The Holy Name of Jesus Christ is a challenge, it’s a challenge to the world, it’s a challenge to individuals and it’s a challenge to those who profess to believe in his name.
It provokes Willie Geist to feature it as the joke of the week on Morning Joe, it causes MSNBC and the media to have a conniption, it produces snark in the media, discomfort for those who know it’s meaning, violence. from those who oppose it.
When used to describe the son of God it brings Islamists to a murderous rage, produces jokes on South Park and Family Guy (although in fairness south park doesn’t spare Muslims either), is parodied in film for fun and profit and causes actual demons and devils to retreat.
When Hume said:
‘Jesus Christ’ the ‘Most Controversial Two Words You Can Ever Utter in the Public Square’ Today
he was stating nothing that Christ himself didn’t say as we’ve quoted here before
If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin; but as it is they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me also hates my Father. If I had not done works among them that no one else ever did, they would not have sin; but as it is, they have seen and hated both me and my Father. John 15:18-24
Let’s be blunt, there are two sides in the battle for souls, and one particular side is going to do all it can to keep souls from finding the truth. All the powers, pleasures and pains of the world will be brought to bear against you to keep you from it.
I know I’ve been beating this horse to death but it is one of the most important things a Christian in general and a Catholic in particular needs to understand. Christianity is a challenge to yourself and to others. When done correctly it can inspire many to salvation, when done poorly it can do the opposite. It is diametrically opposed to the world, it’s belief system is an absolute:
Jesus Christ is the son of God, he died and rose from the dead for the forgiveness of sins!
It is either true or false. If you believe this to be false you are not a Christian, period. If you claim to believe it is true but act as if it is false then you have to resolve some issues. As C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Brit Hume has publicly made his choice. You and I have the rest of our lives to make ours…
…after that we’re on our own.
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