When I saw the headline of the Branson Daily Independent: “Local minister leaving Real Life Ministry after Mansion decides to host Nelly concert” I was initially shocked. Why would he resign? What message does that send to his congregation?
As I began to reflect on his decision, and read letters in support of his decision to leave the Real Life Ministry, I decided to write a letter to Jay Scribner.
Dear Mr. Scribner,
I will not condemn you for your decision to resign over due to the Nelly concert, neither will I offer praise. You say you decision to quit preaching at the Mansion theater has nothing to do with “music style, race or the new venue being introduced. It has everything to do with environment”. What environment would that be, Mr. Scribner? I would like to ask a question, “What would the Messiah do?”
Before answering that question, I’d like to remind you that the Messiah, whom you claim to follow, was frequently seen with tax collectors, “sinners” and harlots.
From the Gospel of Mark:
And He went out by the sea again. And all the crowd came to Him, and He taught them. And passing on, He saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” And rising up, he followed Him. And it happened as He reclined in his house, even many tax collectors and sinners reclined with Jesus and His disciples, for they were many. And they followed Him. And the scribes and Pharisees seeing Him eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “Why is it that He eats and drinks with the tax collectors and sinners?”
And hearing, Jesus said to them, “Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those badly having illness. I did not come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners.”
And the Gospel of Luke:
For John the Baptist has come neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a man, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’.”
And a certain one of the Pharisees asked Him that He eat with him. And going into the Pharisee’s house, He reclined. And, behold, a woman who was a sinner in the city, knowing that He reclined in the Pharisee’s house, taking an alabaster vial of ointment, and standing at His feet, weeping behind Him, she began to wash His feet with tears. And she was wiping with the hairs of her head. And she ardently kissed His feet and was anointing them with the ointment. But seeing, the Pharisee who invited Him spoke within himself, saying, “This one, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what the woman who touches him is; for she is a sinner.”
And answering, “Jesus said to the man, Simon, I have a thing to say to you.”
And he said, “Teacher, speak.”
“There were two debtors to a certain creditor: the one owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. But they not having a thing to pay, he freely forgave both. Then which of them do you say will love him most?”
And answering, Simon said, “I suppose the one to whom he freely forgave the most.”
And He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” And turning to the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give water for My feet, but she washed My feet with tears and wiped off with the hairs of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but she from when I entered did not stop fervently kissing My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with ointment. For this reason I say to you, Her many sins are remitted, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, he loves little.” And He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
And those reclining with Him began to say within themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
But He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
It is not my place to judge your thoughts or actions, that is for YHWH. I will ask one more time, “What would the Messiah do?”
In Peace, Freedom, Love & Liberty,
Darryl W. Perry
Darryl W. Perry is the author of The Anarcho Teachings of Yeshua and holds an Evangelism Degree from Link School of Ministries.