Tuesday, April 21, 2009
But What Was Tested?
MMI recently reported:
Part of it was the show-boating and grandstanding by the pastor himself. Why pretend to be a bum when so many real ones are available to do the job?
The more I think about it, the more it seems apparent this was a stunt, not a lesson. I mean, after all, it made TV. After all, Jesus said:
What was the most compassionate act in all of history? Well, my vote would go for Christ allowing His crucifixion to be carried out. Was it on TV? Who besides His closest circle really knew what was going on? It was a media event int he sense that all crucifixions were, but Jesus Himself was a prop in the media coverage.
Stunts don't change people - televised stunts REALLY don't change people. The Holy Spirit, brought through prayer, relationship and love - that changes people.
Yesterday I got a great email from Pastor Tommy Jackson. Tommy is the pastor of Rose Heights Church in Longview, TX. Tommy wanted to find out if he church was living out the current sermon series on compassion. So, he arranged for a smelly, drunk man to show up in the parking lot on a recent Sunday to see how people would react to him as they entered for worship. No one knew, though, that the person that reeked of smoke and alcohol was actually Tommy Jackson, their pastor.and then commented:
What a great, innovative idea to put into action a sermon series.This is an important issue. I nearly came to blows once with a usher that tried to shoo-away a homeless man that had walked into services because "His odor was disruptive." But this idea turned me off.
Part of it was the show-boating and grandstanding by the pastor himself. Why pretend to be a bum when so many real ones are available to do the job?
The more I think about it, the more it seems apparent this was a stunt, not a lesson. I mean, after all, it made TV. After all, Jesus said:
Matt 6:3-4 - "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.The real test of compassion is what happens when no one is looking.
What was the most compassionate act in all of history? Well, my vote would go for Christ allowing His crucifixion to be carried out. Was it on TV? Who besides His closest circle really knew what was going on? It was a media event int he sense that all crucifixions were, but Jesus Himself was a prop in the media coverage.
Stunts don't change people - televised stunts REALLY don't change people. The Holy Spirit, brought through prayer, relationship and love - that changes people.
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