Scriptural contradictions.

     I wound up reading two passages today that seemed to contradict each other in many ways. Oddly, I am looking at America politics to help solve my problem.

    When a candidate is campaigning and presents him/her self before a group they are well advised to convey some anecdote that will make them feel comfortable or aligned with the candidate. This helps engender a feeling of camaraderie.  For example if I were campaigning to a Jewish group, I might slip in something about my last trip to Israel and my visit to the wailing wall. Or I might mention attendance at a primarily Jewish function. If I was speaking before the HRC I might note legislation I sponsored ( and hopefully passed! ) that promotes gender equality or such.

      When the Apostles were spreading the Good News and when Gospels were being written, they were written in many instances for specific audiences. The appealed to groups with stories they would understand and that might be familiar to them. The 'letters' often spoke of specific problems that were to be addressed and mention people that would endear the writer to the recipient. Seems almost political but we are all that way and perhaps always have been. We  mention mutual friends we speak of common causes. We do not show up at a JDL rally wearing a KKK outfit.

      So I am presented with several scriptural passages that seem to contradict each other. If not literally, then in spirit. One is Jesus ( almost irrationally ) expecting to find figs on a fig tree out of season. Jesus condemns the fig tree. Wow! Second, Jesus enters the temple and sees money changers working feverishly at their business. Jesus becomes insensed and overturns the tables and ejects the moneychangers from 'his father's house'. In another example I thought of, Jesus is asked how many times we should forgive, up to seven times? Jesus replies not up to seven times but seventy times seven. IN other words, essentially always and forever. Three competing pictures. Some of us might wish Jesus return and like ejecting the moneychangers, act in similar fashion to some in the church who seem to be more Pharisee-like that followers of Christ but I digress.

        My vision and message of Christ is one of total love, inclusion and forgiveness. It is not an angry and condemning fig tree killer. It seems quite plausible he'd get angry over misuse of His father's house.  We then need to recall that when we cherry pick passages to support our anger, cause or translation of God's intent, we need to insert the human aspect of scriptural writing. We need to note who the Scripture was written by, who it was written to, what it was written for, when it was written and why. Just like a good news story. The answers can be quite telling.

       As we may feel touched by the incredible love Jesus has towards us as witnessed by His dying on a cross for us, perhaps we feel we'd lie to read more scripture. I love nothing more that delving into the Good Book. As we do so, remember that it is a spiritual document, an inspired book but also a book written by humans.  There are magnificent messages, hidden treasures and it all is enriched by scholarly knowledge, the who what when where and why of any reporting.

      On another day we'l look at translation issues.