God decides to transport 100 christians and biblians back in time to a mountainside where his Son is teaching. These christians and biblians come from different times and places over the past 2000 years, and they all say "we believe in christ". They all claim to know the bible very well, and have been studying it for at least 20 years.
They have now seen and heard the Son of God teach what he taught in Matt. 5 through 7 or Luke 6. They are struck by his demeanor and the power and authority which shows through when he teaches. His Words seem almost completely different now that they are actually there and listening to him - there is something about the spirit in which he teaches that makes the things he says very clear and obviously true. In fact, his Words seem troubling to almost all of the 100 christians.
When he speaks what he speaks, everything in him seems to say that his Words mean what they say and are true and there is very little confusion about what he is saying. The christians are so used to believing and hearing things like, 'well, he could not have meant that' and 'well, that is your interpretation' and then running to other bible writers or their shepherds/pastors and teachers to explain why he didn't mean what he said. This leads the christians to have many questions about what he teaches. God gives them the opportunity to ask their questions of his Son, as his Son finishes speaking to the multitudes and starts to walk down the mountain towards them.
Among all 100 christians, the ones which come from the latter part of the 21st century have the most questions and are the most troubled by what they saw and heard.
The first one said, 'Lord, you speak with such power...I was really impressed. I just have one question. You said that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who seek to harm us. But I come from a christian nation, and our christian president rightfully ordered us to war to defend our nations interests and our christian nation's way of life. Surely you didn't mean that we ought to love THOSE enemies, Lord. They are Muslims and Pagans and communists and unbelievers and they reject you, Lord. So, aren't we justified in fighting against them? Our president is a christian after all and we are a christian nation. And if we don't kill them, they might kill us and then we could not maintain your church.'
The Light responds, 'There are multitudes who claim to have me as their Lord, but I am not their Lord for they do not listen to me nor do what I say. You are free to do the same. The way of life you seek to protect is against my Way and Life as you would know if you actually read and cared to receive my teachings. I say love your enemies. What don't you understand?.'
Another christian jumps in with a question along the same lines. 'Lord, but Paul says that we ought to obey our government, and our government says we have to serve in our nation's armed forces. Paul says that the governments are ministers set up by your Father. So aren't we then obeying God when we obey our christian government when they tell us to go and kill our enemies who are also your enemies...'
The Light responds, 'You are free to listen to Paul or your book 'the bible' if you'd like. But I say love your enemies and do good to those who harm you and seek to harm you. Those who know what I say and don't do it will be more accountable than those you call 'your enemies'. As I have said, those who seek to keep their life in this world will lose Life, while those who lose their life in this world will gain Life. If you loved my Father, you would want to be with Him and thus you would not kill to keep your life in the world. Perhaps you don't have faith and thus you do not really love my Father nor want to be with Him?'
One particularly upset looking christian speaks to Jesus. 'Lord, I didn't hear you say anything about going to church...how could you not address the most important thing...church...and I even heard you say something to the effect of denigrating Paul, the greatest apostle.'
The Light responds, 'What you call "the church" is not what I said the church is! I have called individuals out of the world and into my kingdom and my Father's Family. If you listen to all of my teachings, I don't say that you need to meet with others in a building in a certain way in order to please my Father. In fact, what you need to do is to love one another, and that happens in daily life, not at some meeting...
But this you are unwilling to do.
Your meeting-anity actually serves as a substitute for my Words and my command to love each other. My Father is seeking those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth, not in meetings or song. In terms of Paul, you are free to base your faith and build your life on his teachings if you like. But I am the Good Shepherd who will lead you into eternal life. No other person can do that and all others you rely on to do so will fail. Many come in my name and deceive many, but only those who DO WHAT I SAY are truly my sheep.'
The angry christian continues, 'So, you are saying that our christian leaders and pastors and scholars and authors and our churches do not represent your kingdom!? You are saying that if we place our faith in the bible and Paul's teachings - which is the Word of God - we are wrong?'
