The Sting of "Oppression"

Reading a wonderful book on Jesus thru Middle Eastern Eyes.  A Few Thoughts on why Jesus came...

It seems almost heartless to preach forgiveness of sins to an oppressed people.  "Don't tell me about my sins when I have an elephant on my foot!!" type of thing... Yet that is exactly what Jesus did and why He came!  He was preaching that the sins of the oppressed were of first priority and that their Roman oppression was secondary...heartless, isn't it?

His point was that both the oppressor and the oppressed are sinners in need of a Savior.  This message alone would cut across class & physical distinctions, now we are ALL oppressed!

As the oppressed, they needed to understand that "suffering does not produce people without sin."

Yet we are more willing to remove the suffering than to deal with the sin.  We would rather itch the spot than get the stinger out!!  However,  there actually is a certain amount of hesitation...what happens if I take the stinger out?  Will I continue to itch? If yes, then why bother! just itch it!!  But, if the stinger is gone, along with its poison, isn't there hope that the itch will eventually subside? 

     "O death where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin..."  I Cor. 15:55-56

The "itching" of looking for peace in the inner soul was dealt with by Christ when He removed the "stinger" of sin at the cross.  Once we receive Him as our Savior, He removes the stinger and we find that regardless of outward physical oppression, our worst inward oppressor is gone!  The stinger is gone...NOW there is hope that this incessant physical itching will eventually be gone all together...

   "Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our LORD Jesus Christ."Rom. 5:1