Excerpt from "You Fools! You Hypocrites! You Snakes!"
Meet the Real Jesus Many Hate
http://bible-truths.com/fools.htmIt is possible to condemn the sinful actions and teachings of men without hating the men who commit these things. Jesus loved everyone. Jesus died for everyone. Jesus forgave everyone. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him before He expired and probably thousands of years before most of them will repent in judgment. As I have said many times, except for the grace of God, everyone of us could have been any of the world’s most evil people. We are saved in God’s grace, not by our cleverness in choosing to follow and obey God. Grace CAUSES us to obey God. The carnal mind CAUSES men to disobey God. It is that simple.
And so we expose, exhort, teach, challenge, forgive, and LOVE. That these can take the form of sarcasm, exaggeration, satire, irony, anger, and LOVE, are clearly demonstrated by the examples of our Lord.
Now then, let’s see some examples of "upbraiding" used by our Lord in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God: After the High Priest asked Jesus about His disciples and teachings, Jesus said:
"‘Why are you asking Me this question? Ask those who heard me. You have some of them here. They know what I said.’ One of the soldiers standing there struck Jesus WITH HIS FIST. ‘Is THAT THE WAY to answer the High Priest?’ he demanded" (John 18:21-22, The Living Bible).
One of the guards felt Jesus was so contemptuous and out of line, that he slapped Jesus in the mouth with the palm of his hand and told Him to WATCH HIS MOUTH when speaking to the High Priest! The guard was letting Jesus know in no uncertain terms that one does not speak to such a dignified person as the High Priest with such a demeaning tone of voice!
What would you think if someone were to address the Pope with this same tone of voice as Jesus used on the High Priest? Would you too think that someone ought to slap such a person’s face for talking that way to the Pope? Well? Was our Lord too smart for His britches? Was His language and tone of voice to be condemned by a punch in the mouth? But woe be unto the servant of Jesus Christ who today would suggest that, "…because as He [Jesus] is, so are WE in this world" (I John 4:17).
Jesus told the truth. Jesus called a spade a spade. And many people thought He was a contemptuous smart aleck! He was not. It was the Truth of His words that cut them; not just the tone of His voice. However, the tone of His voice and the selection of words and analogies that He used were not only highly offensive to those to whom He spoke, but are likewise offensive to people hearing this same approach used today by God’s servants. It is unscriptural foolishness to retort that, "Well, YOU ARE NOT Jesus!" Oh really? And what happened to,
"…because AS He [Jesus] is, SO ARE WE in this world" (I John 4:17),
and
"Let this MIND be IN YOU, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5)?
Jesus was much harsher than most of what I have seen here on this forum, so I think it all boils down to ones intentions and motivations for "bashing babylon". I believe if you are of the Elect then God will show you your intentions and motivations, whether they be good or evil.
Hope this helps
Peace, G.Driggs