Hocus-Pocus

I just read an advertisement that caught my attention. The title at the top read "The Original Prayer of Jesus the Christ." I expected it to advertise the Lord's Prayer arranged in a special presentation, or perhaps the first prayer of Jesus recorded in Scripture explained in a unique way.

From the examples given at the top of the page, however, I realized this was something along the lines of the prayer of Jabez that was popular several years ago (albeit less Biblical). Whatever this prayer of Jesus was had the power to transform lives; the cited results included "incredible change . . . that was only the beginning," someone who "found the true love that eluded her," "a remarkable change" of a man's "abrasive manner," "the fulfilment [sic] of . . . dreams," and a man who "loses everything on the stock market - only to get it all back again."

Especially the first few examples sounded good (depending on how they are interpreted); they are accurate representations of what does happen when someone prays to accept God's gift of salvation. That, however, is not a prayer that Jesus ever prayed. Additionally, it was clear from other examples and from the remainder of the article that the remarkable changes were primarily in the arena of life circumstances. "Whatever your need, it can be met." "Personal fulfilment [sic], peace of mind, unlimited personal happiness, romance, friendship, soaring self-confidence, the defeat of foes" as well as "true good fortune, inner joy, glowing health, freedom from pain and suffering," and more are all promised from reading this book. The idea was that if someone uses this prayer, his life will improve remarkably.

I say "uses" the prayer, because the advertisement did not require believing the prayer or even praying it. It talks of these incredible results from simply carrying the prayer or reading it. "Merely reading the text in this booklet heals and inspires!" "No rituals to perform. No 'magic words.' No hocus pocus. Merely reading this booklet is enough."

What is, in my opinion, most surprising is that the alleged power of this prayer is not dependent at all on the Bible. The authors of the advertised book debunk the Bible as corrupt based on their premise that Jesus' original words were spoken in Aramaic and then were translated into Greek, which is the basis of our current unreliable translations. The impression given is that everything we know about Jesus and God is invalid, and that only this prayer contains real truth. "Over the years much nonsense has been written about Jesus. . . . Most of it cannot stand up to objective scrutiny. It is all so confusing and one ends up not knowing what to believe. The authors of this booklet have only been interested in what Jesus actually said, rather than what he is supposed to have said!" They declare that the truth they possess, which is "unknown to most Christians," is "far more exciting than anything in any supposed historical work on Jesus!"

These statements give every impression of rejecting even the Bible itself. The authors criticize such "half-baked ideas about Jesus" and "any theories about Jesus' supposed family." They even go so far as to question "was he crucified or wasn't he - all of which you may consider irrelevant once you've read this booklet." The truth that these authors claim to have diligently sought out "contains a spiritual potency that far outshines what we've been brought up to believe!" They assert that the Lord's prayer as presented in their book is "the most authentic Christian text you will ever read!" They claim to provide the truth about God, about prayer, and about the trinity.

I don't know how many people would be enticed to buy this book. There are a lot of curious people, even some religious people, who are willing to examine and try anything that promises relief and deliverance from trouble. They may claim a prayer and use it if they think it will make a difference. They may be willing to consider a truth that somehow they (and every other Christian) have always missed.

Most Christians, however, should be able to see through the sham of this advertisement. While there certainly is Biblical truth that each of us has still failed to master, all truth must be Biblical. There is no spiritual truth outside of the Bible, which is God's preserved record and the basis of all truth about God and our relationship to Him. It matters that Jesus was crucified. It matters what Jesus told us about His Father and about prayer. The teaching of the Bible is what will transform and guide our lives. We will not be freed from all trials until heaven, but we can have God's peace, love, and joy.

While they may not carry around a "magic" prayer, I wonder if Christians do sometimes want to rely on spiritual hocus-pocus instead of on the truth of Scripture. They may cling to a decision point in their past, a certain level of church attendance, or a faithful commitment to read daily from the Bible as their talisman for spiritual "good luck." They may place their confidence in  a prescribed routine for devotions or be reassured as they follow the teachings of a popular or charismatic Christian figure. Their hope for prosperity might be based on following Jewish dietary laws or using a single verse from Proverbs as the springboard for their financial philosophy.

Any number of those things can have some profit, but ultimately our plan for life must be rooted in the Bible. The authors quoted above stated that even Christians don't know where to look for truth and that the discovery shared in this book outshines Scripture. That is impossible! There is no truth anywhere that supersedes the Bible, and the Bible has all of the truth that we need. While there is no hocus-pocus that can guarantee a "good" life, the Bible is the source of instruction and empowerment for living a godly life that is pleasing to our Lord. There is no point in looking elsewhere, regardless of how intriguing the source may be.

"Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.'" John 6:68 (NASB)

(Advertisement found in The Old Farmer's Almanac 2012, p. 141. Authors of the booklet are Juan de Santos, Jose Lopez, and James F. Cullinan, with book available through Finbarr International in Kent, England.)