The Light replies, 'Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear my Word. I am the living Word that came down from the Father. The book you call the bible is not my Father's Word. Yes it contains a few teachings that reflect his heart, but I am the Word of God. You search and study and memorize and revere the scripture/bible and you think that in the scriptures you have eternal life.
Yet you refuse to come to ME to gain Life.
I am the light of the world not some book. I am the door through whom people must enter to find my Father, not a chapter, verse or doctrine therein. I am the Rock and if you build your lives on my Words, then you are building on the Rock. If you build on any other man's words, then you are building on sand, and great will the fall be when all things are judged.'
The angry christian blurts out one more response, 'You are not the Jesus that I know and that my faithful christian leaders teach me about'. He then turns to the other christians, 'Can you imagine denigrating God's Holy Word the bible, and denigrating the man who established the church - the great apostle Paul...I am leaving', and he walks away.
The Life says no more to this christian, he just looks at him sadly as he walks away and turns to the next christian who asks him a question.
'Lord, you seem to be saying that we should live by your words alone. But there are so many good christian authors who have such good insight into so many things. Paul was the first, and now christian psychologists, philosophers, authors and teachers follow in his steps and are so wonderful in their ability to help us understand ourselves and help us through our problems. Don't you agree?'
The Truth says, 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Come to ME and I will solve your problems. My Words are the only Words which can truly help you...the only words which will endure forever. My Father will see to it that my Words and teachings will be preserved and the Words which I speak and which will be written down are sufficient for you to follow me and thus please my Father IF you do so as a child, with sincerity and love. There are no truths with an eternal bearing which I don't address, for I am the truth that matters. All other voices who claim to have insights to my Father and my kingdom and who say that you need their words or help, are at best wrong, and are at worst deceivers who will mislead you. If you would but trust in me and listen to me and do what I say, you would not have the emptiness you are trying to fill or the confusion you have with the words of others.'
'But Lord', he continues, 'we support our christian leaders and they serve you. Isn't that what you taught?'
The Light responds, 'No. I say my followers have only one leader and teacher, myself, and everyone who follows me will desire to obey MY teachings, not others. No one can follow me for you - in this you are badly deceived. Unless YOU forsake all YOU hold dear in this world, you too cannot be my disciple. Those you call your leaders are hirelings...most would not do what they do if they did not get something out of it...material compensation or the praise of men. They cannot and do not care for your soul the way only My Father and I can. As I said plainly, leave them, for if you follow a blind man you both will fall into a pit.'
'Lord', another christian speaks, 'I have been studying the bible for over 20 years to show myself approved, and I must say your words do seem at variance to what I have come to understand through my diligent study. For instance, your words about not being able to serve God and material things. Surely you don't mean that we can't have careers and thus provide well for our families.'
The Bread of Life answers, 'You cannot hear my voice and my Father's Words because you try to approach him primarily with your mind instead of with a heart of child-like faith. If one is to be my disciple, he or she must forsake all the world considers valuable. You cannot serve God and money or material things. Your career is your service to material things and your 'provision' is just more selfishness. How much time do you spend working for money versus doing what I say? My Father has given you only so many years to be a faithful child to Him. Trust in Him, trust also in me. Don't work for the food which spoils, but for the food which endures to eternal life. If you don't give your life away in this world, you will lose it. But if you give your life away by loving and serving me and others, then you will abide in my Life and eternal life. Do this, and some of your family might become part of my Father's Family, and this is all that eternally matters.'
Another christian asks the Lord, 'Lord, I understand you to teach how very important the family is, and thus I am a bit confused by your words to this other brother. In our time, the family has been under such pressure to break up, and we have many broken families. I didn't hear you say how we ought to work to preserve the family. Could you please explain.'
The Good Shepherd says, 'I did address the Family, but you don't have ears to hear and it is not the family you are talking about. You speak of the natural family - the family of flesh - not my Father's Family. I say be part of my Father's Family first, before your flesh family, and then you will be in God's will. Do not focus on the flesh family, for then you are missing the kingdom of God.'
