Killing For Jesus

More than anyone else, Jesus understood the human heart. And as He looked into the future, He could see the troubles that His followers would have to face, sometimes because of their own blindness and sometimes because of the self-deceptions and rationalisations of others.
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‘A time will come,’ He said, ‘when anyone who puts you to death will claim to be serving God!’ What an extraordinary statement and what an accurate prediction of what has happened again and again across the centuries. In our own times we’ve heard more than once that cynical injunction to ‘kill a commie for Jesus.’ And more frighteningly, today, people are adapting the phrase for almost anything- homosexual, Muslim, Jew, black- the list is endless.

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What could be further from Jesus’ vision? He urges us unceasingly to enlarge the circle of our love and concern until there’s room for everyone inside and no one is left outside - not even those with whom we differ on the most fundamental and crucial of issues.

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Whenever you feel an attack of self-righteous indignation coming on, just remember how often in the past you have been thoroughly wrong in your judgements and entirely mistaken in your strongly held opinions. And then leave the judging and the punishing to God, who sees things ever so much more clearly.

As you begin to see yourself more clearly with the passing of time, you’ll be glad you stayed your hand.

Gracious Lord, teach me to be compassionate in all my ways; helping me to pray for others with empathy,  knowing that You care for all Your children.

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