Verse 37: "Jersualem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the one who brought you God's news!" (The Message)
These are the words of Jesus to the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish church. Jesus was warning them that they were repeating history by ignoring Jesus, who was a prophet.
Jesus had three roles, prophet, priest and king. Mostly we talk about him being a king and how he rules in glory... but today I want to talk about Jesus as prophet.
A prophet, in the biblical sense is someone who acts as a medium for God, someone who speaks a message which God has given him or her. Usually prophets do not share popular messages because people are usually not living the way God desires.
I had a professor that said "a prophet rarely grows old enough to have grey hairs."
Jesus was telling the Pharisees that their understanding of religion was totally off. They were all about show and not about heart. They completely missed the point. This is the message that made him public enemy number one, that made so many want to crucify him.
But he was speaking the truth. Religion is not about tradition and show, it is about love.
Where are our prophets today?
Do they have a voice?
Do we listen?
Are the occuppying Wall Street?
Are they with the Tea Party?
Or are they silent, painting on the subway walls? Afraid to come out in public because of what happened to Jesus, Dr. King and everyone in between.
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