They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.They do all their deeds to be seen by others....
Source:
Matthew 23: 4 and 5, NRSVUE
This blog seeks to promote and establish ecumenism among all groups and denominations of the Christian Faith via expressions in written language, and through any means of communication. We seek the promotion of others that are working towards the same common goal, as well. The prayer of Jesus in John 17: 21 was: "I pray that they may all be one…." Ultimately and eternally, the creation of unity among all believers and followers of Christ is sought desiring harmony with and for all of humanity.
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.They do all their deeds to be seen by others....
The LORD looked forth from heaven upon the children of men,
I hope everyone is doing well. This post will be brief. It
is based on some things I have been dwelling on recently. Mainly, some things
Jesus is credited to saying in Scriptures that may seem contradictory. I don’t
claim to understand what he meant fully, but I also do not think he did not
make any sense. I am not going to provide entire verses; however, I will give
the citation to allow all to verify. Anyhow, here we go.
Possibly Jesus said, “if anyone strikes you on the right
cheek, turn the other also” He also said, “walk a second mile if someone
asks you to walk one.” Hence: he never said to walk three miles. See Matthew
5:39.
Supposedly, Jesus said “one who has no sword must sell
his cloak and buy one.” Basically, one needs to have a sword and can’t afford
to be without one. Obviously, he didn't seem to believe in not defending
oneself. Consequently, this seems to contrast the cheek turning thing a bit, if
things escalated perhaps. See Luke 22:36.
Lastly, Jesus said, “be
wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” I think this one is self-explanatory…don’t
be fools, but also don’t be an arrogant a**hole. See Matthew 10:16.
In closing, I think all-around, Jesus was more about having
balance. If we focus on one area of his teachings but neglect another, we get
out of balance. Therefore, we should focus on all instead of one thing.
Blessings!
References:
Matthew 5:39
Luke 22: 36
Matthew 10:16
In a unique sign of ecumenicism, a Catholic abbey and a Baptist university are exchanging property so the abbey can receive historically significant land that once was home to the abbey’s university.
I try to share some of the latest ecumenism news on this blog as often as possible, especially when it is something that catches my attention. The introductory excerpt is from an article for CNA by Kate Quiñones titled: Catholic abbey and Baptist university exchange land ‘to build up the kingdom.’ I enjoyed reading the article and hearing about the property exchange. Read the full article at the link below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.
The video being shared is described on YouTube as follows:
IRD President Mark Tooley chats
with author Daniel G. Hummel on his book The Rise and Fall of
Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle Over the End Times Shaped a
Nation. Hummel offers a fascinating history of dispensationalism and its
influence on popular culture, politics, and religion.
Watch below:
Reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WkQ628NoH0
Normally when I share an article on here, I usually include
an excerpt from it to give a basic idea of what the author said. I personally
enjoy getting a glimpse of the subject when other writers do similarly. Unfortunately,
that is not going to happen in this post. However, I really believe the author
answers the question I ask in the title which is can ecumenism be a heretical thing?
In this post I am sharing an article by Paul Ladouceur from 2016 titled: On Ecumenoclasm: Who Is a Heretic? I hope you enjoy reading it. The article is found at the link below.