No Other Rock

He saved others; Himself He cannot save. ~ Mark 15:31

Nothing can cause so much discomfort during a conversation when people start talking about religion. Even politics doesn’t cause so many wide eyes, lowered heads and a myriad of peculiar looks to see how others are reacting.

I guess that’s because beliefs are deeply personal. And when you get personal, you create opportunities to offend and be offended.

For this reason, Baxter suggests that “There is no hatred like religious hatred.“

Wow. At first, you might think that is extreme. But think about it. It’s dead-on, one-hundred percent true! It’s terrible to state this fact, but there are those that will “laugh fiendishly over the fall and shame of others.” At the same time, there are those who will hate those who are trying to save them (you may have even fallen into this category without knowing it).

We can consider this in today’s context, but it was no different when Christ was crucified. Even worse, no sooner than they had Him hoisted for execution, they confessed that “He saved others.”

Today, my prayer for you and I is that we will not fall into such ignorant hypocrisy.