In our day, we are also witnessing more and more questions and criticisms levelled at religious authorities of numerous faith traditions by their congregants. Many are choosing to leave their affiliations because the dissonance between what they believe and what they witness has become too great, BUT perhaps we should first ask: “What did Jesus and His disciples do with Their dissonance? Were They able to distinguish the core from the encumbrance?
As we review history, almost every creation of God or man, whether scripture, revelation, Constitution, empire, agency, corporation, foundation, technology, building, work of art/drama/literature, etc., etc., has fallen victim to decay, revision, or corruption in process of time, re-imagination, or hubris. That is the nature of man and this fallen world. Thus, the dissonance between blueprint and manifestation seems ever present.
So what did Jesus and His disciples do with Their dissonance?
1. They knew the house and the gospel were God's, not man's:
45 And [Jesus] went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
47 And he taught daily in the temple.
(New Testament | Luke 19:45–47, bold emphasis added.; Also: Matthew 21:12–14; Mark 11:17)
2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. ...
20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
(New Testament | John 8:2, 20, bold emphasis added.)
19 ¶ The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
(New Testament | John 18:19–20, bold emphasis added.)
19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them [Peter and John] forth, and said,2. They recognized and honored the honorable feasts and traditions:
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
(New Testament | Acts 5:19–25, bold emphasis added.)
3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
(New Testament | Matthew 8:3–4, bold emphasis added.; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14)
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.
(New Testament | Luke 17:12–14, bold emphasis added.)
18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
(New Testament | Matthew 26:18–19, bold emphasis added.; Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–15)
23 ¶ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
(New Testament | John 2:23, bold emphasis added.)
14 ¶ Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.3. They rejected incorrect or onerous traditions and directives:
(New Testament | John 7:14, bold emphasis added. (also v. 28)
16 ¶ Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
(New Testament | Matthew 6:16–18, bold emphasis added.)
1 THEN came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
(New Testament | Matthew 15:1–2, bold emphasis added.)
1 THEN came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
(New Testament | Mark 7:1–5, bold emphasis added.)
1 AND it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
(New Testament | Luke 6:1–10 | bold emphasis added; also New Testament | Mark 2:23–28)
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 ¶ The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
(New Testament | John 5:5–11, bold emphasis added.)
18 And [the authorities] called [Peter & John], and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
(New Testament | Acts 4:18–20, bold emphasis added.)
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| 10 Commandments vs. modern law Artist: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick | 1925 Image Info below footnotes |
As for our time, there is so much good in what the Prophet Joseph restored, so let us hold on to that good even if various powers may seek at times to sever some from that good. Let us be honest and forthright in our conscience and convictions, not insisting that others see as we see, nor alleging authority we do not have, but living our lives and testimonies with integrity, as the Spirit directs, come what may.
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1. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2022/03/speaking-truth-to-power-new-testament.html
2. JST Jesus to His disciples (Black and red bold is JST):
6 And Jesus said unto his disciples, Beholdest thou the scribes,* and the Pharisees, and the Priests, and the Levites? They teach in their synagogues, but do not observe the law, nor the commandments; and all have gone out of the way, and are under sin.
7 Go thou and say unto them, Why teach ye men the law and the commandments, when ye yourselves are the children of corruption?
8 5 Say unto them,
9 Go ye into the world, saying unto all, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come nigh unto you.
JST New Testament | Matthew 7:6–9 from Lutes, Kenneth and Lyndell. Joseph Smith Translation (p. 2124). Lutes Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Additional under #1:
35 ¶ And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple,
(New Testament | Mark 12:35)
1 AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
(New Testament | Luke 20:1)
(New Testament | Mark 12:35)
1 AND it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
(New Testament | Luke 20:1)
Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Laws_of_Moses_and_the_Laws_of_Today.jpg
File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/The_Laws_of_Moses_and_the_Laws_of_Today.jpg
Attribution: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Description: An editorial cartoon contrasting the proliferation of modern laws to the brevity of the Ten Commandments. Winner of the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.
Date: 12 April 1925
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1925. Reprinted in Caricatures on American Historical Phases 1918-2018 (ed. Heinz Dietrich Fischer), via Google Books
Permission: Public Domain
Author: Daniel R. Fitzpatrick 1891 - 1969
