If you want your scripture nice and literal...

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      2 comments      link this post     


My frequent battles with people over their insistence that all scripture is literal as is written, no opportunity for context or historical background or culture considerations, seems to have hit a slight hitch.

It happens in Matthew 25:31-46, to be exact.

35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

At this point, Christians who get after other Christians who think it important to meet the human, physical, real needs of this earth are faced with a question: Is this to be taken literally? So often much is said about how meeting human needs isn't spreading the Gospel, or that there is some kind of prerequisite Gospel presentation that must happen, and is more important, before meeting needs takes place.

This discussion is happening on this post at CRN.info, due to a post about World AIDS day, on Dec. 1.

The usual discussion, which happens any time you mention Bono and AIDS and the work that is going on in Africa, involves questions of working beside "non-Christians", is the "true Gospel" being promoted.... all of that.

My question on helping people isn't one of being "tainted" by a fellow helper being a non-believer. And I believe part of the true Gospel is touching people's lives in real, tangible ways. Jesus did that to the extreme. His compassion is unparalleled.

After reading all the theology kettle-banging at that post, I had to respond:

So all of that lovely theology aside, Clearly, et. al.: what are you doing to help the poor right now?

That’s the question we have in front of us to act on, not so much an in depth debate on passages of scripture from our comfy homes with food in the fridge and a computer with internet access. What are we all doing right now, here, there, and everywhere? I’m talking hand-dirtying, highly inconvenient, pushing the edge of being bearable, sacrificially giving of money I don’t have extra of — what are we doing now?

You can love Pauline literature all you want, Clearly, and I can love classical art and architecture, but the very clear “done it to the least” verses leave much less room for all this pussyfooting around and debating the specifics as more people bite the dust.

With the poor, and the importance of helping those who suffer in the temporal — what part of Matthew 25 isn’t clear?

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

For people who tend to take scripture very literally and swing it about and say “what part of what Paul said isn’t clear to you? Ha. Refute that.” I say the same thing back — what isn’t clear? What is left to argue? Is this passage now figurative, the food and drink and clothes being figurative references to the Gospel? Does that now best suit your theology? Do we now get to haggle on the context, here? Or, is it obvious and direct?

If you see someone who needs food, you give him food. If someone is thirsty, you take care of that. If they need clothes, do something about it. IF PEOPLE HAVE NEEDS, MEET THEM. Help those doing that work financially, if that’s all you can do right now.

What is there to question? Some of this discussion seems to be hinging on some kind of comparison between the the percentage of time spent doling out food and medicine vs. the percentage of time telling them they are sinners in the hands of an angry God and in need of a transformation from the cross of Jesus, or the order in which it happens that will make it Christianly acceptable to help a person who needs help. Is that what is described in these verses? Is it that complicated? Is it?

Until you’ve consistently — more than just a sporadic hit-and-miss missions trip — worked with the people in extreme need and poverty, you just can’t fathom how stupid those arguments are, right there, in the moment, suffering and pain in front of you. Feed them. Help them. Now. Quit quibbling over who you’ll let hand you the ladle to scoop up soup. Feed them!

I could do so much more. We all could. However we go about it, helping people who are in need, here or in other countries. It frustrates me to even see people debating the "finer" points of doing just that.

If you have time, I would encourage you to watch those videos in the CRN.info post in order. It will take up a significant chunk of your time, but they are interesting.

Labels: christianity

Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      12/02/2007 05:39:00 PM      (2) comments      Links to this post    

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