As I write this the Middle East is riddled with war and death. Israel is seeking revenge for the recent ungodly attacks against its people. The US Embassy in Lebanon has been burned in protests to America’s support of Israel.
Iran is threatening both Israel and America in response to the attacks on Hamas, the region is under spiritual attack as normal. Each side believes they are right and the other is wrong. It is the age-old battle between two opposing forces.
- Good
- Evil
The problem is that regardless of which side you are on, we have a flawed perspective because we aren’t perfect. Although God’s people are called to be righteous representatives, we are still flawed and imperfect people (Matthew 5:47-48, 2 Corinthians 7:1).
Both the Bible and history books contain stories of how we have failed miserably at living up to God’s standards. Yet, we all feel comfortable throwing stones when others do the same.
Throwing Stones
God is perfect in every way and He has a right to give life and to take it. Yet, as our Jewish stepfathers learned, God chooses to give mercy and grace. The Judeo-Christian God is both merciful and patient.
Personally, I am grateful that God doesn’t strike me down every time I stumble and sin. Jesus often reminded His followers to show compassion and not abuse their rights (Matthew 9:36).
Remember, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for wanting to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:3-8). Under Jewish law, she deserved to be stoned to death.
Skila
Today many modern countries and faiths practice stoning to punish those who are guilty of wrongs. In Judaism, Skila (stoning to death) was a form of capital punishment. The Torah most often prescribes stoning to rid God’s people who are guilty of committing evil. Below are some of the capital offenses in Judaism.
- Adultery
- Murder
- Beastiality
- False testimony in a capital case.
- False prophecy
- Incest
- Cursing parents
- Striking your parents
- Kidnapping
- Idolatry
- Sacrificing children
- Witchcraft
- Sorcery
- Divination
- Violating the Sabbath
However, when Jesus began teaching He gave His disciples a new command to love (John 13:34). But, He was actually just reminding them of God’s nature of long-suffering and mercy (Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18).
Jesus had the heart of His Father, Jesus forgave sins and gave life. In a way keeping the law had hardened the hearts of many of God’s people.
Heart Problems
One of the basic Jewish teachings is God looks at the heart of man. The prophet Moses said that man’s heart is wicked (Genesis 8:21). When choosing a new king God chose David because of his heart, not his appearance. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that the heart is evil beyond all understanding (Jeremiah 17:9-10).
Jesus taught His disciples that every form of evil comes from the heart of man (Matthew 15:1-18). Jesus quotes the Torah about many of the capital sins of Judaism and they all come from the heart.
- Envy
- Pride
- Greed
The idea that any man or party is somehow better than others is being self-righteous and coldhearted. As I conclude this post, there is an ongoing argument about who deserves to be the speaker of the house.
For almost 2 weeks Washington has been a den of snakes with politicians promising the speakership and then backstabbing members of their own party. The truth be told, there is no perfect candidate for the speaker of the House. All of the people-pleasing and mudslinging are just another way we like to throw stones at other people (Skila)!
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