The Lutheran Hour
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"Who Is Narrow-Minded?"
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Text: Acts 4:12
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Christ has risen. He has risen, indeed! The angel’s announcement and the Savior’s appearances make Him unique. He is the Savior and in Him alone is salvation. By God’s grace may that salvation be ours. Grant this, Lord, unto us all. Amen.
(Clip from The Shadow radio program)You don’t have to be old, and you don’t have to be a big radio fan to recognize that old clip. A few of you may know the story of The Shadow, aka Lamont Cranston, wealthy, young man with a passion for justice. According to the storyline, when Cranston was traveling in the Orient, he learned a secret that allowed him to cloud men’s minds. Depending on the situation he could make himself invisible, or speak with a disembodied voice that people felt compelled to answer. In short, Cranston could get people to do things they normally wouldn’t do.
It occurs to me that there are many people who think Jesus, His disciples, pastors, and priests, have hypnotic powers like The Shadow. They think the Christ and His church take nice, normal people and using gibberish and supposed spiritual secrets, cloud their minds. They think the Savior and His servants work very hard at getting others to believe things they shouldn’t believe; they hold the opinion that the church takes a person’s personality, his individuality, and his potential and replaces them with blame and shame and guilt. When that’s done, the church picks your pockets and has you pay for the privilege of becoming a mindless drone. To these folks, the church looks a lot like The Shadow as we cloud and confuse perfectly good minds.
When Jesus walked among us, He did miracles to heal those who were disabled, disfigured, despised. When He spoke to sinners, He called them to repentance and offered them the forgiveness and salvation that His life, suffering, death, and resurrection would bring. In Jesus the outcast knew he had a Friend and the discouraged, the depressed, the damned were given a lifeline of hope. When Jesus came upon those who were mourning a loved one, He comforted those broken hearts and restored the dead to life. You can imagine how the establishment reacted to the Redeemer. Actually, you can’t.
Don’t try; not in a thousand years could you guess how the Jewish leaders responded to the Son of God and the wonderful things He did. Thankfully, since the Bible tells us what happened, you don’t have to guess. Let me share an example. In the book of John it tells of how Jesus healed a crippled man. Understandably, that man was overjoyed and told everyone who would listen about Jesus’ miracle. Common sense says the religious leaders should have been glad for the man and thrown Jesus a parade or put on a banquet or given Him the keys to the city. That’s what should have happened. It didn’t. John 5 says the leaders persecuted Jesus because the miracle was done on their day of rest.
It gets worse. Later, John records how Jesus told His listeners He was “the Light of the world”; God’s Truth who would free them from the censure of sin, the clutches of Satan, and the condemnation of eternal death. That message is good news, great news, the best news you will ever hear. WE are saved by grace through faith in the Savior Who took our sins, carried our punishment, and died the death we deserved. That’s what Jesus preached, and how did the Jewish leaders respond? John 8:48 tells us the Jews came to Him and accused Him of being “a Samaritan and having a demon.” They were not paying Him a compliment when they implied He was clouding people’s minds.
Toward the end of Jesus’ ministry complaint and criticism escalated into condemnation so vehement and violent that it led to His crucifixion. That happened after Jesus went to the grave of His friend Lazarus. Even though Lazarus had been dead and begun to decompose, Jesus asked his grave be opened. Then, with an authority only possessed by God, the Savior ordered Lazarus to come out. Still wrapped in mummy-like bandages, a restored and resurrected Lazarus came out of his tomb. Impressive. So impressive Scripture says: “Many of the Jews… who … had seen what he (Jesus) did, believed in him.” Many believed, but not all. The leaders, ahhh, the leaders. They didn’t believe. In a panic they called an emergency meeting of their Security Council. The session began with some wringing their hands and whining: “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him….” They thought Jesus was clouding the minds of the people and wooing them away from that which is good and right — namely, themselves.
The wailing and weeping was ended by their High Priest, a man of action named Caiaphas. After he gave his colleagues a tongue-lashing, he set the course of action. Caiaphas thundered: “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, (and) not that the whole nation should perish.” That section of Scripture concludes: “So from that day on they made plans to put (Jesus) him to death.” Their plans were successful. They bribed one of Jesus’ disciples to betray Him; they paid witnesses to lie about the Savior at His trial; they changed the charges against the Lord when they brought Him to the Roman procurator, they managed to intimidate Rome’s representative and Jesus was nailed to a cross.
