In a speech to the National Baptist Convention John Kerry told his listeners that George Bush had refused to play the part of The Good Samaritan and was, in fact, one of those "false prophets ... in sheep's clothing" that the Bible warned us about. Indeed, Matthew 7:15 says: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. "
While he was leafing through the Good Book for partisan material, Mr Kerry might have paid attention to the words of Jesus a few verses earlier in Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Or he might also have profited from Jesus' parable in Luke 18 about the Pharisee who was convinced of his own righteousness. He stood up in the temple and and said: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men --robbers, evildoers, adulterers --or even like this tax collector." But it was the tax collector who beat his breast and said "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" who went home justified before God.
It is in poor taste and theologically dangerous to go before a religious audience and claim to be holier than your opponent. At least, it is if you believe in the God who said: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Posted by Dexter at September 9, 2004 09:55 PM