The banks have all been paying enormous fines for mis-selling some of their products - Payment Protection insurance, I think.
GlaxoSmithKline have been caught doing the same thing, and are paying a $3billion fine in the US. But most pharmaceutical companies send out dodgy details about the effects of their new drugs - check out the interview on Radio 4's Today programme. The famous film, The Fugitive, with Harrison Ford, tells the story of one such dodgy company!
But while others are doing it, I wonder whether Christians sometimes mis-sell the Good News of Jesus.
When the Gospel is presented as 'Come to Jesus and everything will be fine!', or 'Trust in Jesus and you will get a better job and bigger house and car', that is blatant mis-selling. So what did Jesus say?
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8.34-38)
That is pretty clear, and should leave us in no doubt as to what to expect.
Jesus himself paid the price for his uncompromising stand against human wickedness, and we too will find we are called to bear mocking, and much pain and trouble, as we seek to bring this ONLY message of hope to people around us.
But let's not make the mistake of those whose over-enthusiastic marketing mean they end up mis-selling.
Best wishes,
Richard
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