Three Bible passages that may blow your mind (in a good way).
I’m not a Bible thumper, but at one point in my life I read the New Testament…
…the last 25% or so of the Bible, from front to back. The highlights are the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which deal with the life and teachings of Jesus. While the stories there are not as archaic as those found in the Old Testament, it can still be some pretty dry reading. But every once in while I’d hit a passage that made me sit up and take notice.
I recently picked up the Bible again for the first time in awhile, and was glad to see I had conveniently underlined the good parts. I came across three passages that again grabbed my attention because they present Christianity in a light we seldom hear about, with teachings that seem to cut against what many of us think about God and church.
Mind Blower #1. “The kingdom of God is within you.”
This passage starts with Luke 17:20 and continues in Luke 17:21: One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Wait a second you say, isn’t the kingdom of God somewhere in the heavens, manned by a bearded guy sitting on a golden throne? The funny thing is this description of God the father, the one you may have seen pictured in grade school religious books, is never actually mentioned by Jesus or the bible.
For me, this passage supports a personal belief that we have the ability to tap into a divine source of wisdom and guidance at any given moment—a source that lives within our own souls. It is the God within us, and by working with it using our imagination and intuition, we can receive the guidance and direction we seek.
Mind Blower #2. “Ask and you will receive.”
This one comes from Mark 7:7 and deals directly with what we may ask for in prayer and out of life—and it sure makes it sound easy: Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.
This one I take with a grain of salt, as I don’t think you can take this to mean that God is a fairy godmother granting all wishes. But I do think it’s another sign that divine help is available to us, IF we’re on the right path, pursuing our true purpose in life. Do all you can with your own abilities, but when you find yourself stuck, simply ask for help and it will be given.
Mind Blower #3. “When you pray, pray privately.”
I was raised to believe that the place to pray was in church. Sure, you could say a bedtime prayer, but if you really wanted a direct connection to the divine, it was best done on Sundays from the pew. This passage from Matthew 6:6 counters that in a big way. Here, Jesus instructs:
When you pray, go to your room and close the door. Pray privately to your Father who is with you. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.
As you may know, nowhere in the bible does Jesus talk about setting up a church or attending church. This was the idea of Paul of Taurus, who’s prominently featured in the New Testament, but who never actually met or received any direction from Jesus.
In fact, the preceding passage in Matthew 6:5 actually seems to say don’t go to church: When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They like to stand in synagogues and on street corners to pray so that everyone can see them.
In closing, I’d be the first to admit there’s a lot in the Bible that can rub you the wrong way. But as a local reverend once told me when I asked him about some parts of the Bible I found questionable, “you’ve got to find the passages that have meaning to you”. Next up: the Tao Te Ching.
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?
Yup, these are great passages indeed! Thank you for the reminder. That said, the pictue of Jesus in this post kind of reminds me of a late 70s light rock guy.
Hi Sunita, See additional info on the image chosen for this post below. Best, Tom
Thanks for outlining these Tom! I don't think that its about "picking and choosing" through the Bible, but seeing or maybe interpreting the passages, parables, and stories with a different perspective.
And, that Jesus picture totally looks like you Tom LOL!!
Yes! God within us which means WE ARE NOT GOD or GODDESSES!
We ARE the church but the bible also speaks heavily about the importance of fellowship since the ways of the world/Satan will burn us out. Churches are supposed to be gathering places for fellowship.
I guess this just goes to show I’m doing a good job studying the Word because none of these surprised me!! Thank you for sharing!
Emma I am sorry I tried to hit thumbs up & hit down accidentally…I loved your comment. Thank you
There is some evidence that Jesus studied in Asia during his "lost years" from 13-30. It sure sounds like meditation to me. good read :The King of Travellers, about the evidence that Jesus studied with masters in India and the Himalayas during these years.
(that last passage was Acts 2:43-47)
Paul was from Tarsus. He is known either as Paul the Apostle (the Apostle Paul) or Saul of Tarsus, not Paul of Taurus.
Very inspiring. I teach yoga and meditation and have mentioned to several students that my favorite way to understand the Bible is to meditate on the words of Christ and use that resulting stage of mind to approach the rest.
At least post a picture of a more accurate looking Jesus. Hint… not a white guy.
Thanks for this. It has given me some peace, and a moment of reflection on what has been a crazy day so far. Thank you.
Thanks for more open attitude and some "food " for reflexion. Let s shake little bit our deep beliefs…and find the TRUTH.
Christ was the ultimate Humanitarian! I would encourage all people to read the first 4 books of the New Testament because it is quite inspiring in that Christ encourages/commands us to care for one another regardless of belief/background/status, and also to love one another as one of the most important and significant things we can do as humans.
I recommend the Gospel of John. It's got a lot of fodder for contemplation.
Great choices but they dis-empower the church and empower every independent individual being. Those along with God mad man in his own image is really all I need! I can figure the rest out. and if I get stuck, I know who to ask!
Lots of great comments and insights here, thanks! I wanted to comment on one aspect mentioned, the Jesus illustration that accompanies the post. I was looking for something a little out of the ordinary and found it, and I have to agree with the comment by Sunita Pillay that it "reminds me of a late 70s light rock guy"! The picture brought a smile to my face and I hope it did the same for you.
What's interesting about the many images of Jesus is that up through the mid-1600's there was a prototypical angelic-looking Jesus, a look that was strictly enforced by the church. Rembrandt broke this mold by capturing a different, more human looking Jesus. See story and link here: http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/409.html Since that time, Jesus has been portrayed many ways and I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder–even if the image may occasionally stray from reality.
Best wishes to all, Tom
Hello,
Sadly, there is nothing "out of the ordinary" about the picture you posted of Jesus. It looks very similar to many I saw as a child growing up Catholic (long since said goodbye to Christianity though). Jesus always looked caucasian, had blow dryed and feathered hair (like Farrah Fawcett since it was the 1970s) and if it was in a cheesy documentary he had a British accent too!
I have been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or weblog posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this site. Reading this info So i?m satisfied to exhibit that I have a very excellent uncanny feeling I came upon just what I needed. I so much definitely will make sure to don?t overlook this web site and give it a look on a constant basis.
[...] Bonus: Love, according to an ancient text. [...]
Christianity was referred to as "The Way" by the Romans, Greeks, Jews, and "Gentiles" of Christs era.
Paul's conversion did not come about because of "meeting Christ." He supposedly had a vision of Christ. Take that for what it's worth, which is not much. Paul I am not a fan of. I think Christianity would be better without him and his hatred for women.