Matthew 22:29
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
When I read this, it reminded me how many times we screw up our discipleship / shepherding / ministries... our sheep do not grow... in fact we ourselves do not grow and keep on struggling. Of course ignorance of Scripture alone is not the ONLY issue... but a lot of times, we cause a lot of damage and hinder others' growths and experiencing the kingdom by teaching them to be more "practical", to be more sophisticated and worldly-wise... Instead of teaching them what the Scriptures say, we give them worldly human wisdom that lack the power of God. We prefer to rely on self-help literature that praise and promise success in worldly terms, because they seem to offer an easier way to winning souls. But we neglect to study the Scriptures and godly Christian literature that remind us of the way of the cross, the narrow gate, the cost of discipleship, the power of the Holy Spirit, learning to become more and more broken and let Christ increase...
Simply because we do not know what the Scriptures have to say, or do not believe the power of God to do more than all we can imagine. We shortchange ourselves ... and shortchange our disciples. All because we do not read the Bible carefully enough and do not believe in His power.
Looking at what I wrote, yes, it's very ... how to put it... extreme? Direct? Blunt? Hmm... actually, there's obviously much more to the whole picture than what I've written, and it's not such a clear case of black-and-white all the time. But I think I'll leave it in this format, because I mean this not as a teaching, but as a simplified sketch of what I think and feel. Like how a black-and-white line drawing does not do justice to the subtle shades and nuances of a grayscale photograph, let alone a full-coloured movie. But its starkness and clarity demonstrates a certain aspect of the topic, which I think it key to highlight to a specific audience and season.
So, that's my disclaimer. What you see above is not meant to be a thoughtfully-balanced post, but more of an emotive shove. :) So read it and take it with a pinch of salt, dear friend. :)
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