Question: Dear Scripturists, Are you liberals or conservatives?

Answer: “Liberal” and “conservative” are not Biblical labels that we can prove are good or bad with the commands of God.

I am called to be liberal in my giving (2 Corinthians 9:13) but not in my doctrine.

I am called to conservative and “stand firm and hold to the teachings” which the Apostles “passed on” to us. (2 Thessalonians 2:15) but I am not called to be conservative and hold to the “traditions of men.” (Matthew 7:8)

The idea that liberals are progressive and conservatives are traditional is what makes me avoid both terms. I hold to the traditions of the Apostles and Prophets (1 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 2:20 & 3:5) from the Word while at the same time I am very progressive in how I obey the Word of God which they gave us by “becoming all things to all men.” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Which am I, a liberal or conservative?

What was Jesus? When it came to following the Law he was very conservative. (Matthew 5:17-18) When it came to the traditions of men he was very liberal and bucked their man-made traditions. To the Pharisees Jesus was a flaming liberal who healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2) and didn’t wash his hands before he ate. (Matthew 15:2) To the Sadducees he was a rabid conservative who naively believed in angels, demons, man’s soul, an afterlife, judgment and the resurrection of the dead. To both groups he was a radical who didn’t believe people became blind and poor as punishment for their sins or the sins of their parents. (John 9:2-3) And even his own disciples thought he was and extremist when taught that you can’t divorce your wife unless she committed fornication. (Matthew 19:9-10)

Though there were times he did keep some traditions in order not to cause unnecessary offence. (See Matthew 17:27) His normal practice was to buck man-made tradition in order to ward off hypocrisy and teach about the true meaning of the Word of God. There were times he would offend people to show that they were blind guides. (Matthew 15:12-14). And there where time he would heal the lame or save the lost rather than not offend some legalist’s opinion of right and wrong based upon things they added to the Word of God. In fact, when they allowed man-made tradition to trump mercy, healing, or salvation, it made him angry. (Mark 3:5)

This meant that Jesus consistently rebuked the lack of sincerity and complete obedience to the weightier matters of the law of the doctrinally conservative Pharisees (Matthew 23:23). And he also was consistently rebuking the lack of trust in the Word of God or faith in the power of God by the doctrinally liberal Sadducees (Matthew 22:29).

Jesus was an equal opportunity offender. So we see Jesus as holding unswervingly to the Word of God but being very progressive and often, but not always, breaking the traditions of men. These traditions, which the Pharisees and Sadducees held on par with the Word of God, were often used by them to supersede obedience to the word of God. (Mark 7:13) But Jesus kept the whole Law without fault. (Hebrews 4:15)

Jesus didn’t fit in with the liberals or the conservatives. He wouldn’t let zealots make him King. (John 6:15) He wouldn’t let the Sadducees Priests continue to turn the “house of God” into a “den of robbers.” (Luke 19:46-47) He mocked the Pharisees religiosity without compassion, mercy, justice or faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23) He rebuked the government leaders like Herod. (Luke 13:32) He taught government employees to repent of injustice. (Luke 18:13 & 19:9) His own family said he was crazy. (Mark 3:21) He cast a legion of demons into pigs that farmers shouldn’t even have been keeping according to the Law. (Luke 8:33 & Deuteronomy 14:8) He reached out to Samaritans (John 4:9) but was ultimately rejected by them (Luke 9:52-53) and every one else (Luke 23:21). All the liberal and conservative groups conspired together against him and put him to death. (Mark 3:6 & Mark 12:13)

Therefore, to this faithfulness to the word of God with rejection of human traditionalism, to this obedience to will of the Father over the will of men, to this hate for sin with a love for sinners, to this sincerity in religion with rejection of religious pretensions and to this zeal for the “house of God” while receiving persecution from the religious traditionalists, we are called.

My problem with liberals is not that they are progressive in styles or methods but that they don’t hold firmly to Biblical doctrine and apostolic tradition. They are more upset that their church is not using the latest music styles in worship than the fact that some of our leaders have compromised on the method of accepting Jesus Christ and how you are saved.

My problem with conservatives is that they are not conservative out of a love for God’s Word but a love for tradition of all kinds and especially their own. They are conservative for conservatisms sake. They are more upset that someone introduced drums in the worship service than the fact that the majority of people in their church (including them) have not tried to share the gospel with one person this year.

