In Jesus’ time, observance of the Sabbath had become the ultimate expression of what it meant to be Jewish. The Pharisees who confronted Jesus weren’t simply being nit-picky, they were trying to do their part to keep people breaking God’s law. On the surface, that is a very loving thing to do. However, in their attempts to help people avoid breaking God’s Law, they had developed an elaborate system of rules that surrounded God’s Law with a protective hedge, the idea being that if we keep a certain distance from where we’ll get into trouble, we’ll never get into trouble.
The problem was that what began as a loving way to help people turned into an exercise of authority and judgment. It had also turned the faith into an inward looking system, basically asking, “What do I need to do?” Sadly, this is a temptation that many fall into today as well. Our faith becomes a private thing, it’s something we do for ourselves, and we become more concerned about what makes us feel good than what genuinely helps others.
In our reading today Jesus confronts those selfish attitudes, along with the attitudes of authority and judgment, in two encounters with the Pharisees and in Luke’s record of the Sermon on the Mount. He is challenging us to see that a living faith is less about what rules we keep or what traditions we observe than it is about having charity and compassion for others.
That charity and compassion that we have for others is rooted in the love and kindness God Himself has shown to us. He was the one who had caused that grain the disciples were plucking to grow. He has provided for our earthly needs. Even more than that, Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath was standing there as the one who would show us the ultimate love by giving His life to save us from sins.
This kindness we have received causes us to look at God’s commands and see them not simply as negative restrictions, but as points of positive application of love. So Jesus asks, “is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” Later, as he’s teaching his disciples he says, “as you with that others would do to you, do so to them.” And again, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.”
The application of our faith is not a system of things we don’t do. Jesus displays here that the application of our faith is what we do in faith for him and others. The focus is outward. So there are some things that we won’t do – for the sake of others. We won’t tolerate slavery. We won’t cheat on our spouse. We won’t abuse someone. But those also lead us to actions we do for the sake of others. We speak out against taking advantage of the weak or poor. We invest time in conversation and service for our spouse. We speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
In the parable where the man builds his house on the rock Jesus makes it plain, he wants us do what he says. Does he want us to believe in him as our Lord and Savior, and trust in him for forgiveness of sins? Yes. And that is the hope that we have, and the hope that we share. He also wants us to express that hope in the way that we live and the things that we do toward others.
Father, thank you for the kindness that you show me every day. The sun is rising, the world still turns, plants are growing, and so much more! All this you provided because you love me! Even more so you have given me salvation in Jesus. Help me to show kindness to others as you have been kind to me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
The problem was that what began as a loving way to help people turned into an exercise of authority and judgment. It had also turned the faith into an inward looking system, basically asking, “What do I need to do?” Sadly, this is a temptation that many fall into today as well. Our faith becomes a private thing, it’s something we do for ourselves, and we become more concerned about what makes us feel good than what genuinely helps others.
In our reading today Jesus confronts those selfish attitudes, along with the attitudes of authority and judgment, in two encounters with the Pharisees and in Luke’s record of the Sermon on the Mount. He is challenging us to see that a living faith is less about what rules we keep or what traditions we observe than it is about having charity and compassion for others.
That charity and compassion that we have for others is rooted in the love and kindness God Himself has shown to us. He was the one who had caused that grain the disciples were plucking to grow. He has provided for our earthly needs. Even more than that, Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath was standing there as the one who would show us the ultimate love by giving His life to save us from sins.
This kindness we have received causes us to look at God’s commands and see them not simply as negative restrictions, but as points of positive application of love. So Jesus asks, “is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to destroy it?” Later, as he’s teaching his disciples he says, “as you with that others would do to you, do so to them.” And again, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.”
The application of our faith is not a system of things we don’t do. Jesus displays here that the application of our faith is what we do in faith for him and others. The focus is outward. So there are some things that we won’t do – for the sake of others. We won’t tolerate slavery. We won’t cheat on our spouse. We won’t abuse someone. But those also lead us to actions we do for the sake of others. We speak out against taking advantage of the weak or poor. We invest time in conversation and service for our spouse. We speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
In the parable where the man builds his house on the rock Jesus makes it plain, he wants us do what he says. Does he want us to believe in him as our Lord and Savior, and trust in him for forgiveness of sins? Yes. And that is the hope that we have, and the hope that we share. He also wants us to express that hope in the way that we live and the things that we do toward others.
Father, thank you for the kindness that you show me every day. The sun is rising, the world still turns, plants are growing, and so much more! All this you provided because you love me! Even more so you have given me salvation in Jesus. Help me to show kindness to others as you have been kind to me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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