Any Christian who is paying attention even nominally to our current political situation, and is even moderately well versed in Scripture and history, will realize (hopefully…) that the title of this article is not pure hyperbole. Nor is it a blatant attempt on my part to only promote my ideas. Once again, I have to admit that the overall concept is probably better suited for something more book-length and in-depth, but at least let’s touch on the idea.
Just as one of the cornerstones of the Dems/libs/socialists (forgive the redundancy…) is unending victimhood, Christians understand that one of the foundational cornerstones of our faith is personal responsibility.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few examples of the times that Christ had a one-on-one encounter with someone. He always presented them with a point of personal responsibility designed either to enable them to change the direction of their life, or for a more immediate understanding of the situation. Either way, it was presented to that individual as something THEY were to be responsible for.
In John 3:1-21, there is the story of Christ’s encounter with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Without going into the entire encounter at length, Christ told the man that “ye must be born again”. This is where we all start as Christian believers … taking responsibility for our own salvation. It was this very question that brought a Jewish religious leader to Christ. Christ’s answer was personal.
Luke 18:18-27 is the encounter of Christ with the Rich Young Ruler. This scripture story has been used countless times as an example of how not to be tied to or dependent upon worldly wealth. The gist of the encounter is that Christ already knew what the young man’s response would be, but He nonetheless presented him with the truth of what his responsibility actually was. It is not an indictment on success or wealth but rather shows that wealth shouldn’t be the controlling factor of your life.
A great example of Christ presenting an immediate point of responsibility was the encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:2. Christ recognized the man’s desire to see him and used it as an opportunity to personally be close to him.
There are three very interesting encounters involving personal responsibility that Christ also had with women.
The Samaritan Woman At The Well in John 4:4-42. In a long discourse, two points are brought up. a.) On a personal note, the woman had to confront her somewhat adulterous life, and b.) the ministry of Christ was recognized as being for all people. Jews regarded Samaritans as second class or lower and had few, if any, interactions with them. The woman took the responsibility to tell her entire community that this man, this Jew, was someone they should listen to. In so doing, a usually ignored community and group of people experienced salvation.
The Woman Found In Adultery. In John 8:1-11, as Jesus was teaching, a group of Pharisees and Scribes brought a woman before Him who was found in adultery. Under Mosaic Law, she could have been stoned to death. What Christ did, however, was make the religious leaders look at sin in their own lives. As they left, and the woman was alone, Christ’s words to her were to “sin no more”. Read it for yourself when you get the chance. There’s nothing like confronting your own screw-ups in life to make you want to be responsible for your own change.
Perhaps the most interesting encounter is found in three different gospels. It’s the story of the woman who anointed Christ with expensive ointment. It’s found in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John chapter 12. What’s interesting is somewhat ambiguous at first. While Judas reproved the woman for doing what she did, saying that it was a waste and that the ointment could have been sold for a good price which could have been used to help the poor, Christ did not reprimand the woman for doing so. His response instead was “…the poor you will always have with you.”
Consider that line by itself for a moment. First off, the very words of Christ are a clear condemnation of socialism and government trying to always level the playing field. The concept of “fairness” isn’t even considered. It’s part of the human condition that there will always be “have’s” and “have nots”. That’s not going to change.
In fact, Christ was actually referencing this verse from Deuteronomy 15:11 “The poor shall never cease out of the land, therefore I command thee, saying, thou shalt open thine hand wide unto they brother, and to thy poor, and to the needy in thy land.”
Before there were government programs for this, that and everything in between, it was mostly the church and individuals that helped those less fortunate. You sank or swam on your own merit most of the time.
By Christ referencing this verse and declaring that poverty would always be part of life for some, He was throwing the responsibility for their care to the rest of us. By not reprimanding the woman who anointed Him, He also acknowledged that there are times when the opportunity for worship and service would be immediate, in the moment and should be acted upon.
In other words, it’s our responsibility as Christians to worship and seek to do service to others whenever and wherever we can. This transcends the church, because we ARE the church. It’s also our responsibility to get back to the mindset that we can and should do whatever we can, when we can, to help the less fortunate.
In closing, I just want to express a desire of mine. I’ve been writing a lot, even focusing somewhat, on the idea/concept of empiricism. I won’t go into definitions at this point…you should know it by now. Part of being responsible is paying attention to what is going on around you. I’ve read several other writers who are focusing on this as well. I’m not claiming to be a well-known, influential writer, or prophet of any sort. I believe that the idea of personal responsibility for yourself, your family, your community and ultimately your country is entirely intrinsic to conservative values. And Christian principles are intrinsic to conservative values. I feel that more people need to reach this conclusion.
I released a CD last year entitled SALT. (Shameless self-promotion, I know…but I also am working on another. Stay tuned…) I took the title SALT primarily from the Matthew 5:13 verse where Christ calls us the “salt of the earth.” Well, along with being incredibly valuable in the ancient world, salt was also used as a preservative. In short, salt stopped the rot. And that’s part of our responsibility….help stop the rot.
And for an extra special little jab at the left… I just want to throw this out there as well. Ask anyone who is part of the open borders crowd if they locked their house when they left for the day. Of course, the answer will be “Of course.”
“Why…?”
“Why not… I need to protect my stuff.”
“Okay, but you want the entire country open? Who’s gonna protect the rest of us … are you willing to take responsibility for this? Isn’t protecting yourself, your family, and even your stuff … part of your responsibility as a citizen?”
This is usually when I’m asked to leave. I just love to tell folks, even Christians who’ve not paid attention, to read the book of Nehemiah … which is about building a wall.
Thank you for your indulgence and have a nice day.
