FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
MODERNISM
(Part 18)
LOOKING TO GOD NOT MAN
November 7, 2021
Today’s reading:
1 Kings 17:10-16
Psalm 146:7-10
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
Modernists in our Church today say they look to the poor, the marginalized, the outcast. Indeed as Christians we should do so. But in doing so, modernists often miss out on the righteousness of God. Thus:
- The UN and various rich nations look to help poor developing countries, but tie in such help with acceptance of abortion and LGBT.
- Clerics look to LGBTs who used to be ostracized in society, but no longer speak of the sin of homosexual relationships and even now accept and promote these.
- Americans look to black Americans who suffered from slavery and later discrimination, but in doing so promote the Marxist group Black Lives Matter that burns down cities, and push Critical Race Theory in schools which basically tear down Judeo-Christian teachings and culture.
Thus modernists say they help the poor but end up marginalizing God and His ways.
Now Jesus was the most concerned about the poor and proclaimed glad tidings to the poor. But look what happened with the incident of the poor widow (Mk 12:41-44). He allowed the widow to give her two small coins to the temple treasury, which was her whole livelihood, coming from her poverty. She most probably went hungry that day. Why did Jesus allow that? He extolled her for honoring God with her poverty. For Jesus, it is God first always.
But God is not remiss in caring for the poor. The psalmist recognized this (Ps 146:7-9). But the psalmist ends the psalm with acknowledgment of God’s greatness and dominion. “The Lord shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations! Hallelujah!” (Ps 146:10). Modernists look to man to help man. This is their error. It in only truly God who is able to help man. Modernists look to a man-made utopia, but heaven can only be in the presence of God.
Throughout human history, especially as we see God’s dealings with His people, it has been Him who is able to help the poor. And often in miraculous ways. This was the case with the prophet Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:10-16). Elijah asked her for something to eat, and though she had only enough for her and her son, and she expected to die soon thereafter, she did as Elijah asked. Because of this, her jar of flour and jug of oil did not run dry and she and her household had enough to eat for a long time.
Now to solve poverty in the whole world will entail nothing short of a miracle. So who do we turn to? The powers of the world, that have in fact contributed to such poverty by their greed and exploitation? The social justice warriors in the Church, who mouth justice to the poor and oppressed, but condone the murder of the unborn in the womb and celebrate sodomy by homosexuals? The modernists among the Church hierarchs who speak of love and acceptance and accompaniment but do not speak about the sin of grave sinners, thus keeping them in their sin and helping bring them to damnation? No. For a miracle, we can only turn to God. We look to God first and foremost, then look to Him to help provide for the poor.
Speaking of Church hierarchs, Jesus denounced the church authorities of his time, which were the scribes (Mk 12:38-40) and Pharisees. They held places of honor and recited lengthy prayers, but devoured the houses of widows. They were prominent and were looked up to, but did evil. Now there are very many good clerics and prelates in our Church, but there are also those who have become modernist, who have lost their primary focus on God but have focused on man. They have enabled those who actually oppose Christ and his Church.
We must primarily and always focus on Christ. It is only Jesus who “appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.” (Heb 9:26b). What ultimately destroys man is sin and not poverty. What is important for man is not to have a man-made utopia, but to make it to heaven. It is only Jesus who is the Savior, and humankind cannot be saved by worldly powers and modernists. On the contrary, these bring people away from God.
So we have been saved by Jesus through the cross, we continue to be saved by Jesus as we go through our life on earth, and we look forward to our eternal salvation at the end of time. We believe that “Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” (Heb 9:28).
