I wrote what will follow today, but since it is very long, I'm going to post it piecemeal over several days, GM.

PeterT wrote:

I'm not the Bible reader that you are so bear with me. The Jesus whom I admire is the Jesus who sides with the poor and the outcasts. The Jesus who heals the leper and tends to the sick. Much of what I've read of the Sermon on the Mount resonates.  However, given that the gospels were written long after Jesus was crucified, to my mind, it's an enormous leap of faith (to say the least) to believe that they are an accurate depiction of his life and deeds. No disrespect, GM. I mean, I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Actually it was Bran Flakes and a banana, but you get my point.

Howdy Peter:

I will bare with you, no troubles there. I hope y'know my purpose in this conversation is to represent my Lord and to provide you with accurate information and food for thought. Particularly where your assumptions are inaccurate compared to what the scripture actually says. I'm no expert, but every Christian is to give reason of his hope and minister to the lost.

I too mean no disrespect, but most of the Sermon on the Mount is not a positive portrayal of men; it is a call, by Jesus, to Jews only, to repent and return to God(Matt 5:17,18) on God's terms. For the Jews, that is the Mosaic Law. The gentle Jesus of social gospel invention, you among so many others mis-imagine, is a tool of corporal religious organizations(with gigantic bank accounts, they are not feeding the poor with - meaning their treasure is not put up in heaven as Jesus instructed). They misrepresent the scripture for their personal, political and corporate gain quite effectively; and as such are in fact enemies of Jesus Christ. Ask the Jewish religious leaders of his day, Jesus abhorred the traditions of men.

Jesus healed those he healed for the glory of God because he came for the Jews and because, Jews require a sign from God: one example, the parting of the Red Sea.

"22": For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: - 1 Cor 1

How about this as one proof:

"1": And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

"2": And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

"3": Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. - gospel of John 9

Again, God has universal principles, which Jesus agreed with and adhered to, which we probably wouldn't find palatable(as I like smoked ham and really wouldn't care for stoning anyone), that were nonetheless widely understood among the common Israelites during Jesus' public ministry, even to common fishermen because they were spelt out in the Mosaic law which they studied from an early age. In this instance: "...visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation..." did not apply, for a special reason. The man was blind from birth, in order to glorify God when the word spread of Jesus restoring this man's sight.

I'm guessing, that although you would approve Jesus' action, you didn't assume his intent as stated here. I would suggest, where the scripture is concerned, that is the case, more often than you might suspect. You owe it to yourself to look in to these issues for yourself, as God instructs in his scripture.

Upon closer examination of the gospels, I think you'd find that although Jesus did heal the sick he didn't do much tending to them and in fact allowed worshippers to attend to him, including washing his feet and anointing him with the finest ointments; those who offered, clearly understood Jesus to be not only the prophesied Jewish Messiah(in the law and the prophets), but 'the' Son of God. Which the Jewish religious leaders may not have believed but did fear the import of, as it would threaten their power and prestige:

""18": Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." - gospel of John 5

I have included the entire Sermon, in a separate post, so that you can examine it more fully for yourself.