable to believe that God wants to foster understanding and compassion. The most enduring religious movements have this at the core of their message.

More to the point, this is the core of Jesus' message. There are many examples to illustrate this, but this point was made explicit:

[Matthew 22:34] Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
[35] One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
[36] "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
[37] Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
[38] This is the first and greatest commandment.
[39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
[40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Jesus wants us to see all other commandments -- our relationship with God, life, and one another -- as rooted in these two. In other words, all other commandments were meant to be seen as secondary to this concern, or are to be interpreted only in the light of these primary commandments.

If we take this to be the core of Jesus' teachings, then it creates a litmus test whereby we can test the validity of any doctrinal element or interpretation in the tradition. This litmus test is most important when exploring the effect of a doctrine when taken to heart as it is stated in scripture.

There have been those who argued that killing a blasphemer was an act of love; but I do not see this as taking "love thine enemy" to heart. No one is fooled by that kind of cynical, self-serving mutilation of a religious teaching. We are to show loving-kindness to all, not just those we like. If we are only required to show kindness to those who act as we like, we wouldn't have to be preached to on this matter!

Consider what Jesus demonstrated in John 8:1-11 when he was presented with an accused adulteress. Under the Law of Moses, since she had multiple accusers, she was subject to the punishment for adultery, which was death by stoning. Technically speaking, they were right; that is what the Law of Moses demanded.

If Jesus was, like many of his followers today are, a staunch upholder of religious law no matter who gets hurt, he would have told them yes, she must be stoned. Instead he challenged them, quite possibly putting himself in danger, because he surmised that the Pharisees were not acting in accord with love for their neighbor and for God.

This is not to claim that Jesus did not take scripture seriously -- he certainly did!  But he never meant for his teachings or scripture to be used in any way that justifies or causes harm, or divides people instead of bringing them together.  This is a point on which I specifically invite the Fundamentalists to meditate long.

Jesus was greatly concerned about people who cite religious law to serve their own purposes, but who have bad intentions.  If someone comes forward, claiming to serve God and able to quote knowledgeably from scripture, we should not just assume that he or she is righteous or acting out of love. Jesus gave direct clarification on how to see through false claims to righteousness.

[Matthew 7:15] Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
[16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
[17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
[18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
[19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
[20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
[21] Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
[22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
[23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

This was directed as a warning against those who claim to bear religious righteousness, but who bring forth "bad fruit."  Jesus called his followers to scrutinize everyone, even those who seem to be faithful men or women of God. They put on a show of faithfulness, in order to gain respect and social standing, but the fruit which they bear is bad. But what did Jesus mean by "doing the will of my Father who is in heaven"? For this we refer to the two greatest commandments above: for Jesus, these are the essence of the Father's will.

In this light we should examine the parable of the good Samaritan. A priest and the Levite who pass by a Judean who has been beaten within an inch of his life, because they are fearful that they might break the ritual cleanliness code of the Old Testament by touching him. Instead he is treated with kindness by a Samaritan, who would have at the time been a racial foe of the Judean. Jesus says that the hated Samaritan was a better neighbor than the "righteous" priest or Levite. In Jesus' eyes, their sin was putting the literal code before human well-being.

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