Sacred Cows - Being Easily Offended
Week 10 The Ten Questions Jesus Is Asking Christians
Read: Jesus asks, "When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8)
When I read this question (it happens to be the scripture I have posted on my truck tailgate) I think about how Jesus prayed, "that they all be one". And I can't help but think that he was in part asking if we'd ever be one people of faith, one spiritual family, one church. And I realize that I already know the answer. There are just too many human traits that stand in the way and create stumbling blocks to unity in Christ. There are just too many superstitions, too many traditions, too many idols, and too many sacred cows. On that note I want us to reflect upon a testimony of faith taken from Matthew's gospel in the fifteenth chapter, because it turns out many will quarrell with God's word, and find themselves offended in him. I'd like to reflect how something like that can happen.
The Faith of a Gentile Woman - Breaking Down The Religious Barriers To Faith
I was thinking on this final question in our 10 week Bible study and it occurred to me that in Luke's gospel chapter 18 verse 8, Jesus was once again broaching the subject of mankind's religious traditions, superstitions, doctrines, and other sacred cows. And without a doubt Jesus wasn't asking upon his return if he'd find a world of people believing on his name, or calling themselves Christians. What he was talking (pondering) about outloud was, will he find FAITH; abiding faith, trusting in him faith, glorifying him faith, worshipping him faith, giving it all up for his sake faith, willing to sacrifice it all for him kind of faith, you are The Lord and God kind of faith. And so, I wanted to dig deep and find out two things; one was a word or phrase for what Jesus was doing battle against when he asked this weeks question, and second a biblical example of the kind of faith Jesus will be looking for when The Son of Man does return. And I hit upon the phrase "sacred cows", and then the following lesson from the gospel of Matthew's account of the Gentile woman who showed GREAT faith.
Matthew 15:21 (emphasis mine) Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile [Canannite] woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” (She recognized the Lord for who he really is, even when the Jews did not)
23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” (*the woman offended the traditions, customs, and comfort zones of the chosen people of God, and they were being very unwelcoming, very churchlike)
24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” (*Jesus says the quiet part outloud that he knows is going through the minds of the Jews watching this encounter)
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” (Please note that she worshipped him, we'll look closer into that later).
26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (*Jesus exposes the Jewish traditions, doctrines, and predudices by speaking outloud again what's on their minds and in their hearts, you can imagine the grins, smirks, and nods of approval coming from the Jews as Jesus seemingly berates this woman)
27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” (*She's persistent if nothing else and her wit hits home).
28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. (Dear woman? Wow!) Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. (*The Jewish sacred cows are now completely exposed for the nonsense they are, Jesus shows everyone, willing and unwilling, what following him really looks like, and what kind of faith he truly hopes to find in them as well).
Sacred cows must be sacrificed if we are to be transformed. Traditions that are not abiding with the objective truth must be disposed of if we are to approve of what is good, acceptable and perfect.
What is a sacred cow? Something which cannot be tampered with, or criticized, out of fear of embarrassment and public outcry.
A person, an institution, a belief system.
A lifestyle choice.
A spiritual feeling which for no reason other than the demands of established social etiquette or popular opinion, must be given special respect or reverence, and never touched, handled or examined too closely.
In this day and age, not giving due deference to the religious and blended secular sacred cows of western religious societies can land you into big trouble with the powers that be. And the danger for many of these societies is that prejudices against the church and the gospel truth will yield Christ withdrawing his Spirit from among them.
Their hardheartedness will cause Christ to withdraw, and to remove the candlestick out of its place (Acts 13:46).
In the case of this faithful Gentile woman it was her distress and her concern for her family that drove her to seek out Jesus, and ultimately brings her directly to Him. She came to him, for healing, not teaching, yet because she came in faith, he did not ultimately reject her, and instead uses her situation to teach the "in crowd". She did not plead her merits, but begged mercy. She showed her wit and wisdom, humility, meekness, patience, and perseverance in prayer; but all these were the products of her abiding faith. This was her genuine worship. This is her example for the church regarding worship in Spirit and in truth that Christ seeks. For those who persist and deny Jesus nothing, he will likewise not deny them anything, and he will cover them in his glory forever. This is the blessing for those who come in faith, in the name of the Lord.
Conclusion:
Don't have a cow, have faith. Jesus is looking for faith, not hamburgers.
Prayer: Lord thank you for all that you have done, all that you are doing and all that you will do. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Lord hear our prayer and heal our land, our churches, and all the children of God. Amen and amen.
https://giphy.com/gifs/thesimpsons-the-simpsons-7x25-l2Je7iPpMK2pUisGk