Jesus Waged War on Confusion

What Did Jesus Do?

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
1 Corinthians 14:33

Though the Temptations declared the world a “Ball of Confusion,” back in the 60s, this globe’s disordered state was hardly new at that time. And, though folks my age might look back to some past decade or era as a better time, as folks my age have done for ages, this 21st Century holds about as much promise as it does peril. The trouble is not with the “Ball” itself, but with the people who populate it, we’re just so, well, confused. We’re the victims of our own disordered thinking, which condemns us to disordered living. No wonder peace is so hard to find. As nice as it would be if someone could simply declare peace in the midst of all the confusion, the truth is that very few of us (as in none of us) is about to surrender our way of living, confused as it is, without a fight. And so, when the Prince of Peace came into the world, he came not to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)

Does this mean that Jesus came declaring war? By no means! He came proclaiming peace, but to our, and the world’s, confused and disordered way of thinking and living, Christ’s proclamation of peace was, well, as they say in the hills around here, fightin’ words. Come on, let us be honest here, does not confusion and disorder reign in all of us? Don’t think so? Here are just a few examples:

1. Every driver I know is confused about speed limits. 25 m.p.h. means 30-35. 45 m.p.h. means at least 55. 65 or 70 m.p.h. means pushing 80. Confusion.

2.The majority of husbands and wives think “for better or for worse, ‘til death do us part,” means, “‘til one or the other of us wants to bail for pretty much any reason.” Confusion.

3.In Genesis Chapter One, God made two separate genders, “male and female he
created them.” But more and more people believe gender is a malleable thing, as in, “I may be male (or female), but I think I’d rather be the other.” So, boys become girls, girls become boys, women become men, and men become women. Confusion.

4.Politicians (and most of the people who elect them) read, “you shall not ______”
and insert “get caught” in front of the “_______.” Confusion.

As it turns out, the Temptations were in fact pretty close to the truth. The only problem was that they were singing about the wrong Ball. The Ball of Confusion which causes each of us, and the world, so much trouble, sits atop our shoulders. In between our ears disorder reigns, confusion runs amok, and we don’t take it kindly when someone like Jesus calls us out on it, and tells us we need to get our heads on straight.

So, wielding the Sword of Truth (That would be the Word of God), Jesus waged war on confusion. To people confused about the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught many “the kingdom is like _____” lessons. (see Matthew 13:31-52) To people confused by teachers who turned what was black and white into so much gray, Jesus cleared things up by teaching, “But I say to you _______.” (see Matthew 5:21-48) Jesus taught parables to people confused about who was their neighbor (see Luke 10:25-37), mixed up as to where to invest their treasure (see Luke 12:13-21), and who were victims of their own disordered thinking regarding the out of this world love of our Father in heaven (see Luke 15:11-32).

All this confusion is rooted deep within us, and has been from the first generation. It is the result of exchanging the truth for a lie, and it always produces sin in our lives, which means it looses sin in the world, which means apart from Jesus, who is The Truth, neither we nor the world can know peace.

It really is as simple as the bumper stickers and t-shirts say it is:

No Jesus means no peace.
Know Jesus means know peace.

This peace of Christ, well it is the only peace truly worth fighting for.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4