Absolute Truth for a Relative World
Jesus Christ – The ONLY Way
to the Father.
(Or – “What Jesus might say to Osama bin Laden.”)
What would Jesus say to Osama bin Laden if they could sit together at a dinner table?
In the weeks following the events of September 11, our Nation has struggled with how to best deal with the millions of Americans and visitors in our country who are of Arab descent. There have been random acts of violence against Middle Easterners or people who simply looked like they might be from an Arab land. But aside from the violence by a few individuals, we as a nation are perplexed about how to deal with our Middle-Eastern neighbors. This week the airwaves were filled with debates about whether we should scroutinize airline passengers more closely if they appear to be from the Middle East. A law suit has already been filed by some Arab Americans because they have been held up at airports and train depots simply because of their appearance.
I have heard and read appeals by the President, the Attorney General to show fairness, and church leaders like Billy Graham, James Dobson, and Chuck Colson have pointed out that this is a time when Christians need to stand apart from the rest of the world and reach out to our Arab neighbors, and show love and compassion. In some ways this is a great opportunity for Christians to show what Jesus meant by “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” As a Nation are doing that in dramatic ways. How many Nations in world history would repay an attack like we suffered four weeks ago by sending in 200 million dollars in food and water for the people of the country that harbors our enemies?
Michael Medved, a Jewish-American writer, this week called for individual tolerance, but at the same time asked, “What kind of society is it that celebrates death? What kind of people are these who do not value innocent life?” Maybe you have similar questions. How should we talk to a Muslim? What do they believe? What causes them to extreme behavior?
I want to deal with these and other questions today in a way that will not only address this issue, but will also be in keeping with our current series, “Absolute Truth for a Relative World,” and I want to do it by asking the question, “What would Jesus say to Osama bin Laden?” If they sat across a table from one another, what would Jesus say to him?
The Muslim religion was founded by Muhammad about 1400 years ago, in Saudi Arabia. The first Muslim community, Medina, and the holiest sight in Muslim faith, Mecca, are both found in Saudi Arabia. Islam is the fastest growing faith in the United States, and the world. There are over 1.2 billion Muslims on the earth, and it will soon be the second largest religion in the United States, after Christianity, and just ahead of Judaism.
The Muslim faith actually shares similar roots to Christianity and Judaism. They believe and study the Law of Moses. They believe that they are the heirs of Abraham’s promise to make his descendants the chosen people of God. Christians and Jews believe that Isaac was Abraham’s true descendent, that Abraham took Isaac up to the mountain to offer him as a sacrifice, but God stopped him, and provided a ram for a substitute. Christians and Jews believe that Sarah, Abraham’s, wife, told him to have a child by her handmaid, since she was barren, and Ishmael was born. But that child was not the chosen one of God, and his descendents became the Arab peoples. Moslems believe that Ishmael was the true son of Abraham, that he was the one offered by Abraham, that Isaac was born of a handmaid and thus not the true heir of Abraham’s promise. Six thousand years and the mess we have today is all because Abraham was impatient with God, and felt he had to try to take things in his own hands! Wow!
There are 5 foundational beliefs of Muhammadism:
There are 6 foundational deeds of good Muslims:
So what would Jesus say to Osama bin Laden if they could sit down at a table over dinner? Well, I think He would say, “Osama, believing that there is one God is good, but it’s not enough.” The Bible says in James 2:19, “You say you believe that God is one, and you do well, even the demons believe, and shudder.” Anyone with sense enough to know that the design and order of our world is beyond coincidence believes that there is a God, but it’s just not enough. You have to believe in the only true God, and you have to worship Him alone. Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” The point is this – simply believing in God is not enough. God desires and has made a way for us to have a personal, daily relationship with Himself, and this was done by sending His only Son, not a prophet, to be the substitute sacrifice for us. Faith is more than knowing the facts – faith is trusting in the person.
