Nothing has done the church more harm than the repeated statement that the things of this world do not matter. In the middle thirties of this century unemployment invaded many respectable and decent homes. The father's skill was rusting in idleness; the mother was trying to make a shilling do what a pound ought to do; children could not understand what was going on except that they were hungry. Men grew bitter or broken. To go and tell such people that material things make no difference was unforgivable, especially if the teller was in reasonable comfort himself.
— William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke (9:1-9), Daily Study Bible Series, Revised Edition, Edinburgh, Saint Andrews Press, 1975
Hmmmm...methinks you and I were JUST talking about William Barclay on Saturday!
ReplyDeletefull belly today always trumps salvation...thats why Christ, Paul etc always spent so much time talking about the importance of a full belly and tacked the gospel (the life, death and resurrection of Christ in our stead and for our freedom from sin) on the at the end of a soup line. get real! it's our duty to both feed our brother (the poor will always be with you) and to give our brother the truth that there is something way beyond money and food, there is the life to come, the glorious life of living with God himself. the social gospel is what got Christianity to this point in history....very ugly indeed...
ReplyDeleteWhy, yes, Ben; I believe we were...
ReplyDeleteDear Mr or Ms Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know anyone who doesn’t to some degree edit the biblical text to suit their predispositions but heavens! How long is your Bible? About 20 pages? Get back to me when you have more first-person exposure to what those pesky gospel-writers said about Jesus.
See? I can be sarcastic and dismissive too. Sorry.
But, seriously: read the book.