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{"id":20984,"date":"2014-01-29T11:23:42","date_gmt":"2014-01-29T16:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/?p=20984"},"modified":"2014-01-29T11:23:42","modified_gmt":"2014-01-29T16:23:42","slug":"authorized-jesus-dealer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2014\/01\/authorized-jesus-dealer.html","title":{"rendered":"Authorized Jesus Dealer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

My pastor used the phrase \u201cAuthorized Jesus Dealer\u201d in his sermon this past Sunday, and it seemed to me to be worth sharing, and turning into a sign<\/a> (as I did below).<\/p>\n

The sermon, as you might have guessed, was about Mark 9:38-41<\/a>. It is a passage which most people who claim to have a unique corner on the truth and to provide exclusive access to Jesus tend to ignore. Ironically, that view seems to be particularly strong among those Christians who say that people have no need of a priest to mediate between them and God. But in practice they themselves adopt the role of authorized mediators.<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"