We need to obey him
September 15, 2011 (Thursday)
Thomas Jefferson collected the sayings of Jesus that he really liked, and put them in one volume that later came to be known as “The Jefferson Bible.” He eliminated from his collection all the deeds, sayings and miracles that did not fit his own personal idea of who Jesus was and what he really taught. He thought the real life and ministry of Jesus had been obscured by the Biblical writers.
We who disagree with Jefferson on this issue probably should admit that we ourselves do a lot of “picking and choosing” when it comes to applying the teachings of the Bible to our own lives.
We probably should acknowledge that we readily accept those verses in the Bible that offer encouragement, clearly and simply, and avoid those passages that seem to demand from us more than we are willing to offer.
In our more honest moments, we can see that we are much like the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus, never to return, because Jesus demanded too much. When Jesus says to us, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me,” do we really want to do as he asks? When he says, “Turn the other cheek and go the second mile,” are we willing to obey? When we hear him saying, “Forgive the wrongs done to you,” do we keep on forgiving?
Let’s be honest. Thomas Jefferson’s idea of making Jesus over into what he wanted was not so far from our own, was it? The complete gospel is still in our Bibles, but is it in our hearts and lives?
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Interested in learning more? Just “Google” for “The Jefferson Bible”