LITERATURE
 | | Photograph by luis tapia |
A Little Lesson About Faith
Copyright © 2011 Timothy S. Klugh. All Rights Reserved.
Name the following person:
Rode into Jerusalem on a donkey waving palm leaves...
arrived at the Jewish Temple. There were riots in that temple…
barely escaped with his life…
wore a crown of thorns…
was crucified by the Romans…
Who was this man? Buzz!!! The answer is Apollonius of Tyana. A greek philosopher from Tyana who lived from around 15 AD to 100 AD.
Did that shake you? Why? Does it matter that Jesus and Apollonius have a very similar story of their lives? Could both have lived the same tale? Could one be the other? Does that mean the miracle of Christ's rebirth might not have happened? Does that put your faith in question for even a second? Well, if it does…
SHAME ON YOU!
Your faith should not be focused on the Resurrection alone, but your faith should also be on the teachings of Christ while he lived... the Sermon on the Mount, his debates with the Pharisees, his debates with the lawyers, his parables, and his commandment that we love one another. To put your stock in the miracles alone (his healings, his raising the dead, his turning water into wine, and his resurrection) is stating that you only believe in Christ as the Messiah because he did something extraordinary. Although, I don't believe the following myself, what if we found out that Christ and Apollonius were the same person and that the crucifixion was the end of the story… nothing more… dead… the end? Would you no longer be inspired by the words of Christ? Would his lessons and commandments mean any less to you? Would you not be following his ways now? If you'd find yourself wavering here…
SHAME ON YOU!
Do not look for signs to place your faith by. For faith itself is the devotional belief in things that are true that cannot be seen, heard or felt. Do not make the miracles as the foundation of your faith. Make your willingness to believe with or without the miracles to be your foundation, and you will find that your foundation is upon a rock instead of sand.
Just a thought…
Written on 11/18/2011
Revised on 05/30/2017
Page Range: 1 - 2
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