PREACHERS I haven't been to church in a long time. Preachers are one of the primary reasons. The very idea of anyone aspiring to such a position seems somehow ludicrous to me. I mean, who do these guys think they are? They stand in front of a congregation, usually at an elevated height, forcing the members to look up at them, and posture as if they are anointed by God's spirit, smugly radiating an aura that suggests that they are privy to information that the lowly sheep they are addressing aren't. As if that weren't enough. This pathetic (almost embarrassing) situation is made even more egregious by the fact that they actually get paid to prance around like a pompous used car salesman. Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, and gave them some interesting instructions:
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (Matthew 10:7,8)
Jesus clearly instructed his adherents not only about the content of their message (the kingdom of heaven), but also about accepting any kind of payment:
... freely ye have received, freely give...
They were not to accept payment for their ministry, only a part of which was their preaching, their deliverance of the good news about God's kingdom. If you have any doubts that this is what Jesus actually meant by these words, consider the very next verse in this passage:
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. (Matthew 10:9,10)
Did you catch that last part?
... for the workman is worthy of his meat ...
Jesus is actually suggesting that they work for their supper, and the preaching itself is not the work that they are to perform in order to eat. They must engage in some form of genuinely useful labor. Do you know of any preachers who do this today? I don't. Every minister I've ever known has been provided a house to live in, called a parsonage, and a decent salary. Somehow, I don't think Jesus would approve of such an arrangement. Especially when you consider what modern preachers preach. All the preachers that I've ever heard, preach Jesus himself. Jesus never said to do this. He didn't come to this world to start a religion about himself. He clearly told his disciples to preach the good news of the kingdom of God. And as far as the rest of the stuff he told them to do, forget about it:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils.
When I consider this, and then recall the preachers I've known, I can't help but shake my head in amusement. Raise the dead? Give me a break. I couldn't tell you how many preachers I've known (or known about) who couldn't even raise their own families properly, let alone raise the dead. The Bible: Why God Had Nothing To Do With It
|
