“Therefore, if you worship me, it will
all be yours.”
Luke 4:7 (Common English Bible)
Catherine Cavazos Renken, Presbyterian
pastor and friend, recently posted on Facebook a page from a Christian
inspirational calendar, presumably one that she had used in a previous year.
The Bible selection for Thursday, July 3rd reads, “Therefore, if you worship me, it will all
be yours.” It was an unfortunate selection by the publishers of the daily
calendar. As Catherine notes in her posting, “Inspirational Bible Quote Less
Inspirational If You Know Who Said It.” A cursory reading of this verse in the
Bible quickly makes apparent that these words are spoken by Satan to Jesus – a
small portion of Satan’s temptation of Jesus while Jesus was on a mountaintop
in prayer.
Removed from context, nearly anyone can
use selected scripture to advance their own political position, ideology or
religious convictions. Scripture is used to bar women from leadership in the
church, was used to support slavery and often used to discriminate against
anyone who fails to hold a particular – and narrow – interpretation of God’s
word. It seems to me that such use of the Bible is less concerned with
advancing God’s Kingdom and more concerned with advancing the kingdom of the
individual. As that great teacher of the faith, Paul Tillich once remarked,
“The Bible is God’s word not when you think you can grasp it but when you allow
it to grasp you.”
The question becomes, on whose terms do we
seek to interpret the Bible – the Bible or ours? Critical study and
interpretation of the Bible in its historical and cultural context is often
dismissed if conclusions differ with cherished notions of understanding. Bumper
stickers that declare, “The Bible says it, I believe it, end of conversation”
often betray a mind closed to deeper insights of an authentic and genuine
witness of the Bible. Surely, such persons wouldn’t apply a literal
interpretation to Psalm 137:9, “A blessing on the one who seizes your children
and smashes them against the rock!”
Present in the fifth chapter of Acts there
is a Pharisee and teacher of the faith named Gamaliel, well respected by all
the people. He is present when the early apostles of the Christian faith are
being ridiculed and harassed due to their teaching and preaching of the risen
Christ. Simply, the apostles’ interpretation of the faith is rejected. The
“religious establishment” of the day was furious at the apostles and wanted to
kill them. Gamaliel urged restraint – “what if the apostles are right? You will
then find yourselves fighting God!” His counsel is sound today. Perhaps more
civility in our speech and humility of heart would be wise as we consider the
reading – and hearing – of God’s word today by those who stand in a different
place than us.
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