This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
But whereunto shall I liken this generation?
It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
And saying,
We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced;
we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say,
He hath a devil.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say,
Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.
But wisdom is justified of her children.
— KJV; Matt 11:16-19
Change begins with me…
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We can learn a lot about ourselves from the criticisms Christ levelled against the Jews of His time.
Spiritual Laziness: A Fundamental Problem
“The only person who likes change is a wet baby”… Our proverbial distaste for change is a manifestation of the spiritual derangements mentioned in “Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit“.
When we encounter a teaching that might force us to change ourselves, we would prefer to reject it.
If we need to justify this unwarranted rejection, we scramble around for things that we can criticise in the teaching (that we have not yet studied properly), the teacher, or its followers.
This leads to the “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” attitude highlighted in Matt 11:16.
Today, we ignore genuine prophets sent by Christ and His Almighty Father:
Wherefore, behold,
I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes:
and some of them ye shall kill and crucify;
and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues,
and persecute them from city to city
— Matt 23:34
Most of us prefer false prophets that flatter our weaknesses (ref. “The Fruit of the False Prophets“).
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It’s Not Familiar, So It’s Not True
Some of us expect (demand?) that any new revelation should conform to our existing orientation (ref. “False Faiths, Part 1 & Part 2“).
This contains a number of assumptions:
- That we are very knowledgeable and already on the right path. We cannot understand something new unless we study it. But proper study involves following the thought pattern of the teacher, not our pre-existing thinking.
- That revelations should adjust to us, and not the other way around. Some think that the Creator is desperately chasing after us. So, He will ensure that we find His Messengers very convincing. But our way of thinking is corrupt and wrong. Therefore, a genuine Message cannot conform to our norms and expectations:
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand;
and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
For this people’s heart is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed
— Matt 13:14-15
- That what is unfamiliar/new negates what is familiar/old. The new that is true will not negate that part of the old that is also true. Christ’s Message did not negate genuine truths expressed by Moses et al. (ref. “God’s Perfection, Part 1“). The new gives deeper insight into the old (ref. “Ye Have Heard That Christ Said“).
I Had An Experience!
Some of us have had some sort of spiritual experience, which is a good thing.
The problem arises when we cling to this one great experience, forgetting that spiritual progress consists of many experiences (ref. “From Faith to Faith“).
Unknowingly, we become incapable of opening up to new experiences and new revelations.
Everybody Should Be Accepting It
If it’s so true, why isn’t it already popular? Why isn’t everybody following it?
The person asking the question has not asked why he himself did not encounter or listen to this teaching already long ago. Is the answer to that question a reflection on the teaching, or a reflection on his own life choices till date?
The majority of genuine prophets, and even Christ Himself, were ignored or rejected by the majority. Popularity has no inherent correlation with Truth.
History also demonstrates that the religious, political, economic, and social elites prefer the status quo. They are usually opposed to Truth and the changes it might initiate, and they influence the masses accordingly.
Re: The Age of False True Prophets
We need to make the effort to see ourselves as we truly are (ref. “Light Up Your Body“), otherwise we will recognise neither the true prophets nor the Son of Man, who is expected just when the number of false prophets has reached its peak1.
Today’s Resolution:
- Let us be courageous enough to accept that we may be wrong in many fundamental things, and be willing to examine all things that we come across as objectively as we can.
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- For more on the topic of the Son of Man, see Stephen Lampe, The Spirit of Truth Brings The Everlasting Testament (Millennium Press, 2023) ↩︎
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