You are wrong

We must always be willing to accept that we are wrong. When Jesus came, he went all over the place telling people they were wrong. And who were the ones that listened to him? Not those who devoted their life to studying the law (the lawyers and scribes) or even those who devoted their lives to applying the law (the Pharisees). It was a rag-tag group of fishermen, militants, and tax-collectors. It isn't that they didn't know anything about the law, or that they didn't spend any time trying to apply it. On the contrary, they did both—even confronting Jesus several times.

But they were willing to accept that they were wrong.

If Jesus came today, and went throughout the religious establishments of the world, he would probably have to spend at least as much time telling people they were wrong.

And here I start to get haughty: “Jesus would tell the fundamentalists they are wrong to interpret things so literally.” “Jesus would tell the evangelicals they are wrong to spend money on tracts and Bibles instead of food and water for the poor.” “Jesus would tell the Catholics they are wrong to emphasize tradition over scripture.” And on and on I could go, offending so many, justifying myself in the thought that they would be just as offended if it were Jesus saying those things.

But what would Jesus tell me that I had wrong? And would I listen? Or would I just tell him to go tell all of those other people what they were wrong about?

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" --Jesus, in Matthew 7:3

Perhaps the even harder question: Who among the people that I see as foolish, ignorant, self-deceived, and misdirected, would Jesus devote his most intimate time to?

"God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." --Saint Paul, in I Corinthians 1:27