'But Lord', the upset christian responds, 'how can you say that we should neglect our family. How can we serve you and be a good example if our family is not in order.'
The Light replies, 'I didn't say neglect your flesh family...I say your love for your flesh family should be secondary to my Father and myself and other disciples of mine. And when you choose me and my follower's over your flesh family, they will accuse you of hating them. Follow me and let the dead bury their dead. Then you will know the true Family.'
Another christian speaks up. 'Lord, I have found my christian education extremely useful in serving you. How come I didn't hear you say that we ought to give our children a good education.'
The Truth replies, 'The education you refer to is actually training against following me. The children simply need to know my Father and myself, and to live as I say...by truth and love. You will seldom hear the truth from people who take from you in order to give, and those who do so are certainly not obeying me in that respect. How many of your children's teachers will teach them without being paid money? Build your life on my Words, and be faithful, for that is all that will matter eternally. Don't be afraid to trust in my Father to give you what you really need. Seek first the kingdom of God and food, shelter and clothing will be provided to you. Again I say, you must hate your life in this world in order to find Life eternal. The world does not need more educated people...it needs to see people living by true love and caring about what is true and right...this is the new command I give to you.'
'Lord', another christian speaks, 'we home school our children, and so we protect them from all the evil in the school system. This is good and right, correct?'
The Way replies, 'Your motivation for home schooling misses the mark. You don't home school out of love for my Father. You home school out of self-righteousness and fear. In your home schooling you still teach your children to love the world and respect the kingdoms of this world, including the educational system and the religious system. Thus, your home schooling is just another way to train your children to reject me and my Way and to instead love the world.'
'Lord', another christians asks, 'studying your Word is the first work of love to know you, isn't it?'
'No' the Light responds, 'because you call 'the bible' my Word, and it is not...you listen to Paul instead of me in this respect. I am the Word of God. You think that by studying the Scripture you have eternal life, but you refuse to come to me in order to have Life. You can never approach, understand or please my Father by the knowledge you have in your head about the bible. I have plainly said you must have faith in my Father and me as a child in order to see and come into the kingdom of God. But you chose the way of the intellect and memorizing scripture and you call that faith. Instead of receiving my Words as a child and living as I teach, you continue to hold onto the world and substitute christian bible religion and facts in your head in place of truly knowing ME.'
Another christian speaks, 'Lord, I hear what you are saying and I agree. I see many of the problems in christianity. I am definitely a sold out christian. In fact, we are building a christian community that is separate from the wasteful world and ecologically sound and thus not harmful to your Father's creation. Isn't this what you would like us to do with our lives?'
The Light says, 'Actually, you are doing what environmentalists say, not what I say. I don't want you building christian eco-developments for that is not my kingdom either. I want you to follow me, to love each other, and to spend your time and effort on turning other people's hearts to my Father and myself. You cannot do this as you are so busy building a lifestyle and focusing on being green. It is good not to waste and to appreciate the earth and its resources. However, I want you to be my Father's Family and love each other...ask yourself, why do you do everything but that?'
This christian continues, '...but Lord, we have to live somewhere and the world is so wicked. Surely some isolation from the world is good. And once we build our community, then we will invite the people who want to follow you to come live in our community. And again, our eco-community is not wasteful of natural resources.'
The Light says, 'My Father so loved the world that he sent me into it, and I do not live in the wilderness isolated from His wayward children I am trying to give Life to. You are worth so much more that the rest of my Father's creation. Please forsake your environmental focus and follow me. It is good to take care of the earth, but not as a substitute for loving each other. Don't build anything except relationships with my Father, myself and others who want try and love us back. If you do this, all the other food, shelter and clothing stuff will take care of itself.'
An older man speaks to the Lord. 'Lord', he says, 'If what I am hearing is correct, then I spent my life deceiving people as a christian pastor. But this can't be true. I gave up a profitable life in private industry or high level government position to serve you. The people I shepherded commented many times how gifted I was. I read your words daily, and prayed for 4 hours each day. I spent my whole life teaching people to revere your Father and know your Word, the bible. I supervised many Sunday school teachers who brought the children to you. I even worked a few miracles in your name. Surely you won't condemn me for my sincere efforts to serve you?'
