Friday, October 5, 2018

The Conscience of a Community - Solving Corruption - Where Does It Begin?

Change begins in the heart and it is from a clean heart that one can then be a positive influence upon others.

Let's use some logic and reason.

Jesus was critical of the religious leaders in his day in saying this...

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." Mat 23:27-28

In other words, the Pharisees (religious leaders) put on an outward show of being righteous people but in their hearts they were actually compromised, selfish and evil. The solution to their problem was to...

"Thou blind Pharisee, CLEANSE FIRST that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." Jesus of Nazareth, Mat 23:28

In order to be truly clean/righteous on the outside one must first be clean/righteous on the inside. This is why Jesus preached REPENTANCE, the change of mind associated with turning away from all wickedness. We cannot offer a solution to others if we are not living example of that solution ourselves. Jesus stated it like this...

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Mat 7:1-5

Jesus was teaching that if one is to judge another's behaviour as wrong, and yet that one be in wrong behaviour themself, then the one judged will simply measure their accuser by the same standard and thus indicate their hypocrisy. This is something that occurs everyday all through society, people point at the iniquity that is around them and yet never FIRST deal with the iniquity within themselves. The problem with society is iniquity or lawlessness, in other words, people doing what they want lacking in care as to the effect it has on others or upon society as a whole.

Society needs leaders to stand up and not only advocate love and righteousness but to also LIVE love and righteousness. Anything less is simply empty platitudes devoid of any real substance. When the people see their institutions as corrupt then, in their mind, corruption is the norm and thus becomes acceptable.

If there are not leaders that advocate love and righteousness whom also LIVE love and righteousness then it is up to the individuals whom are not in leadership positions to BECOME leaders. Not necessarily leaders in governing institutions, wherein corruption is generally necessary in order to move up the ladder, but rather leaders in COMMUNITY. Advocate righteousness in the street, in the work place, in the home. The real issue with a corrupt society is with ALL the people whom make up the corrupt society. Jesus used the example of SALT...

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Mat 5:13-16

Where is the SALT today? Where are the LIGHTS on a hill today? Let US be responsible and be those lights. Anything less can really be summed up as a lack of love for others.

Please consider.

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