The leaders were pleased Jesus was gone and they were back in the driver’s seat. Of course some of them were a bit worried Jesus might be able to reach out of His tomb and cloud people’s minds. That’s why they went to Pilate with a request. “Sir,” they said, “while Jesus was still alive He claimed He would rise from the dead. Please, have His grave secured for three days. We don’t want the disciples stealing His body and clouding the minds of the people with a resurrection story. If that happens, things will be worse than they were before.” At their request Jesus’ grave was sealed and guarded. Even so, on the third day, exactly as He had promised, Jesus rose from the dead. The seal was broken, the guard ran away, and Christ showed He was alive; again and again He showed He was really, physically, undeniably alive.
It didn’t take long before the disciples began preaching the story of the crucified Christ. By the Holy Spirit’s guidance, those uneducated, backwoods disciples began sharing a powerful message of proclamation. To the crowds that gathered they said something like: “Because of the hatred of your leaders, Jesus of Nazareth was unjustly crucified. But that terrible death that should have ended the Redeemer’s life was part of God’s Divine design to save you. Because Jesus has lived His perfect life in your stead the Father has accepted His Son’s sacrifice. Today the risen Redeemer invites you to believe. Repent, be baptized, believe.” That is the unbelievable invitation the disciples shared.
Did I say the invitation was unbelievable? Apparently it wasn’t. People believed. By the hundreds, by the thousands people believed Jesus had died and risen so they might be saved. Now if the preaching of a risen Savior was good news for them, it was a nightmare for the Jewish leaders. ‘The minds of the people are being clouded again’, they must have said to themselves. Then, when the leaders thought it couldn’t get any worse, it got worse, much worse. A new level of authenticity and authority was added to the Savior’s message when Peter and John healed a crippled beggar. For many years this particular invalid had sat on the temple steps asking for assistance from the worshippers. People knew this man; they knew his affliction was real; and when they saw him laughing and jumping and leaping, they knew his healing was real, too.
The Jewish authorities couldn’t take it. The temple guards were sent to arrest Peter and John and bring them in for a hearing. The questioning was not kindly. “Who gives you the authority to do these things?” the rulers demanded. If they expected a one or two word answer, they didn’t get it. The disciples replied in the form of a mini-sermon which went something like, “Jewish leaders, do you remember Jesus, the Fellow you hated, rejected, and railroaded to the cross? Well, you discarded Him, but the Father in heaven accepted the sacrifice He made for sinful humanity. Jesus lives and it is by the power of the living Lord Jesus we did this.” And lest their point had been missed, the disciples concluded, we want you to know, “…there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Of all the statements in the Bible that are considered politically incorrect, the disciples’ words must be ranked close to the top. Listen again: salvation is only found in Jesus; His is the only name which saves. To our age, which takes inordinate pride in its open-mindedness, these exclusive statements are unbearable, unacceptable, and insupportable. The confession of faith made by Peter and John is more offensive to today’s unbelieving ear than when they first were spoken. Jesus alone can save. Modern man may concede there is the possibility of a “supreme being” out there, somewhere, but for any religion to say it has a complete lock on understanding and interpreting that Being seems obnoxious and abhorrent.” “Nobody”, they maintain, “can claim to have a monopoly on god. No religion can say it is in exclusive possession of truth.”
The creed of Christianity that claims the Savior is not a path to the Lord, but the only path to forgiveness and salvation drives them nuts; I mean it makes them go bonkers. Yes, they will agree Jesus was a fine Fellow and we should all love our enemies the way He encouraged; and maybe they allow the Carpenter’s Son was a great Teacher and we all have much to learn from what He said. Some are willing to bend so far as to tolerate Jesus as being a “Messenger who spoke on behalf of god, (if there is a god).” Then having conceded as much, and more than they wanted, skeptics quickly add: “To claim Jesus is right and everybody else, the myriad of prophets and multitudes of religions, are wrong, that is completely, totally out of the question. The idea of ‘salvation only through Jesus’ brings these folks together in a crusade that is dedicated to correcting us and unclouding our minds from the delusional fantasies of faith.”
