“Christian” Know-it-all’s

I woke up early this morning — indigestion.  That’s what I get for eating too late in the evening…okay, okay — I’ve learned my lesson!  I hopped on the computer to check email, balance my checkbook and just get a sense of what’s going on in the world this morning.  When I checked my blog for comments, I saw that there was a view generated from a tag in another WordPress blog.  So, as I always do, I clicked on it to see who’s reading what…..it’s sort of like “Six Degrees of Separation” in the blogosphere.  For the last hour or so, I’ve been reading various posts on this blog – and believe me, “Chrystal” has something to say about EVERYTHING!!

At the bottom of each post there is a list of the various categories dealt with and the list is quite impressive.  From Apostasy to the Antichrist; from the Emerging Church to the End Times – there’s something for just about everyone.  Please understand, I’m not just picking on Chrystal’s “Slaughter of the Lambs” blog, there are many others out there just like it.  What I’m talking about here is an abundance of “Christian” know-it-all’s roaming around our world today.  They are everywhere with an answer for everything and a judgement for everyone — except themselves, of course – and they’re ready to tell you just what they think of your pathetic, sinful, blasphemous existence!

I think most of these people are well-meaning.  I don’t believe they are “hate mongers” as some might suggest and I do believe that they believe the things they say.  But, I also believe that they are mistaken about a great many things and that their view of acceptable faith is narrow and unyielding to the truths of human existence that even God understands.  These sisters and brothers call themselves “discerning”, but their discernment always seems to lead them to the same conclusion — they are right and you are wrong!  I won’t go so far as to call them arrogant, although I do believe that their faith in their own understanding is rooted in pride, but I will call them unflinchingly convinced in their own righteousness!

Christian know-it-all’s are not unique to our day and age — not by a long shot.  There are examples of them for every generation, every movement….every wind that blows seems to blow a few of them in.  The rub is that much of what they say is completely true.  Unfortunately, the way they choose to say it is the problem.  But, don’t tell them that or they’ll tell you that they are saying it “the way Jesus said it”.  I wonder, though, when Jesus “said it” was He gritting His teeth and scowling His disapproval?  I can’t get away from this truth — evil is present in our world.  It is present everywhere, even our churches.  There is no shortage of examples of it for Chritians to warn against, but I think we must choose our words carefully and wisely. 

There’s another truth I can’t seem to get away from.  I’ve said it to many people over the years and will continue to say it until someone gets it!  I heard a pastor preach a sermon once upon a time — a pretty harsh indictment of the church.  During this sermon he said that while we build our church buildings bigger and better; while we celebrate JUST HOW RIGHT AND RIGHTEOUS WE ARE, there are people dying in the shadows of our steeples! 

I have always imagined in my mind a picture of the most amazing church building on a beautiful Sunday morning.  The parking lot is full, the sound of hymns and the castigation of the “sins of the world” in oratory brilliance can be heard from the church yard …… the front door is closed and locked to the outside world, protecting the lambs from the “slaughter”.  On the front porch of this tribute to Christian Knowitallity there is a man, haggard and worn; hungry, thirsty, cold and alone.    The man knocks on the door over and over again and calls out for help, yelling at the top of his lungs.  But, his cries go unheard because the “Christians” inside are too busy celebrating their PERSONAL relationship!  The man ultimately dies and as the service ends, the ushers move his body out of the way so the site of him won’t offend the well-dressed “disciples” as they head to the local restaurant to satisfy their hunger.  They pat each other on the back and congratulate each other on another good show; they climb into their Cadillacs and Mercedes-Benz, never once taking notice of the dead man on the doorstep….there is no need.  They have done their duty — they have joined together to judge sin.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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.’

 ”Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 ”The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

 ”Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

 ”They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

 ”He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 ”Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  Matthew 25:34-46

These “Christian” know-it-all’s spend so much time concerned with pointing out the “sins of the world” that they miss the stranger on the doorstep cold, hungry and alone.  When they miss him, they miss Jesus! 

As Christians, we need to be about the business of pointing sinners toward Jesus, not just pointing out their sin — chances are, they already know what it is, and it’s just not our job.  There’s too much pain and anguish in the world for Christians to add to it.  Let us not let their cries for help be drowned out by our applause for how accomplished and knowledgeable we are!