This Sunday's reading from Matthew 16:13-20 is sure to offend at least 1.8 billion Muslims,
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
In Islam, God cannot have a son, and this is one of the reasons why they don't or won't "get" Jesus like Christians see Him.
If they were allowed to read the Gospels, perhaps their eyes and hearts would be opened to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
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Minneapolis has just started permitting mosques to broadcast the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, five times a day. This call says Muhammad is God's messenger, contradicting both Judaism and Christianity. Perhaps churches should begin broadcasting, instead of bells or chimes, John 14:6: "Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
ReplyDeleteThe Minneapolis city council would probably not permit that because it would be considered "hate speech."
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