All you need is love.
All you need is love.
All you need is love, love.
Love is all you need.
There are many pluralist catchphrases perpetuated by the Charismatic Renewal promoting false unity, sentimental affection, misinterpretation of Scriptural passages and a sugar-coated Jesus.
“If you had more love, you wouldn't be doing this!”
Christ did not redeem us with a feeling. Love is not sentiment; love is action.
“You need to be more positive instead of negative!”
Positivism corrupts our faith. Many turned away from Jesus, because his words about eating his flesh were too hard for them. But Jesus did not run after them, saying, Come back, let’s be positive and have a friendly meal! Instead Jesus asked the twelve "Will you too leave me?"
“You catch more flies with honey than vinegar!”
True, but when you catch the fly the honey ends up killing it.
In a society driven by Political Correctness, man’s interests, desires, and feelings have all but superseded God’s interests. We are so eager to avoid offending other people; we end up offending God day after day. Although God is most deserving of the whole meal deal, he invariably ends up with the crumbs, simply because we are preoccupied with “loving” our neighbor. Our priorities have been turned upside down by populist culture, yet these have been clearly outlined for us by the Church. But to love self and neighbor, we have to love God first. When we put our priorities in the right order and put God first, then and only then can we fulfill the second commandment on loving neighbor.
In a society driven by Political Correctness, man’s interests, desires, and feelings have all but superseded God’s interests. We are so eager to avoid offending other people; we end up offending God day after day. Although God is most deserving of the whole meal deal, he invariably ends up with the crumbs, simply because we are preoccupied with “loving” our neighbor. Our priorities have been turned upside down by populist culture, yet these have been clearly outlined for us by the Church. But to love self and neighbor, we have to love God first. When we put our priorities in the right order and put God first, then and only then can we fulfill the second commandment on loving neighbor.
“Judge not!”
Except we all have to judge between right and wrong every day. Jesus drove out the moneychangers swinging a heavy rope. Jesus had strong words for the religious leaders for leading the people astray. St Paul left specific instructions how to rebuke error and sin.
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
Perhaps no other Bible passage is used as often or applied so out of context than Matthew 7:1-3, 5.
Jesus does not command us not to judge, in fact there are several Bible passages to the contrary. Ethics will always involve the judgment of behavior. What the passage says is that we should not be judging the whole of a person, because that is clearly beyond our scope of understanding. Similarly, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) does not mean that the punishment of ethical misconduct is restricted to the pure of heart. That would negate accountability and responsibility both. But there is a difference between disapproving of adultery and stoning someone for it.
“Judge not” simply means that we must not judge the whole person and that we have to accept the same standards applied to ourselves.
So the next time you are accused of being judgmental simply ask “Is it your judgment that I am wrong for judging?”
Except we all have to judge between right and wrong every day. Jesus drove out the moneychangers swinging a heavy rope. Jesus had strong words for the religious leaders for leading the people astray. St Paul left specific instructions how to rebuke error and sin.
"Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye."
Perhaps no other Bible passage is used as often or applied so out of context than Matthew 7:1-3, 5.
Jesus does not command us not to judge, in fact there are several Bible passages to the contrary. Ethics will always involve the judgment of behavior. What the passage says is that we should not be judging the whole of a person, because that is clearly beyond our scope of understanding. Similarly, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) does not mean that the punishment of ethical misconduct is restricted to the pure of heart. That would negate accountability and responsibility both. But there is a difference between disapproving of adultery and stoning someone for it.
“Judge not” simply means that we must not judge the whole person and that we have to accept the same standards applied to ourselves.
So the next time you are accused of being judgmental simply ask “Is it your judgment that I am wrong for judging?”
