The Holy Bible contains dozens of strange statements that the Western mind cannot comprehend without help from those who have studied the Middle-eastern cultures of the past and present and have been kind and generous enough to share their findings with the rest of the world.  This series will consist of such findings.  I present the research findings of these king souls in the hope that they will enlighten you as much as they enlightened me when I came to understand what certain passages of Scripture meant to the people of that day and today.  I will briefly explain each passage and show how the statement related to what was taking place at the time.

Luke 10:4– Jesus is preparing to send out seventy disciples to minister in the areas where they lived which He would later visit.  Over time they would all minister among people that they knew, including family members.  As is the case when He sends a servant to do a specific job, all other considerations are to be set aside.  They are to get on with the business at hand.  God’s work is of utmost importance.  All other things are of lesser importance.

When sending the disciples off on their assigned mission Jesus told them to “… salute (greet and converse with) no one by (along) the way.”  This sounds rather impolite until to anyone who does not understand the Middle Eastern culture which was and continues to be very different from, sometimes the exact opposite of Western cultural.  Time being of the essence, Jesus wanted the disciples to complete their assignment as quickly as possible.  He knew that His disciples would be seeing old friends and family members who would expect certain rituals to be followed upon their meeting.  He knew that following his Luke 10:4 command would be one of the most difficult aspects of their mission.

Within the Middle Eastern culture there is an ancient and greatly valued custom that was expected to be followed when friends, and even enemies, met following an extended absence.  Among Middle-eastern people it was customary for people, upon meeting, to kiss one another on both cheeks,  Then each would place one’s right hand over his heart, then touch his own lips, then his forehead.  Following this they would clasp hands.  Following this ritual each would ask about the other’s living area, his house, his animals and crops and, and most important of all, each member of his family.  Each subject was discussed by both people at length.  Time was unimportant in such interactions.  However, Jesus had told His disciples to fulfill their assignment as quickly as possible.  The disciples would have known that His instructions would cause them to appear rude and uncaring.  Today the same situation sometimes arises when His ministers must tell people the Truth, knowing that doing so will undoubtedly cause friction between ministers and their family and friends.  Is it wrong to deliberately voice what ones friends and family members “know” is “wrong.”  In effect, God’s messenger is telling them that they are not true Christians.  Have we not been told that one can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?  Should a minister, or lay person, say things that are guaranteed to cause friction between the parties, or worse?  Let Jesus answer.

The Lord made the following statement: “I did not come to bring peace to the earth, but a sword.”  The “sword,” as we are told in Ephesians 6:17, is the Word of God which cuts through the religious beliefs and practices held by Catholics and Protestants and exposes Satan’s darkness they embrace which they proclaim to be God’s light.  As Jesus said, such darkness is “great.”  Jesus went on to state that His purpose was not to created peace between people, but rather to turn them against each other as light and darkness are diametrically opposed.  He stated in clear terms that He came to turn father against son, daughter against mother, brother against brother, etc.  As I have often stated, to be a true Christian is to be continuously at war with family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers who are under the control of Satan but believe that they are God’s children and members of one of His churches.  Such religionists serve the god of this world–Satan and are at war with him and his fallen angels (Eph. 2:2).  Read Spiritual Warfare.  Key word–Warfare.  One either serves God by obeying Him or serves Satan by obeying him.  Because they are diametric opposites, there can be no collusion between the two gods, nor can there be spiritual unity on any level between their respective followers.  Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1.  We have no choice but to deal with worldly people on a social level.  Otherwise, as Paul said, we would have to leave the world for we are surrounded by them and are out numbered millions to one.  But social interaction is as far as the relationship can go if one is truly a child of God.  I realize that this seems counter-productive if one is trying to win someone to Christ.  Contrary to popular opinion (which I have heard voiced), God knows best.  Listen to what He says in His Holy Bible and follow it.  All other ways are the ways of man.  Though man’s way always seems right to him and “makes much more sense,” man’s way will lead him to destruction (Prov. 14:12).

Though God’s messengers language is sometimes cutting and usually causes anger, we are not to be deterred from speaking His Truth as did the prophets, Jesus and His apostles.  Let us be reminded that some of the prophets, all of the apostles except one and Jesus Christ Himself were martyred for simply speaking God’s Holy Word.  Tradition holds that Isaiah was sawn in two.  Eleven of the original apostles and Paul were killed using the most gruesome of methods.  And they were not along.  Later, multiplied millions of God’s Very Elect were killed by the Roman Empire at the behest of the Catholic Church in what came to be known as the Inquisition.  People continue to be martyred for the name of Jesus by Muslims and others.  Having been “saved” through the ministries of Catholics and Protestants, these poor, misguided souls are not true Christians.  However, they believe themselves to be God’s people and are killed for that reason.  L.J.