So I am not a liberal or a conservative. I am a follower of Jesus.

The question is not are we liberal or conservative. The question is: Are we lovingly faithful to the pattern of sound teaching revealed in the Word of God?

Philippians 3:17 “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

2 Timothy 1:13 “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus said in Luke 11:28 ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

There is a large tree in the very middle of some woods near Huntington, Indiana which my friends and I often played in when I was a boy. Someone, long before us, had named this tree “Big Momma.” All paths in the woods led to this tree. It was our meeting place. It was by far the largest tree in the forest. It towered over the others. Often, when we played “cowboys and Indians” or “hide and seek” in the forest, I would climb “Big Momma” to see where the other boys were. From the vantage point of that tree you could see the whole woods. I don’t know who named her “Big Momma,” but that was not the only time a tall tree was compared to a mother.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is often compared to a mother, and the Israelites were seen as her offspring. One such passage in Ezekiel speaks of “Mother Israel” and compares her to a tree planted by a river. A mother is in many ways like a tall tree planted by a river. It has been said that, “the hand the rocks the cradle rules the world.” And another true proverb is, “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.” How true! A godly mother has so much power and strength. A godly mother has a lasting effect and eternal legacy. A godly mother is a source of life, nourishment, comfort, training, wisdom and beauty.

Ezekiel 19:10-11 says, "‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.”

Though this passage is about the nation of Israel as a mother to God’s people, it is also a description of what a good mother is like. I would like to look at the spirit given analogy of a mother as a vine or tree.

First of all, a good mother is like a well rooted tree. She is “planted by the water” and is bountiful in her health, growth and production because she has “abundant water.” A good mother is like a well watered tree. This illustration was not lost on the culture of the Middle East, where the arid climate allowed only trees by water to grow to their full potential. They understood the concept of an oasis or lush river valley like those along the Jordan, Tigris or Nile. The abundant water caused the blessings of fruitfulness, multiple branches and height.

In similar fashion, a good mother is well rooted in the river of life. She is rooted in the tree of life. She is a well watered student of the Word of God. She is well connected to the people of God. She is an active citizen in the Kingdom of God. She is a dedicated worshiper in the church of God. She is a member of the family of God. She is a pillar in the house of God. She is a consumer of the water of life at the fountain of God. She is grounded in the One Faith by the Spirit of God. And only a well rooted and well watered woman can be a mother, who is like a tree planted by a river. A good mother takes time to drink deep from the river of life, so she can produce much fruit and feed the needs of many. Before she can feed others, she must be well fed herself from the water of life.


Second, a good mother is like a fruitful tree. A good tree is a productive tree. When Jesus saw a unfruitful fig tree, he cursed it and it withered. He told the parable of a tree that produced no fruit and how it was pruned and fertilized. If it did not produce fruit, it was to be cut down and thrown into the fire. Fruit trees are made to produce fruit. In an economy that depended upon substance farming, produce bartering and trade for income, the Israelites understood the value of a very fruitful tree.

Likewise, a good mother is productive. If you read Proverbs 31:10-31 you will see how productive the woman of noble character is. She is a doer of good. She is fruitful on many branches. She is faithful on many levels. She works with eager hands, helps support the family, works into the night, provides food for the family, has several entrepreneurial endeavors, generously gives to the needy, clothes her family, support her husband in his work, buys and sells to make profit. She shows strong character, views the world optimistically, teaches others with wisdom, and makes sure her family’s needs are met. She can multi-task with many branches and produces much fruit. Many are they that come and eat from the fruit of the many branches of her service to God. She can do this because she is so well grounded and watered by the river of life.

Third, a good mother is like a tree with strong branches. Even more than today, wood was a valuable resource in ancient times. Trees were so valuable in ancient times that God gave rules in the Law of Moses about which you could and could not cut down. A good mother is like a tree with strong branches, “fit for a ruler’s scepter.” In ancient times a king would hold a scepter in his hand as an emblem of his strength and power. The Egyptians had a scepter with the image of their snake god’s head on the top to represent his power. When a king’s power was taken, they would speak of his scepter being broken (see Isaiah 14:5 and Jeremiah 48:17). So the Israelites understood that Ezekiel was saying that the mother’s branches which provided provision to her children, were as powerful an influence as a strong king’s rule.

