I came upon a man rigging up an electric fence next to a ditch. There were warning signs everywhere, “Beware of ditch!” “Keep children away from ditch!” “Protect loved ones from the dangers of ditch!” In addition to the signs, there were rumble strips (in some places there were upwards of 7 or 8 layers of rumble strips), and there was an industrial strength, Herculean, guard rail.

I asked the man, “Do you think the electric fence is really necessary?”

The man was noticeably irritated by my question, and he querulously replied, “Do you not care about people falling into this ditch! Do you not see how dangerous this ditch is!?”

I was a bit taken aback by the bellicose nature of this man’s reply, and I apprehensively said, “I do sincerely discern this ditch to be hazardous, and I genuinely believe that people ought to stay out of this ditch. And I also believe that the current warning signs, and rumble strips, and guard rails are more than sufficient for appropriately defending against the dangers of this ditch. I honestly believe you’re wasting your time, energy, and resources by augmenting your already robust defense system with this electric fence.”

With a chary countenance the man said, “Well, where would you suggest I aim my resistance and rampart energies and efforts?”

I shot an exaggerated look to the other side of the road, where there was another ditch, but there was a conspicuous lack of warning signs, rumble strips, or guard rails protecting people from the dangers of this ditch. Moreover, there were thousands upon thousands of people wallowing amidst wreckage and carnage in this ditch. Upon closer inspection we did discover one or two flimsy signs that had long since been run over and ripped into pieces by motorists crashing into this particular ditch. But it was abundantly clear that these tiny tattered signs were never really meant to protect anyone from the dangers of this dike. The fact-of-the-matter was that people LOVED this ditch, and any warnings to avoid this ditch were tongue-in-cheek, or token (at best).

:::

DITCH #1

“We are very worried that Jesus doesn’t uphold our honored traditions! We are fooling ourselves to think we need not be alarmed by Jesus’ flagrant disregard for decorum!”

“Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!!!?!!’ We are fooling ourselves to think we need not be worried about Jesus’ blatant neglect of the Sabbath!”

“The Pharisees tempestuously asked, ‘Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners!!!!?!!!! Danger! Danger! Grumble. Grumble. Danger! Look at Him! He’s a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!!!’ We are fooling ourselves to think we need not be alarmed by Jesus’ complete indifference toward being above reproach!”

“Jews have no dealings with Samaritans! But Jesus shamelessly spends time with Samaritans, and He even seeks out Samaritan women, and even Samaritan women with infamously immoral lifestyles! He is a brazen Samaritan lover! We are fooling ourselves to think we need not be worried about the fact that many Samaritans believe in Him want Him on their team! Are we not right in saying that Jesus is a Samaritan and has a demon!!!?!!”

DITCH #2

“Warning, the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful.”

“Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“God has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”

“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”

“Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ “

“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.”

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. …When the rich man died he went to Hades, being in torment.”

“But when the man heard the things Jesus emphasized, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.”

“Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!”

“Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches.”

“The rich man fades away in the midst of his pursuits.”

“Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?”

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.”

“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

“Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.”