A King Like Stalin?

from The Bible as Literature · host The Ephesus School

We like to pretend that giving people a choice is essential. Mostly, we use the American ideology of choice to extract profit, to distract from what’s really going on, or worst of all, to avoid personal accountability. How often have we passively watched another person suffer because they did not ask for help? In Scripture, the action of love is not controlled by an individual’s call for help. On the contrary, it is God’s commandment that illuminates the need—and the need itself demands the action assigned by God. Neither the one who gives nor the one who receives has a choice in the matter. The baptized do not ask if help is needed, but hear Scripture and take action without hesitation, like conscripted soldiers, “pressed into service.” Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 27:32-37. Episode 414 Matthew 27:32-37; Music:Laid Back Guitars by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3964-laid-back-guitarsLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What this episode covers

We like to pretend that giving people a choice is essential. Mostly, we use the American ideology of choice to extract profit, to distract from what’s really going on, or worst of all, to avoid personal accountability. How often have we passively watched another person suffer because they did not ask for help? In Scripture, the action of love is not controlled by an individual’s call for help. On the contrary, it is God’s commandment that illuminates the need—and the need itself demands the action assigned by God. Neither the one who gives nor the one who receives has a choice in the matter. The baptized do not ask if help is needed, but hear Scripture and take action without hesitation, like conscripted soldiers, “pressed into service.” Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Matthew 27:32-37. Episode 414 Matthew 27:32-37; Music: Laid Back Guitars by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3964-laid-back-guitars License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license