In a polite conversation recently, a woman said to her boyfriend, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Trying to be funny, I said, “There you go, misquoting Jesus.” Instead of a chuckle, I got a blank stare; she had no idea what I was talking about. So, I explained to her that Jesus, in an attempt to guide His disciples, told them to listen to the teachings of the Pharisees, but not to live the way they did. “Do as they say, not as they do.” (Mt. 23). The other people in the circle – at least 3 of them regular churchgoers – also looked at me as if I had just used profanity. None of them had any idea that Jesus said that or why; so many Bible passages are often used in conversation with no understanding of their origin or actual meaning.
In another conversation – this time with a clergy colleague – he was expressing his concern that his congregation was unhappy with his preaching. They wanted him to preach more “Jesus stuff”, like opposing abortion and condemning LGBTQ people. I asked him if he had told him that Jesus never said a word about either one of those topics and, of course, he had. They didn’t believe him, and they didn’t care to discover if he was being truthful. They have bought into the lies of those who would manipulate Scripture for their own purposes. They don’t care if they are misquoting Jesus. By the way, there’s an excellent book on this subject (Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why) by the tremendous theologian, Bart Ehrman.
Like so much that passes for knowledge (that is, the lack of it), this trend of misquoting Jesus is running rampant in our churches and in our politics. I have found that my own journey to know and understand Scripture has led me to take the Bible far more seriously – and sometimes more literally – than those who tell me they are members or leaders of “Bible-Believing Churches.” As I wrote the other day, any sane person who has read the Bible would never agree to read parts of it to children. The way God is portrayed does not lend itself to the “God is Love” approach that I prefer. It would be far better to wait until children are older to let them see how humanity has misrepresented God in so many ways. It would be better for the church if we were honest with each other about the Bible, rather than continue on the road we have been taking. Teaching that God is a blood-thirsty tyrant does nobody any good.
If God matters to you, why not read the foundational writings that are supposed to be our beginning, not our end? Why not put aside assumptions and Sunday School baggage and really try to understand why some things are in the Bible? If one group is given an advantage over another in a particular story, ask why, rather than swallowing it whole. The Bible was inspired by God, but people wrote it, with all their biases and weaknesses intact. Ask questions. Pose possible solutions. Take it seriously. The Bible can change our lives, or it can ruin it. It all depends on how we approach it.
Prayer – Thank You God, for Your words that have given us direction and pause. Help guide is in our understanding so that we might be able to live better lives. Amen.
Today’s art is a picture from Morgan’s Picture Bible, illustrated in 13th-century France.