Why have so many Christians become smug and judgemental? Why is our politics so divisive?
It’s time to bring back an attitude that used to be popular amoung Christians. We need to stop looking down on outsiders and angrily condemning them as sinners who by implication are clearly worse than us. To be honest there are some Christians who even do this to other Christians. Some reject others who are different to them so much that they are really not pleasant to be around.
Jesus never told us to cancel others when they offend us or have a different lifestyle
RC Sproul explains:
“We often hear that people don’t like to be in the presence of Christians because Christians manifest a smug, self-righteous attitude or a goody-two-shoes, holier-than-thou attitude. But this should not be the case. Christians have nothing to be smug about; we are not righteous people trying to correct the unrighteous. As one preacher said, “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.” The chief difference between the believer and the unbeliever is forgiveness. The only thing that qualifies a person to be a minister in the name of Christ is that that person has experienced forgiveness and wants to tell of it to others.”
Sproul, R.C. (2014) What Is Repentance?. First edition. Orlando, FL; Sanford, FL: Reformation Trust; Ligonier Ministries (The Crucial Questions Series), p. 26.
The line about us just being beggars who have discovered where to find bread and have a duty to tell others about it is one that I remember Christians emphasised in my youth. It’s a line I’ve not heard so often recently, and the mentions I have found online seem to have been written years ago.
Part of the damage of the culture war and Trump’s deception of evangelials has been to replace humble identification with “sinners” with prideful rejection. The concept of Christian’s as beggars offering bread is aknowledged by Sproul not to have originated with him. The heart of the thought seems to go back to Luther:
“The year 1983 marked the five-hundredth anniversary of the great reformer, Martin Luther, whose stature increases with time. Found by his deathbed, scrawled in German and Latin, was this declaration: “We are beggars: That is true.” This statement may have inspired D. T. Niles to say, “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he can find a piece of bread.” Not a sweet roll and a cup of coffee, but a bite of the staff of life—bread! The church is a fellowship of beggars, receiving and offering love, support, and hope. Committed Christians acknowledge their dependence upon God and their interdependence on one another. They are always in the bread line, if not receiving, then giving.
Jones, G.C. (1986) 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, pp. 74–75.
But of course this is echoed in the Bible. Jesus commands us
“Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8
Jesus also told us some of in his last recorded words that we must teach others to obey what he has taught us. We must be obedient to Jesus and become Christlike.
Remember Jesus strongest criticism was not directed towards those labelled as “sinners” but towards the self righteous Pharisees who loved themselves not others. Just one example of the strong contempt Jesus had for such people is seen in the account of the Pharisee and the Prostitute .
On Earth Jesus loved sinners and was called their friend. Are Christians today acting as friends to every one they meet? Are we more like the Pharisees or are we more like Jesus? Maybe it’s time we remind ourselves of what Jesus really said.
But surely the idea of us being like beggars who’ve found incredible riches and must share them with others is inspired by the story found in 2 Kings 7 During a seige of Jesusalem some lepers leave the city and discover the enemy has run away hastily leaving their riches behind. Having enjoyed the plunder for a while they say:
“This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone!“ v9, NLT
Some key points to conclude
- we must share the good news
- we must do so humbly recognising that we too have sinned and needed Gods grace
- we never grow out of being dependent on Jesus mercy so we must show it to others
- there is no one so far from Jesus that his love cannot reach them and save them!
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