The Cringe of the Old Testament

Often, I have a hard time reading parts of the Old Testament.

It’s full of death, hatred, racism, slaughters. In fact, it’s part of the reason I believe the Bible. It tells a story, in real time. It has contradictions and differing points of view. 

When I read the parts that talk about killing all the women and children, I cringe. It’s hard to keep reading. It’s hard to absorb those words and feel encouraged. 

Which is why I always come back to the Gospels, come back to Jesus. 

He was different. 

He preferred the oppressed and the outcast. He chose life rather than death. And he saved his harshest words for… wait for it… those who claimed they knew the God of the Old Testament. 

And yet Jesus claims equality, sonship to that same God. 

And it makes me wonder what in the world was happening in the Old Testament.  

And then it makes me think of today. 

And then it makes a little more sense. 

Some of the more religious people I know, I often see throwing stones and insults at those they disagree with.  Demeaning another person’s lifestyle or race. Insulting another’s choices and talking of how the world would be better off without them in it (a moderate form of saying you wish they were dead).  

And then I think of Jesus again. 

What would He do?  (WWHD… no bracelet needed) 

Well, it’s kind of simple.  He’d go sit next to someone different than him. He’d invite himself over to the house of someone with political differences, racial differences, differing sexual preferences. He’d be a friend. It’s really that simple.  

And it takes me back to the Old Testament. I think they often simply misunderstood the mission to be a neighbor, to be a friend. And instead found themselves slaughtering and demeaning other nations, somehow thinking they were better than, and somehow thinking this was a race to the top rather than a race together. 

And then Jesus came and said, there’s a better way. And He sat next to a woman at the well. He let the kids crawl on his lap.  He formed a group of disciples with different political opinions, demographics, and races.  He elevated women everywhere he went. 

I think the chosen of the Old Testament didn’t quite know what it meant to be chosen. 

I think the chosen is the New Testament struggled just the same, highlighted by Peter’s racism even after spending years alongside Jesus.  

And I think many of us today, well, we’re in the same story. The same struggles. The same differences.  

I didn’t intend for this to be a gospel message but here we are.

In the Old Testament, they looked to God the Father and went their own way. 

In the New Testament, they followed Jesus, and learned a better way.  

And now, there’s the Holy Spirit, to guide us in the way. 

It gives me hope when I read of the shortcomings, a polite way to put slaughters, in the Old Testament that there was a better way ahead. 

It gives me hope today to know, despite the shortcomings, there’s still a better way ahead.

And the better way ahead is… through you, through each of us.  

Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?

To love God with everything.

And the second is the same, to love your neighbor as yourself.

And who is my neighbor?

Let me tell you a story about someone who was poor, an outcast, a different race, worthless and injured…

Now, go and do likewise.