Likewise, a mother’s acts of service can have more influence than laws, punishments, jails, sermons, preachers, youth ministers, or school systems. It is like the influence of Moses’ mother on him when he was young, which taught Moses to be a man of faith in opposition to all Egyptian influence and enticements of wealth and power when he grew up. Another example is Hannah, who taught Samuel in seven years to be a man of faith in spite of the bad example of Eli and his wicked sons. She draws her strength from God. Her hope is in Him. She can sing Psalm 73:26 which says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” And she gives shade, strength, and sustenance to those who take shelter in her strong fruit laden branches. When necessary, one of her strong branches may even be a switch for discipline. Proverbs 29:15 “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.” Her branches impart wisdom and life.

Finally, a good mother is like a tree known for its height and beauty. A tall tree is a thing of wonder and awe. Many thousands of people travel thousands of miles to see the Redwood Forests in Northern California. There you can find the tallest trees in the world. They are objects of beauty, wonder and awe. They are inspiring to behold. The Redwood forest supports more life per square inch than any other place on earth. It is even more lush than the rainforest of South America. The thick, lush vegetation and animal life are all supported by these wondrous Giant Redwoods. The Israelites had never seen the Giant Redwoods of California but they new all about the famous Cedars of Lebanon (Isaiah 2:13). They knew the wonder and beauty of a tall tree, especially in their arid climate which contained so few of them.

Likewise, a good mother is “conspicuous” for the height of her faith. She stands out in a crowd. She towers over the problems of this world. Many mothers get choked out in the underbrush of passing doubts, momentary suffering, and immediate busyness. But a good mother is well watered and grows above the momentary scrub-brush of this mortal world. She provides a view beyond the river and into eternity. Those who climb her limbs to find the fruit of her wisdom gain a wonderful view beyond fleeting vanities of this present moment. Not only is she a source of beauty from a distance on the horizon of humanity, but also when embraced in her loving branches you gain a view of the “big picture” that comforts the soul. She mothers you under the canopy of her healing provision and comforts you in the consolation of her protection from dangers below. On the strength of her wisdom, you can ascend to the heights of faith above the low earthly things that obstruct your view of eternity. At high altitudes in her arms she shares a beautiful view of God’s world. As you behold her uncommon beauty, you can stand in wonder of her strength. You can climb to otherwise unseen vantage points of faith on her strong and fruitful limbs, all because a good mother is like a well-rooted tree, planted by the river of life.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV)

What did Jesus mean when he told his followers they were the salt of the earth? Do they make food taste better? Probably not. Do they make people have high blood pressure? At times, no doubt. But to catch his meaning, we must understand salt the way the first people who heard him say these words understood it.

Salt in those days was used primarily as a preservative. If a family killed a goat to eat, but couldn't eat it all in one meal, they didn't want to throw the rest of it out, and they couldn't put it in the refrigerator. So they rubbed salt into the meat, and it killed germs and put the brakes on spoiling and decay.

This pictures a somewhat passive role the followers of Christ have in the world. Our behavior should be such a witness that it arrests the moral decay of our society. Think of a group of teens telling dirty jokes when a preacher they know suddenly approaches. His presence has an immediate effect on their behavior. Such should be the influence of all who follow Christ. As salt is different in its very essence from the meat to which it is applied, so should the Christian offer a stark contrast in the way he conducts himself. The more the Christian becomes like the world, the less saltiness he has, and the less effective he is.

To be the light of the world is to have a more active influence. This involves sharing specifically with others how to find salvation. As light shines on the path to guide someone, so do we explain specifically to the lost one how he is to find heaven and avoid hell.

Salt and light, as Jesus used the terms, should always go together. Some prefer to be only salt. "I let my life be my witness," they say. And one's life should testify loudly, but not alone. They should be light as well by actively speaking in specifics about how to be saved.

Others prefer to be only light. Their pious words are many, but nothing about their lives inspires a desire to be like them or to have what they have.

But salt and light working together in the life of a believer will make him effective to the uttermost, and the enemy will tremble.