Expert: J.M.J. West - 10/28/2008

Question
I don't have issues with Catholic doctrine, and I definitely feel more at home, spiritually speaking, in the Catholic Church than anywhere else. But I find the experience of reading the New Testament disconcerting, rather than comforting or edifying. I am constantly distracted by contradictions or points of fact that seem at odds with the Jesus we're taught about in Church.

I'm looking for recommendations for a resource that can help me understand these issues and get beyond this hurdle. Here are some examples of the sort of things that give me pause:

-Luke 18:19. A man calls Jesus "good." Jesus answers, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." How's that? I thought Jesus WAS God. And good. I realize that there are other NT verses that contravene this idea, but then, that's part of the problem, isn't it?

-Mark 4:11. Jesus tells his disciples that he speaks to them in parables so that "those outside" may "see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven." Wha? Who are these "outsiders" that Jesus doesn't want to be saved? And why?

-is Jesus's yoke easy and his burden light (MATT 11:30), or is the way "hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."?

-are we to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (MATT 5:44), or if people don't accept our proselytizing, should we shake the dust of their town from our feet as a testimony against them because "it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town."?


There's also a lot of detail in the NT that makes me think Jesus was expecting the end of the world very soon after his life. And there seems to be a sort of conspiracy about not letting certain people know about Jesus or his miracles. Why the secrecy?

You see the problem? And these are just the few that come to mind as I'm writing this note. It seems that in almost every chapter of the NT, I come across stuff that makes me squirm a little or that makes no logical sense or which is contradictory.

My question: Do you know of any good resources that clear this kind of thing up?

Answer
Alvin,

Great questions.  I'll do my best to answer them, and give you some good resources to turn to.

YOU WROTE:
<<-Luke 18:19. A man calls Jesus "good." Jesus answers, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone." How's that? I thought Jesus WAS God. And good. I realize that there are other NT verses that contravene this idea, but then, that's part of the problem, isn't it?>>

This is an interesting passage precisely because Jesus is rhetorically claiming to be God.  Jesus says "Why do you call me good?  Only God is good."  Jesus doesn't say "I am not good," nor "I am not God."  He is asking the man a question precisely to get him to realized what he is attesting of Christ in calling Him good.  Jesus is actually saying essentially 'you've correctly applied the term "good" to me, precisely because only God is good, and "I AM" He.'

YOU WROTE:
<<-Mark 4:11. Jesus tells his disciples that he speaks to them in parables so that "those outside" may "see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven." Wha? Who are these "outsiders" that Jesus doesn't want to be saved? And why?>>

Those outside refers generally to the pharisees who enjoyed their positions of honor and didn't actually do their job of shepherding the people (cf: Matt 9:35-10:2[-ish], and Matt 23:1-5[-ish]).  And he spoke in a way which clearly WAS open to all who sought understanding, but he knew that those who were so high and mighty would not SEEK understanding, and would thus act precisely how they were prophecied to act.

YOU WROTE:
<<-is Jesus's yoke easy and his burden light (MATT 11:30), or is the way "hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."?>>

Some of Catholic-Christianity is simply a paradox, and we ought not to necessarily shun them because they seem to not make full sense.  "Losing your life to save it", "100% God and 100% Man" and other examples could be given of Christian paradoxes that nevertheless are true.  So too here.  

Being a paradox, however, does not make it unintelligible.  From an outside, worldly (ie. "the flesh") perspective, such things as chastity, temperance, humility etc. are DIFFICULT THINGS.

But from INSIDE (ie. as a member striving to follow Christ), obeying such commands which SEEM contradictory to our nature and initially difficult becomes easy, and in fact makes our way easier each time we practice them.

YOU WROTE:
<<-are we to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (MATT 5:44), or if people don't accept our proselytizing, should we shake the dust of their town from our feet as a testimony against them because "it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town."?>>

We ARE to love our enemies, because they are the image and likeness of God.  We are to love them to the point of wishing firmly that they may attain heaven, even if we cannot stand them.

The command to shake the dust from their feet is a way of saying "don't worry if they don't heed your preaching (for many won't), God will judge in the end and if they - having knowledge of the truth (cf. John 15:22) reject God, they will be held accountable.  BUT this judgment is not for us to render!  It is only for God.  Our job is merely to shake off the dust and get back on the horse (to use a similar idiom).

YOU WROTE:
<<There's also a lot of detail in the NT that makes me think Jesus was expecting the end of the world very soon after his life. And there seems to be a sort of conspiracy about not letting certain people know about Jesus or his miracles. Why the secrecy?>>

I think that most of them actually point to the end of a era or age (culminating with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, which many of that age DID witness).  John makes clear that Jesus never said that those (like himself) would not die until the end (cf. John 22 (the end)).

And of course, we will ALL encounter Christ at the end of our lives, regardless of when he returns to earth.

YOU WROTE:
<<You see the problem? And these are just the few that come to mind as I'm writing this note. It seems that in almost every chapter of the NT, I come across stuff that makes me squirm a little or that makes no logical sense or which is contradictory.

My question: Do you know of any good resources that clear this kind of thing up?>>

Best resources I can give you are:

BEST RESOURCE EVER --> www.catholic.com (look in their library, or listen to their radio show)
COOL RESOURCES
www.scripturecatholic.com
www.jimmyakin.org
www.newadvent.org (<-- the Catholic Encyclopaedia there is helpful)
And of course, a copy of the Catechism can be very helpful (if you have a full one with the scriptural index of citations in the back)

Hope that helps!

Peace of Christ,

-J.M.J. West