Jesus Fishes–the Symbol of True Religion?
April 23, 2009Yesterday, while driving past“The Holy Land Experience,” we spotted a minivan with four Jesus Fishies plastered to it’s rear (the Holy Land Experience is a religious Disney World of sorts). And we wondered what, if anything, the driver of the minivan was trying to do and/or accomplish with the Jesus fishes.
Was it a sign of testimony? Was it a mark of spirituality? Was it a statement of faith? Were they going to the Holy Land Experience? Without knowing the driver, we can’t know the motive. But we think it dangerous to make such outward displays of faith. Not dangerous to others but dangerous to the one making the display.
The temptation is to see such things as symbols of “true” religion. As notches on our spiritual belts. As tangible demonstrations of authentic faithfulness. But the temptation doesn’t square with biblical Christianity.
James 1says that “true religion” is to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Psalm 1 says the “blessed man” is the one who “delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.” And Ecclesiastes 12: 13 says that the “whole duty” of man is to “fear God” and “obey His commands.”
Our point is that it’s easy to put Jesus Fishies on our cars, and it’s easy to boycott Disney and go to the Holy Land Experience (although we think it’s stupid), but it’s not so easy to “look after orphans and widows” and it’s not easy to “fear the Lord and keep His commandments” and it’s not easy to “meditate on God’s Law day and night.” A Jesus Fish might look spiritual to some, but God is looking for something deeper.
OK. Sit down. Take a deep breath…slowly exhale. Mark your calendar…I agree with you on this one. Period. (I know–you’re feeling a little light-headed right now, aren’t you?)
Interesting observation around here: People with Jesus Fish on their cars seem to be the worst drivers, i.e. speeding, not coming to complete stop, weaving in and out of traffic WITHOUT SIGNALING, throwing trash out the window–yes, you morons, a cigarette but IS trash! What a great witness.
Fishes is not the symbol of true religion. Bread is.
Jesus never said he was the fish of life, he said He is the bread of life. If you study this out and a keen observer you will notice whenever he talks about the miracles, He never mentions fish. Fish was added by false scribes.