Many are led to adopt a "me and Jesus" belief, as if what Jesus taught about the Kingdom and life in it has everything to do with each individual and nothing to do with community, society and how we live with one another. "The one who believes and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16), is seen as what it is all about with Jesus, with no accountability to other teachings Jesus offered regarding loving Neighbor as self and other commands.
Following Jesus means loving God AND Neighbor as self! It has EVERYTHING to do with what "Christian" business leaders, "Christian" politicians, "Christian" neighbors and "Christian" citizens do, and not just what they believe. To believe means that we heed what Jesus taught and exemplified, and not just hold Him as God's son. In fact, Jesus said, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and do not do what I tell you to do?" (Luke 6:46) If we believe Jesus is the Son of God, perhaps we should obey His commandments.
Salvation for Jesus also includes...
Not ignoring the poor, sick person at our gate (The Rich man and Lazarus) Luke 16
Not refusing the hungry, naked, stranger (illegal alien), sick or imprisoned (Sheep and Goats) Mt. 25
Jesus said it is hard for the wealthy to be saved (Camel through eye of Needle) Mt.19, Mark 10, Luke
18 (also sharing about the rich young ruler who went away sad because he valued wealth over
giving to the poor)
This one always raises the question for me... If Jesus wants me to be rich, does that mean that
Jesus WANTS it to be hard for me to enter.. wants to make it difficult for me? exclude me?
I also want to submit that "those" who are saved are often in PLURAL in the scriptures. It is NOT just about the individual "me and Jesus". Jesus does not allow it. It is about how we are with OTHERS whom Jesus loves around us, too, and He says he loves the poor, the powerless, the stranger and the outcast (like lepers). If we do not love them, we are liars for claiming love for Him (I Jn. 4).
There is corporate sin. Jesus addressed it with the Pharisees. God addressed it with God's own nation, Israel for their reliance on military strength and wealth, for their mistreatment of their own people and their neighbors. There is corporate salvation also.
Where the individual conscience comes in is in how we love God and love Neighbor. How do I vote, act in business, politics, on the street, etc.? Am I only concerned about me and mine, or do I recognize that I have brothers and sisters who are children of God and loved by God? Do I treat them, even stranger and enemy according to Jesus (Good Samaritan in Luke 10), as brothers and sisters? It has everything to do with society, with groups of people, with the nation. HOW are we with God AND with Neighbor?
"Then who can be saved?" Those who Love God and Love Neighbor AS (THEMSELVES) (Matthew 22)... meaning that I would no more want to see someone else (even stranger or enemy) go without what they need or come to harm, than I would want that for myself! Those who, according to Paul, do not only look to their own interests, but to the interests of others (Philippians 2). Individually AND collectively.
Pastor Jamie
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