I am not an expert on opening a can of worms. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I have ever opened a can of worms. I have opened a Styrofoam container of worms when I used to fish. I have opened a can of soup, a can of pop, a can of juice, a can of oil, a can of beer (sorry to those who might be offended by this act), a can of paint, a can of peas, corn, olives, peaches, pears, fruit cocktail and, once when I was in grade school I opened a can of whoop King James donkey (my attempt to avoid further offence) on someone who was bullying me. After this trip down memory lane, I still don’t remember opening a can of worms. By the end of this post, I believe I will have made a case that a can of worms being opened is not only biblical, but it might also be something that will happen again.
I need to veer a little off topic.
My ADHD, never officially diagnosed but comes in handy as an excuse when I go all over the place, has caused me to jump from worms to the importance of comparing ourselves, our attitudes and our actions to Jesus and Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV).
The above verses are one of many references to being like Jesus in the New Testament. The Bible tells us to compare ourselves, our attitudes and our actions to Jesus but permit me if you will, to jump to a related but in some ways defeating point about this practice. Paul admits that his attempts to actually be like Jesus, to be Godly and to live without sin are futile. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15 (NIV) In another part of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome he makes this bold statement, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23 (NIV).
We are to compare ourselves to Jesus but what about the worms?
I am about to open a can of worms directly connected to comparing ourselves, our attitudes and our actions to Jesus. The idiom “open a can of worms” means to initiate an action or discussion that causes a complex, unexpected, or uncontrollable series of trouble. In a message during the White House Easter lunch, Paula White-Cain, in what can at best be called troubling and at worst a breach of the third commandment (using God’s name and by extension God with us, Jesus’ name, in a manner that points to an individual(s) for their own personal gain) proclaimed that Trump is like Jesus. She used the events we observe during Easter as parallels to the path of the President of the United States. I know calling this out will open a can of worms I would rather leave closed. What do I mean by that? Supporters will defend, haters will rejoice, non-believers will point fingers, believers will point fingers and me, well no matter what I say I will have someone say something I have not anticipated, taking this post in a complex, unexpected, or uncontrollable series of trouble.
What should happen when anyone compares themselves to Jesus?
We already covered Paul’s response, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” After that maybe we should compare this fact about Jesus’ life to our lives, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15(NIV) In the great and inspired (not spiritually) words of Wayne and Garth of Wayne’s World, “we’re not worthy!” There are only two conclusions that we should draw from comparing ourselves to Jesus even those who have been unjustly accused, falsely imprisoned and even people like Lazarus; raised from the dead. First, Jesus’ humility and use of God’s power, not worldly power, for the glory of God not the advancement of self is what we need to copy in every way in our lives. Second, we are nothing like Jesus and will always fall short and that should be deeply troubling.
I’m not finished with the can of worms.
The can of worms I am about to open is a biblical can of worms, well actually there was no can but there were worms. Currently, King James donkey kissing (I don’t want to offend those who haven’t already been offended and left) has replaced the washing and kissing of the feet of Jesus. People are seeking to exchange God’s power for earthly power and their position in the kingdom of God for a position in the circle of political power by elevating a man to the position reserved for Jesus. By doing so they might just be opening a can of worms not seen since the time period covered by Luke in the book of Acts.
The clever creation of a messiah figure, a god like leader by those who seek to be seen with the one who holds the highest office of the land is slowly eroding the humble plight of the Christ follower to be like Jesus and replacing it with a power-seeking path. While I haven’t heard of anyone outright suggesting that the President of the United States is God, there is a slow and dangerous move toward the addition of the fourth part of the Trinity (I know you can’t have 4 in a trinity) Donald J Trump.
When someone is worshiped as a god but is not God, there is potential for opening a can of worms.
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:21-23 (NIV)
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