The greatest gift to be celebrated highly, in this generation is the advent of social media. Those bad-mouthing social media are themselves, social criminals, who thrive on the scarcity of information. While also taking advantage of social media to peddle falsehoods, criminals take no comfort in the availability of social media.
Criminals are enemies of pro-survival information, including passive adversaries, who are not aware of wrongness in failure to pass good tidings. The considered good people failing to disseminate pro-survival information can also be categorized as criminals. Such considered good people love conveying bad news, more than the good about Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is headed by bad leaders, but such bad leadership is promoted by bad publicity. The only thing that sustained Robert Mugabe for thirty-seven years, was bad publicity. The more the evil that was committed by Robert Mugabe was highlighted, the more the existence of evil by Robert Mugabe was validated.
This agrees with what is stated in my previous installment, revealing the merchant of chaos. Ian Smith may have been more opposed to Robert Mugabe, than to Joshua Nkomo. But Smith unknowingly validated Mugabe, by highlighting the evil side of Robert Mugabe. See [Time to expose the merchants of chaos]
Good and evil are represented in pride and humility, respectively. A normal person can distinguish between good and evil, just as knowing the difference between black and white. The abnormal people become confused when constantly being told that black is white, agreeing, even though clearly observing the blackness.
The real problem in any country arises when the majority lack the capacity to distinguish between good and evil. Lack of education may be the suspected, but hypnotization takes a bigger share. A hypnotized society behaves as if demon-possessed. This arises from lacking confidence in self, where leaders are worshipped and given undue respect.
Humans, created in God’s image, deserve dignity, rather than being treated like animals. Having gotten lost, it is prudent to go back to the beginning, to retrace the correct path. This should not be a problem to Christians, professing to follow Jesus, who declared being the way the truth and the life (John 14:6).
Everything has its beginning. The creation of humanity took place after all other species had been created. A careful analysis shows a pattern of gradient creation processes. Lower species serve superior species, with humanity featuring lastly, to be served by the rest of the lower species.
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:26-27) (NIV).
This passage does not invite intellectual interpretations. But it is no secret that the considered educated of this world, seek to make it complicated. They wish that the above Scripture should not have been recorded. The validity of education ought to be confirmed in the reality of the above Scripture.
The mission of Jesus highlights this reality. But Jesus struggled to reveal this to those people. In an endeavor to silence Him, the hypnotized people advocated for His murder. They supported the crucifixion of Jesus, for revealing what is clearly stated in Genesis 1:26-27.
The fact that the entire world appears oblivious is a disturbing reality, yet true. This is a key Scripture, unlocking the real freedom for humanity. This is revealed at the point when Jesus formed His Church:
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah (Matthew 1613-20) (NIV).
Nothing is peculiar with everything said by Jesus. Peter had mentioned the reality of that which describes a human being, leading to the advent of Jesus. Human beings are, generally, God’s Children, in light of them having been created in God’s image. Therefore, Jesus represents the reality of that which was lost at the Garden of Eden. See [The prodigal son and the mystery of Man].
The last line in that passage of Scripture shows Jesus ordering His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. The idea of calling oneself the Son of the living God was regarded as the most dangerous utterance to the hypnotized humans.
Indeed, it had been taboo, to call oneself ‘Son of the living God,’ before the death of Jesu on the cross. The possibility of reverting to being God’s child bears the divine sealing. As revealed by Peter, and confirmed by Jesus, the reality of being God’s child, attracted the death penalty. Hence, Jesus told His disciples to keep the secret that He was the Messiah.
Sin is dichotomous to righteousness, which brings happiness and eternal life. The opposite of righteousness is unhappiness and death. But how does one detect righteousness from sinfulness? The aim of any normal human is to live happily, possible only when pursuing righteousness.
Even the vilest offenders know what righteousness entails. It may surprise many people that the most corrupt people known to exist, want to be associated with righteousness. To cover up their evil acts, the majority of such people are known to be benevolent and receiving adulations from the naïve populace.
Indeed, such people are given positions of authority in churches and can be highly respected in society. Therefore, let no person become deceived that most of those famed for philanthropy are the righteous ones. The teachings of Jesus can be used, when fully supporting this statement. Righteousness is not represented in public manifestations of righteousness.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4) (NIV).
Apparently, Jesus recommended a very unpopular method of giving. Ordinary humans want to be appreciated for practicing benevolence. How then can one identify real heroes, deserving to be honored by Jesus?
Can it be possible to identify those practicing righteousness, according to Christ’s standard? Before answering this question we have to first understand the causes of unrighteousness. All humans were created in God’s image.
Therefore, all human beings can be regarded as potentially good and righteous, resembling their Father in heaven. How then do humans become associated with unrighteousness? The story of Cain reveals this mystery.
“….Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering, he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast” (Genesis 4:2-5) (NIV).
Apparently, the unrighteousness of Cain is not revealed in failure to give. “So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast” (Verse 5). How can it be possible that a giver becomes associated with anger, with a face also becoming downcast? This story is recorded for purposes of manifesting the effects of what had happened at the Garden of Eden.
One wonders why God expressed His appreciation of Abel’s gift. Why could God appreciate fat portions from the firstborn of the flock? Both animals and vegetables were created by God. Moreover, it is highly doubtful that Abel could seek to outcompete his brother, Cain, in giving.
The above Scriptural reference does not show that God was, necessarily attracted by fat lambs, more than vegetables. A careful analysis in this anecdote, reveals one thing: God was looking at the attitude, more than being interested in what was given.
Cain sought to impress God, whereas Abel sought to express his love towards God. The two attitudes, at variance with each other, are not necessarily portrayed in giving, but the attitude of how giving is done.
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:1-4) (NIV).
Jesus was not saying these words, in order to please the poor widow. He simply seized an opportunity to teach His disciples the principles of righteousness. As a great teacher, Jesus could not let go of any opportunity that presented itself. He intended to teach His disciples on matters of righteousness.
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4) (NIV).
Therefore, when searching for principles of righteousness, no one should cast eyes on what is given. But on the attitude of how the referred giving is granted. But it is also unnecessarily a question of being careful of how one gives. This type of righteousness is hidden in the nullification of one’s own physical identity.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:37-40) (NIV).
Clearly, the righteous ones are not even conscious of doing the right things, in their activities. Hence, they become surprised about being commended for doing well. Their righteous activities reflected their inborn Godly image. A true giver does not seek to be praised or being thanked. Neither is he conscious of being loved by God.
That person simply portrays God’s nature in Him. Such people do not seek praise for their righteous acts. The parable of the Good Samaritan, whose real name could not be revealed in that parable, can be a typical example. In that Good Samaritan parable, Jesus shows a character who displays God’s nature, more than desiring to display his human dignity.
This narrative shows two dichotomies permanently opposed to each other, as represented in pride and humility. Giving, as embracive of righteousness, is not necessarily always portrayed in physical appearance. The attitude of the poor widow reveals the righteousness that had nothing to do with possessions, but that which represented God’s image.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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