The matter is quite simple.  The Bible is very easy to understand.  But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers.  We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obligated to act accordingly.  Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly.  My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined.  How would I ever get on in the world?  Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. 
                                      - Soren Kierkegaard

How many times have we discounted the Bible by claiming that we could never really understand what it means?  How many times have we thrown our hands up in the air with a gasp and settled for the fact that it was just too hard to comprehend.  Do we have a hidden agenda to not be held accountable for the things that Jesus asks of us? 

Jesus tells the rich young ruler to sell all of his possessions.  Jesus isn’t tell us to do that though.  Or is He?  We can’t do that is America.  It just isn’t practical.

Jesus tells Nicodemus to be born again.  We don’t have to worry about that one.  We can’t actually go back into our mom and come back out new.  That must just be poetic or something.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors.  I am off the hook though because my neighbors are gay.  I am just going to leave them alone.

Jesus says that what we do to the “least”, we do to Him.  I am good on that one because I give to the Church and our Church supports missions.  Sure when I see a homeless guy I walk buy and don’t give him a penny or my coat.  After all, he is probably just going to buy beer.

Get out of the pews and follow the words of Christ.  I am striving to do that as well.  Let’s follow the example of Christ, not the example of the American Church!