That’s right. Open-minded, modern man feels he has been given a moral responsibility, a personal directive, a driven imperative to rescue Christians from their deluded, intolerant way of thinking. With an enthusiasm and a level of commitment that might be commendable in any other endeavor, these folks are dedicated to bringing darkness where Jesus has brought light; confusion where Jesus has bestowed certainty, and a great, grey unknown to the Lord’s bright knowledge of salvation. These folks, who believe they are open-minded in all things, become incredibly narrow-minded with the Savior and the faith the Holy Spirit bestows upon God’s people. A double standard allows them to detest Christian evangelism but causes no hesitation or reservation for their evangelizing Christians.
2,000 years ago the religious leaders at the time of Jesus’ resurrection desired to push the living Lord Jesus back into His tomb. They were not the last and they are not alone in wishing to shut down the Savior and reseal His grave. In some Islamic countries it remains a capital crime for anyone to be converted to the Christ; in some Communist countries acknowledging Jesus as Lord can lead to imprisonment, loss of property, and punishments far worse. Closer to home it is a rare comedian who doesn’t try to spice up his act by pointing out the foibles of Christians and the flaws of their faith. Hollywood churns out one movie after another where Christian parents are idiots and pastors are puritanical or perverted or both. In schools, children are given a day off for Thanksgiving, but teachers cannot point to “Whom” the students should give thanks. Salesclerks are told to wish their patrons a ‘Happy Holiday’, but they cannot refer to the One who makes the day happy or holy. In the higher halls of learning textbooks erase the Savior and all things spiritual, while professors speak with confident contempt of the Christ and do their utmost to lift the dark delusions that they believe clouds the minds of their Christian charges.
For years, the Christian community has sat by in silence as these folks have done their best to uncloud our minds and hearts. For years we’ve tried to answer the questions of those who are dissatisfied and discontent with Christianity. The intensity of their onslaught and the level of their laughter has both intimidated and discouraged us from asking them our own questions. Today that changes. My friend, you are trying to create a world without Jesus. Tell me what will this world look like if you succeed? Will the businessmen in your world act with a greater degree of accountability and will the workers of your society feel more fulfilled? Will your children act with greater civility, morality, and integrity? Without Christ, will husbands love their wives more deeply and will wives find greater security? If the Savior is locked away, where will the average person find the motivation to care for his neighbor and be a good citizen of his community and country? Without Christ, who will fill the food shelves of your neighborhood; who will send teams of helpers to storm-devastated communities; who will plug the holes of caring if Christ is gone? Tell me… what is your plan after you have removed the Christ; what will you offer to take His place? Surely you must know, you must have planned; or is your wisdom and planning confined to taking shots at Christ and His followers? Tell me if you can. Where in all this world can I see some flourishing example of a harmonious society that has no need of a Savior?
There are but two questions that remain unanswered. My previous remarks have been confined to dealing with this world; let me ask about the next. My friend, when it comes time for the people of your society to die, will they be at peace? Will they be able to face that moment without fear or foreboding? When they have passed, will those who are left behind have any kind of comfort, any kind of calm, any medicine to heal their hearts? If you are unable to provide a sure and a certain answer to that question, then I, and millions more like me, will continue to put our confidence in the Christ and His blood-bought salvation; we will continue to believe salvation is found in Jesus alone. We will do so because we are people of faith and not fools. And, dear friend, no matter what you might think, being a person of faith is not the same thing as being a fool.
Now there is but one question left. Set aside your open-minded, politically-correct worldview for just one second and answer this: “Suppose Peter and John were right; suppose the risen and living Lord Jesus IS the only Person Who can save; His blood the only way to forgiveness, His empty tomb the only sure hope of joyful eternity? If Peter and John were right, what then?” If you have no answer, then come, listen to the Savior’s invitation. If your mind has been clouded by too much open-mindedness, then join us in following the Savior. Call us at The Lutheran Hour. AmenLUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for May 3, 2009
Topic: Can Satan Heal?Announcer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions about the devil. I’m Mark Eischer.