The Good Pastor/Shepherd replies with a very sad countenance, 'Sir, I plainly say - and you read many times - that those who obey me are the ones who love me, and who will be loved by my Father. You did not do that. You listened to other voices and built your own little kingdom in the world. Of those given much, much will be required. If you didn't regularly proclaim that you knew my Father and myself, then you would have no sin. But since you claim to know my Father and myself and to understand my kingdom, your sin remains. I condemn no one, buy rather, you have been given the power to overcome your own self-condemnation- this you did not do.'
An exasperated christian says, 'well, Lord, if you don't want us starting and building churches and passing moral laws and doing charitable works, then what were we supposed to do with our lives?'
The Life replies, 'Just what I have said. BE the people the world needs to see - Families of people living the Way I have taught you. Love my Father and me, love your neighbor, love each other, and love your enemies, and while you are doing this, speak the truth of my Words...I have given you one primary command - to love, care for, be with one another as my followers. By this life, you were to go and bring other people to my Father, myself, and thus Life - but this you didn't do. Instead, you built your christian religious social groups you called 'my church', and continued to love the world - money, power, recognition and popularity among men, living for material things, achievements, entertainment and pleasures of the world. You listened to the scholars, leaders and other voices YOU choose to esteem and thus you rejected my voice. You lead people in worthless and dead outward rituals leading them to believe that these things please my Father.
I plainly gave you a new command, that you love one another as I loved you, and THIS is how the world will know that you are my disciples, by this love you are supposed to have for one another. But this you did not do. You did not share your life or even your material possessions freely. Instead you clung to the love of this world and did not lose your life in the world. Thus, you were not my disciples. I tried to warn you against this error when I said that there will be many who say to me 'Lord, did we not work miracles in your name and prophesy in your name and build your church'. And I will reply, 'Leave me you who don't do what I say and yet claim to know me'.'
'But Lord', the christians say almost as one voice, 'we did love each other. We were polite to each other, and civil to each other and kind to each other. We visited each other in our houses. We gave lots of money to help the needy, and we had a great apartment rental program for those who visited our church and needed a place to stay. We saw each other at least six hours a week and were friendly to each other during and after our meetings. How can you say we did not love one another?'
The Example of love and truth replied, 'you gave only out of your abundance, and only as it was convenient for you. You not only did not truly serve one another, but you made a mockery of my words to lay down your lives for a friend and to love and care for one another as I did for my disciples. You did not actually share your money and possessions with my other disciples. You did not sell your possessions in order to help those with less...you did not receive into your houses those who were following me...and you hated and treated contemptuously those who spoke my words to you...don't you remember your words of condemnation upon my disciples...'heretics', ' cultists', 'bible haters', 'ignorant fools', 'deceived idiots'? Since you loved the world and thus hated my Father and myself, you were received and accepted by the world and thus did not experience the rejection and persecution that happens to all those who truly follow me. I say to you, in as much as you did it to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. And likewise, in as much as you did not love my followers, you did not love me.'
Out of the 100 christians, there was one towards the back who didn't say a word while the others spoke. Towards the end of his studying the bible for 20 years, he finally saw through christian religion, rejected bible religion, and bowed his heart before the Light. He just listened and had an expression of relief, reverence and love on his face as he looked at - and listened to his first love. Finally, when all the others had asked their questions and made their comments, Joshua pointed to this fellow at the back and said, 'See this man, he is a disciple of mine. He was humble enough to receive my Words and he did his best to live by my Words even though it happened late in his life. Thus, he will be received as a good and faithful servant, for he sought to forsake his life in the world, to be the lowest servant and to love others.' Joshua gave him a warm smile as joy washed across the man's face. The nameless man said nothing, but bowed his head and wept.
"All who have ears to hear, let them hear!"
...and then come, join the Peaceful Revolution!