We have been talking a lot about morals for the past few days.  Morals, standards, right and wrong and how to incorporate that into raising our children.  About two weeks ago I responded to a post from Molly and I said this: ”I must admit, that our friends who does attend “church” do not really understand what we are doing, or how we can live from a perspective where right and wrong are both irrelevant as it is both borne from the tree of knowledge. Our explanation that we are living from the Tree of Life, in the Love and Grace of Jesus, does’nt satisfy their need for rules. They seem to think that we are now going to live immoraly and who knows what else!!! “  I did not have time to go look again, but Nestus (my dearest) did and it seems as if I again managed to upset people.  I am quite good at that.  Probably because I talk and write straight out of what I think.  Not a lot of carefull weighing to make sure everybody understands me, sorry

Well all this talk made me think, why would people think that we will live immorally if we say that we live out of the Tree of Live, Jesus Christ.  When we say we do not live out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as living out of that would be dead.  We say Jesus lives in and through us, He is our source, no more human rules etc.  Only Him and whatever He wants to do.  Maybe that seem to wishy-washy, or maybe …….

Jesus is not morally acceptable?  I mean,

When He was twelve, he did not tell his parents where He was.  He stayed behind at the temple when they left for home.  Now, I may not be well with words and biblical exegesis but you can ask any mother, that is not acceptable behaviour!!

The first time He performed a miracle in public, what did He do?!  He turned wine into water!!!  He liked to party.  In my world, that kind of party is not morally acceptable.

Then He started choosing friends.  And the influence He had on them!! He told them to leave everything behind and follow Him.  What about their responsibilities.  It is absolutely immoral to leave your family, your wife, your responsibilities.

He talked to lepers, even touched them.  In those days there were no Mother Theresa’s who made that acceptable.  If you were in contact with one those despicable persons you were unclean.  This behaviour of His was certainly seen as irresponsible and immoral.

He dined with a taxcollector!  That is backstabbing of His people!! You can just as well go dine with your nations greatest enemy!!  And then He said you should love your enemy.  He certainly had no standards!!  In a community we have to keep certain standards and if you cannot do that, well then you are isolated.  Maybe you are just stark raving mad….     Ahhh, that’s probably why Jesus’s mother, His brothers and sister came to take Him away, they thought He lost his mind.

What other moral highlights were there in His life?  He healed people on the Sabbath (immoral), told His disciples to pick up grain on the Sabbath (immoral), touched a dead girl (unclean), was kind to a Samaritan woman, who was married for so many times and lived with somebody without being married.  And then He told her that her sins were forgiven.  Goodness – how much more immoral do you want!!  But then….   He allowed a prostitute to wash His feet!! 

I see, its no wonder everybody get so worried that we will live immorally ,if we follow Jesus, we probably will……  allready have.  Allowed a black boy to live in our “all so white” house (untill a few years ago this was very immoral here where we are, and yes, there was people who refused to visit us for as long as he stayed with us), brought other unaccepltable people into our home like a homeless lady, a very troubled teenage boy etc, etc.  Try to teach our children to go the second mile, give more than what is asked of them, accept everybody in the love of Christ, react in love to those who tease them, or are just generally nasty towards them in school, etc. etc. 

I have difficulty to understand how anybody can think living from Jesus as the beginning and end of everything can be living a life lacking in “morals”.  Living from Jesus’s take so much more than following rules of society, which is actually a breeze.  Luckily, Jesus Himself, do all the living if you allow Him ( this again sounds wishy washy but I do not know how to express it differently).