19
The Truth and False Prophets (Matthew 7.15-20)
The philosopher Michel Foucault says that claims to know the truth are always grabs for power. You simply cannot separate truth and power. Behind any metanarrative there lurks a power play, knowledge claims are violent impositions by powerful institutions, universal truth claims are simply masks for ideology and the will to power. I think we know this to be true, and have seen this play out politically in nations and organisations.
Yet Christians believe they have been given a true story which, far from being a tool to legitimize power, ‘presents a vision of community life which resists claims to power by modelling itself on the self-giving and powerlessness of Christ.’[1] The truthfulness of this story does not make it violent. On the contrary this story is about the cross where the violent took our Lord and killed him so that those who were oppressed would be liberated.
This is part of the sermon I recently preached on Matthew 7:15-20. As you listen you will find out why I found this teaching of Jesus very confronting.
The Truth and False Prophets (Matthew 7.15-20)
MP3 | St Philips, York Street (6PM) | 4 July 2010
[1] Graham Tomlin, The Power of the Cross: Theology and the Death of Christ in Paul, Luther and Pascal (Carlisle, Cumbria, U.K.: Paternoster, 1999), 99.
4
The Real and the Imitation Kingdom (in Revelation)
From Jesus’ Revelation to John:
Kingdom of God |
Kingdom of Satan |
||
| Real Trinity Father, Son [Lamb], Spirit |
1:4-5 | Imitation trinity dragon, beast, false prophet |
16:13; 20:10 |
| Real saviour Lamb standing, as though it had been slain |
5:6 | Imitation saviour Many-headed beast with mortal wound healed |
13:3 |
| Real worship Lamb is worshiped |
ch. 5 | Imitation worship Beast’s image/statue is worshiped |
13:15-17; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4 |
| Real worshipers have the name of the Lamb on their forehead |
7:2-3 | Imitation worshipers have the name of the Beast on their forehead |
13:16-18; 22:3-4 |
| Real church Chaste bride in white / godly persecuted woman |
19:7-9; 21:2, 9; 22:17, ch. 12 | Imitation church Drunken prostitute in purple and scarlet |
17:1-6 |
| Real clothing Dressed in purity, white robes washed in the blood of the lamb |
3:5, 18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13-14; 19:8, 14 | Imitation clothing Dressed in oppressive luxury |
17:4; 18:16 |
| Real community of chastity, truthfulness and endurance |
14:4-5 | Imitation community of murder, fornication, sorcery and falsehood |
21:8, 22:15 |
| Real city New Jerusalem: justice & peace |
ch. 21-22 | Imitation city Babylon the Great: violence & injustice |
ch. 18 |
Outcome
| Receive resurrection life | 2:11; 20:5-6 | Endure the second death | 20:14; 21:8 |
| Get to eat at the wedding supper of the lamb | 19:9 | Are eaten at the war feast of the lamb | 19:17 |