Secondly, I believe Jesus would say to Osama bin Laden, “It’s good that you pray, but when you pray, let’s interact.” Muslims are very devout in their prayers. They will stop whatever they are doing to pray. But saying the same prayer day after day, six times per day, soon leads to meaningless repetitions. Jesus said, “When you pray, do not use vain repetitions…” Vain repetitions means “empty words.” Prayer should be anything but a meaningless, empty function. Prayer is the opportunity for the created to talk to the creator! For the imperfect and ordinary to commune with the infinite and holy. It can be, and should be, the most amazing part of your day, Osama!
Muslims are required to go through a ceremonial washing before each of their prayers. They come in fear, bowing low, over and over again as fearful people before a judgmental God. I think Jesus would say to Osama,
The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice…Don’t fall for this nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply, like this: “Our Father in heaven…” (Matt 6:7-9 The Message)
Thirdly, I think Jesus would say this to Osama bin Laden, “You can know for certain that you are going to heaven.” Muslims believe in heaven, they call “paradise.” But it is a lot different from the heaven of the Bible. They believe that it is a place of absolute sensual pleasure. The people who committed the terrorist acts four weeks ago, for example, believed that they would be in Paradise, surrounded by virgins, indulging in all sorts of physical and fleshly pleasures.
But the fact of the matter is that no Muslim can really know if they are going to be in Paradise or not. They believe that if they do enough good stuff, it will outweigh the bad and they will get in. It all depends on the stuff you do. That’s why people will do seemingly mad things in the name of their faith – they believe that if they die for the cause, then of course they will go straight to heaven – they hope. But even then they don’t know for sure, because it all depends on the benevolence of Allah on the day that you show up.
But the Bible tells Osama that he can KNOW that he has eternal life. I John 5:13 says that “these things were written to you who believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” We don’t have to go through life hoping that we are going to make it – we can know! We don’t have to work like crazy to do good deeds and sacrifice ourselves to gain salvation. The Bible says that it’s “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”
So, what would Jesus say to Osama bin Laden?
Don’t just believe in God – KNOW GOD.
Don’t just pray to God – INTERACT WITH GOD.
Don’t just hope for heaven – KNOW YOU ARE GOING TO HEAVEN.
I think that’s what Jesus might say to Osama bin Laden if they were sitting at a table together this morning. And I believe that if Jesus was sitting across the table from Osama Bin Laden this morning, He’d say the same thing to him that he’d say to you. Perhaps if someone were to ask you, you’d say, “Sure, I believe in God.” But do you KNOW Him? Is He your Father? Are you His child? Is there that bond of love that Paul talked about when He said that by the Holy Spirit living within us we can cry out “Daddy!” to God? That intimate, that close. Do you have that day to day, personal, on going relationship with Him?
Maybe your’ prayer life isn’t all that different from Osama bin Laden’s. Routinely you bow your head each morning, or over a plate of food. The ritualistic words of the Lord’s Prayer fall from you lips with little or no meaning. Your times of prayer are little more than vain repetitions. Jesus would say to you, “Don’t just pray – interact with me.” Tell me the pains, share with me the concerns, let me know of the joys. And I will place within you my Spirit, so we can commune back and forth.
Finally, maybe you are sitting here this morning, and you hope you are going to heaven. You’ve been pretty good. You’ve been as religious as the next guy. You’re and American, for crying out loud! Of course you think you’re going to heaven – but do you KNOW it? You can. You can know without question that if you did not draw another breath, if death came to you while you sat in that chair this instant, your next view would be that of Jesus – Paul said, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Hey, you can KNOW that in your life.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus sat across a table from 12 men that he had poured His life into for three years. He had just told them that He was about to leave them.
John 14:1-9
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. [2] In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. [4] And where I go you know, and the way you know."
Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" [6] Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
[7] "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." [8] Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." [9] Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
You might think that if you could sit across the table from Jesus, you’d certainly believe in Him, and everything would be great, but Philip, one of the 12, had spent three years with Him, watched the miracles, and still Jesus said, “Have you been with me all this time, and you still don’t know me?”
That dinner was the last supper. It was at that meal that Jesus established the table that we gather around this morning. As you come to this table today, perhaps you can hear Jesus words – “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me?” You can know Him today.
Prayer.