Dying and Killing

 

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

A few days ago we read about the scribes and Pharisees getting ready to stone a woman for committing adultery. Today, we read about how they were all set to stone Jesus. In both instances their plans were aborted, but I know that they succeeded in stoning people to death on many other occasions. I have always wondered: how does somebody live with that? Don’t you ever wonder? What did they do after killing somebody? Go to their wives and children and act like nothing has happened? Have a hearty meal?

I remember watching a movie called “The Unforgiven” years ago. In one scene, the main character, William Munny played by Clint Eastwood, says, “It's a hell of a thing killin' a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.” And I thought, yeah, and what gives us the right to do that? Only God, who gives life has the right to take it. And to think we do it in his name! Wow!

And then I think of the other ways in which we take life. Ruining somebody’s reputation. Breaking a lover’s heart. Betraying a friend’s confidence. Being scornful; mean; unkind; sarcastic. Abusing someone, verbally or physically. Harassing the weak and the helpless. Destroying the innocent. And when Christians do this, I can’t help but think how we break the Father’s heart. Can we not stop? 

How, you might ask? I’ve realized that much of the problem lies in having over-inflated egos where we believe we are better, or smarter, or generally superior to others. We will ALWAYS treat others badly if we have this attitude. If we want to become better people, we need to deflate our egos. Or perhaps crush them. So maybe there might be a use for those stones, after all. Let us pick them up and use them on ourselves. 

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24). And they will save it for all eternity (see John 12:25).  If we practice this we can accomplish two purposes. We can save our own lives, and we can stop taking the lives of others. 

And I think the world would be a better place.