Klimenok: Content questioned | Commentary | rutlandherald.com – Rutland Herald

In his commentary “Boys, imitatio Christi and us,” John Nassivera laments “more and more of the West is no longer following the words and life of Christ” because it “wants to secularize itself and be done with any silly hocus pocus about Jesus Christ.” Mr. Nassivera may want to read the following online article — “Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church” by the Barna Group, 2017. In brief, they are: (1) “Churches seem overprotective;” (2) “Teens’ and twenty-somethings’ experience of Christianity is shallow;” (3) “Churches come across as antagonistic to science;” (4) “Young Christians’ church experiences related to sexuality are often simplistic, judgmental;” (5) “They wrestle with the exclusive nature of Christianity;” and (6) “The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.” One issue I have with Christians is they often rationalize whatever Jesus said or did. I am convinced that, in several ways, despite what Mr. Nassivera proclaims, Jesus is not the best role model for boys/men. The following passages from the New Testament have not been taken out of context. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus talked about a man being angry with his brother. At the end of the passage, Jesus said: “Whosoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” For me, that’s quite judgmentally harsh. Matthew 15:14 recounts Jesus saying: “He that curses father or mother, let him die the death.” That is quite stern and merciless. In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus’ mother wanted to speak to him. He essentially ignored her and asked: “Who is my mother?” He immediately answered that question by declaring his disciples who “shall do the will of my Father … are his mother.” So much for honoring her.

Mark 11:15-17 describes Jesus as throwing people out from a temple as well as overturning tables and knocking over chairs of the moneylenders and animal-sellers there. He is quoted as saying: “My house shall be called by all nations the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” His house? Those merchants were providing sacrificial animals and temple currency for believers who wanted to draw near to God. Many traveled long distances and would not have been able to bring sacrificial animals with them. Consequently, they had to purchase the animals when they got there. In order to pay for them and for the required temple tax, they needed to have their native money changed into temple currency. The merchants and moneychangers provided those services. There is no evidence indicated in that passage, other than Jesus saying so, that they were ripping people off.