Jesus believes Black Lives Matter.
He indicates that all believers are seen by Him as equally the same (my redundancy included here for effect). Galatians 3:28 drives the point home “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Jesus makes no distinction in His love nationally, racially, gender-wise, or in terms of financial standing and leadership. Jesus loves the person, not the position.
It might be dangerous to assume that the Ethiopian Eunuch Philip witnessed to in Acts chapter 8 was Black, but I do believe it would be fair to figure so. God the Holy Spirit directed
Philip to go and speak to him, Philip did so, explaining the words of the great prophet Isaiah, preaching Jesus to this high ranking Ethiopian official, who then trusted Christ as his LORD and Saviour! That single Black life mattered to Jesus!
Mark 16:15 is one of the places in Scripture where the Great Commission is given, telling the Apostles (and us) “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
“All the world” includes all the nations, all the races, and all the everythings – without exception! And when one sheep is lost, Jesus secures the ninety-nine and goes after that lost sheep, seeking him until he is found, and the color of the sheep is of no significance whatsoever to Jesus.
But because Black Lives Matter to Jesus, it doesn’t follow that Jesus is a Marxist. The title “Black Lives Matter” is perfect, the principle is 100% Scriptural, but that doesn’t mean God endorses the organization completely. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 warns “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” And Luke 10:7 says “…the labourer is worthy of his hire.” 1 Corinthians 3:8 adds “…and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” Jesus teaches us to give, He paid tribute to the government and instructed us to do the same (Romans 13:7) “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” We do render unto Caesar, but Caesar is not to take most of our money so he can redistribute it to people who refuse to work, no matter their color or creed. Jesus is not a Marxist!
Black lives matter to Jesus, and unfortunately there have been times in the great history of our country when Black lives didn’t matter much, if at all. Jesus didn’t like that, and neither do most Americans! A 60-year-old Milwaukee man, Bernell Trammell, an African-American supporter of President Trump, was murdered at 12:30 p.m. Thursday while sitting in a lawn chair outside his office. On a newscast I saw a poster referencing Matthew 12:38-39 and the sign of the Prophet Jonah. This was a Christian man who supported Donald Trump, The Bible, Black Lives Matter, and progressive Democrat Lena Taylor in her run for mayor.
Seems like Bernell Trammell was on the same page with Jesus, the same page I’m on, and I dare say the same page we should all be on, in that everybody’s life mattered to Bernell Trammell. But Bernell Trammell’s life didn’t matter to the man who murdered him, and the prime suspect is a Black man. Why didn’t Bernell’s life matter to the man who murdered him?
We lost two other great Black Americans recently, John Lewis and Herman Cain. They were on different sides of the aisle politically, but they were both wonderful, Christian, law abiding Americans who brought change in America through dignity, grace, and longsuffering. Neither ever gave up on America, and neither resorted to the “non-peaceful” rioting that is murdering our cities today. How do politicians, with their despicable aloofness, publicly lie, calling protests that have killed people, blinded law enforcement officials with pre-meditated lasers, burned cop cars and public buildings, peaceful?
Jesus expressed it this way in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? We need to stop looting and lying and start loving and living. Herman Cain, John Lewis, Bernell Trammell, and Jesus would all have it that way.
Lives mattered to them all, and that included Black lives!
Love and Prayers to you all,
Pastor