The parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt 13: 24-30, 36-43), the turn the other cheek passage (Matt 5:38-48), the lilies of the valley passage (Matt 6: 24-34), and the ';Judge not'; command (Matt 7:1-5) make clear Jesus taught a non-interventionist faith: focus on your own soul and judge not the souls of others.
So why are so many christians unaware of this?
Here's a link to the Skeptic's Bible for those who want to look up the above verses online:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/Didn't Jesus teach his true followers not to intervene in the lives of others, except to render aid?
At Matthew 13, the illustration of the wheat and the weeds is given, just as you say. It makes no mention of not intervening in the lives of others. That illustration alerts disciples of Christ to the fact that the wicked one has planted false Christians (weeds) and that they would grow together with true Christians until the harvest. There is nothing here to indicate Jesus did not want his followers to become involved in the lives of others. The fact that Jesus taught his follower how to go out and preach the good news of God's kingdom makes that readily apparent. Compare, please Luke 8:1; Luke 9:1-5 and Luke 10:1-8.
The account at Matthew 6, ending at verse 33 plainly states that true Christians are obligated to put God's kingdom first in their lives and God would take care of their basic needs. The illustration of the lilies of the field was used to show how God cares for his creation and much more so will he care for those who put first God's kingdom. One way of doing so is to follow the command at Matthew 28 concerning making disciples, teaching them to observe the commandments of Christ. Obviously, one intervenes in the lives of others in order to carry out this ministry.
As for judging, it is true that many frown on any such criticizing of religion or behavior and they quote Jesus’ words: “Judge not, that you may not be judged.” Matt. 7:1 And Christ went on to tell his listeners to overlook ‘the straw in their brother’s eye’ until they had taken the rafter from their own eye. (Matt. 7:3-5) But what did he mean?
The commentary by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown says: “The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned is that disposition to look unfavourably on the character and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust and unlovely judgments upon them.” That Jesus was referring to a personal type of ‘judging,’ is borne out by the commentator Albert Barnes who says that Jesus “refers to private judgment . . . and perhaps primarily to the habits of the scribes and Pharisees.” Jesus’ counsel should be applied by each Christian in not being rash in judging the personal habits and preferences of others. (Compare Romans 14:1-4, 10.) So at Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus was not forbidding the offering of frank Bible-based comments about another religion’s beliefs and practices or another's persons behavior or conduct. How can we be sure? Note Jesus’ own example.
One time, Jesus spoke about certain Jewish religious leaders who paid more attention to their traditions than to following the principles of God’s word. Did Christ avoid criticizing another’s religion? Did he avoid warning them of their behavior? No. He said: “In this way you have made God’s word null and void by means of your tradition. Hypocrites! It was you Isaiah meant when he so rightly prophesied: ‘This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless.’” (Matt. 15:6-9, Jerusalem Bible)
Such words might offend the sensibilities of some persons. But Jesus was not being “unchristian” when he spoke such.
Hannah J PaulDidn't Jesus teach his true followers not to intervene in the lives of others, except to render aid?
Outwardly you can't tell what the person needs, what aid would be for them. When Jesus told the woman at the well about her ';secret'; life, she could have taken offense and rejected his ';aid.'; He told Pharisees and Sadduccees many things that they eventually had him crucified for. You have to go deeper than appearances, listening to the word of God within you to know what to do.
You can ';help '; however not '; hinder ';
Karma works in mysteries ways
Sometimes it comes back and bites you
Love %26amp; Blessings
Milly
of course he did, but then he also said you are forgiven your sins so therefore all they have to do is pray about it, theres always a loophole with the bible
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