Jesus' Ministry.
Jesus' modus operandi in ministry was "doing good". Helping people, loving people, healing people, and fellowshipping with people who were not the favorites of the religious elite. Although he was judged as being negative, brash and heretical by the religious establishment because of his not conforming to their system and ways, He had a profound positive influence on the people the religious system of the day despised. These people were marveled by what He had to say because of His life living.
His message was simplistic, He said you must become as a little CHILD to gain entrance into His Kingdom! He didn't preach Temple worship, He didn't preach going to church as going to a Sunday-programed-event-driven meeting and repeating "the sinner's prayer to enter His kingdom, He didn't preach difficult regulatory rules to follow. All he did was preach LOVE and show Love while living as a loved child of God, as He tried to lead God's people into Hid community of the redeemed, whose only modus operandi are to "love the Lord with all thy heart" and "love thy neighbour as thyself" and from that love flows His life to meet the needs of the people By Him working through His community.
He had very little to do with the self-righteous, synagogue going scribes, pharisees and hypocrites...the religious elite of that day...except when they tried to trap Him with their critical questions. His harshes words were to them, publicly exposing them as the "blind leaders of the blind", telling them that they were like white-washed SEPULCHERS, beautiful, clean and holy on the OUTSIDE, but WITHIN are full of rottenness, corruption and stinking dead men's bones!
He did not come to reform religious people. He came as a revolutionary to END RELIGION that kept the people in bondage as indicated by His working outside the religious system and His refusing to be swallowed up by them. His ministry was reaching out and showing love to the common poor people who were abandoned and rejected by organized religion.
He never stood in front of a fast-food restaurant waiving placards in support of its owner for standing for some "Christian cause". He did not stand outside a beer dive condemning the people who went in o the drunks coming out. Nor did He ever enter Cat-house, beating on the prostitutes or berating them or their patrons for their deviant lifestyle. But He did make a whip, go into their big beautiful religious Temple, tip over the tables, spill out the money and drive the money-hungry religious elite out of the "church", condemning them for turning what was supposed to be a house of prayer into a den of thieves because of their thieving thievery.
He made Himself of no reputation, kept company with drunks and prostitutes, publicans and sinners, the outcasts and downtrodden of society. Get this! He also told them that they would enter the Kingdom of Heaven before the self-righteous and religious leaders who re jected Him and His Message of Love. The power of His Love message was so appealing and gave such great faith to the sincere truth-seekers that they didn't hesitate to drop everything they had and forsake all to become His disciples.
Jesus is the LOVER of all LOVERS, He came because He LOVED, LIVED LOVED and LOVING and DIED LOVING, that WE might LIVE and LOVE God while LOVING the people of the world
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