Klaus: Hello, Mark.
Announcer: This question comes to us from a Bible Class. One of our listeners wanted to know, is Satan able to heal people physically, or is his power limited to the mere appearance of healing?
Klaus: What a fascinating question.
Announcer: Our listener believes that miraculous healings in the Bible, especially those performed by Jesus, were done to validate His claim as to who He was. If Satan is able to copy those miracles, how does that affect Jesus’ claims?
Klaus: Let’s break it down. First, does Satan have the power to do some spectacular stuff? The answer to that question is, “Yes.” We look at Moses when he appeared before Pharaoh. The Lord turned Moses’ walking stick into a serpent. But Pharaoh’s sorcerers were able to do that, too. And their power did not come from God. Then the Lord turned the water to blood, but….
Announcer: Pharaoh’s sorcerers could do that, also.
Klaus: Then there was the plague of frogs. And…
Announcer: Pharaoh’s sorcerers did that, too.
Klaus: Then the plague of lice. And…
Announcer: Pharaoh’s sorcerers copied that plague.
Klaus: But after that, Pharaoh’s sorcerers were left in the dust. Moses, the Lord’s representative, went on to perform miracles they couldn’t copy. From that, we can conclude that the Lord’s power far exceeds that of Satan.
Announcer: And we can also say the devil’s power is limited.
Klaus: Right. Now, let’s turn to miracles of physical healing. If I remember correctly, that really was what the listener’s question was all about.
Announcer: Yes, they wanted to know if the devil could heal diseases.
Klaus: As I think of Scripture, I see examples of how he can mess with people’s bodies. The case of Job would be an example. The devil afflicted Job with painful boils. But I can’t think of any time when he healed anyone.
Announcer: So, the answer to the question would be, “no.”
Klaus: No, the answer wouldn’t be “no.” Although it might seem like it ought to. Let me explain. Pain, illness, and the nastiness of life are the result of sin — and sin is Satan’s stock in trade. Now, if Satan can bring some kind of physical infirmity upon a person, if he can cause them to suffer, despair of healing, he can bring about depression, discouragement, despair.
Announcer: Agreed.
Klaus: Now, what would happen if he simply stopped putting pressure on someone? Would that be a healing?
Announcer: How do you mean that?
Klaus: Let me explain. I’ve got a pencil here. If I stab your arm with this pencil, it’s going to hurt.
Announcer: It would.
Klaus: Now if I stop stabbing your arm with this pencil, it’s going to stop hurting. Right?
Announcer: Right.
Klaus: So, did I heal that pain in your arm?
Announcer: No. You didn’t heal it. You just stopped causing the pain.
Klaus: And it occurs to me that Satan might be able to do the same. If he removes the problem that he caused in the first place, it would seem as if he had the power to heal.
Announcer: So, does Satan heal?
Klaus: Still not done. When Jesus was talking about the last times, in Matthew 24 and elsewhere, He said, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” It is quite possible those false signs, even as we’ve described them, would appear to be a physical healing. And, just as our listener asks, those false signs would appear to many as being a sign of the Savior.
Announcer: Jesus used miraculous signs to identify Himself as the Messiah, and Satan will use signs to fool people, how will people be able to tell the difference?
Klaus: And with that question we get to the heart of the matter. Thankfully the Lord anticipated that problem. Which is why the Holy Spirit inspired John to write (1 John 4: 1-3) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” If a sign-performer points to Jesus, if His witness agrees with Scripture, then that individual would pass the test. On the other hand, if he comes up with new stuff, contrary to or adding to what the Bible says, no matter how impressive the sign reject him. Lock, stock, and barrel. I don’t care if he stills storms, raises the dead, heals the infirmed, or feeds thousands with loaves and fish — if what he says contradicts the Bible and denies Christ, he’s a false prophet-and he’s working for the other side!
Announcer: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“With High Delight” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“This Joyful Eastertide” arr. Michael Burkhardt. From Hymn Improvisations, vol. 1 by Michael Burkhardt (© 1993 MorningStar Music Publishers)
“Christ Is Arisen” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 3 by John Behnke (© 2004 John A. Behnke) Concordia Publishing House