“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
Mission AccomplishedThe world will remember President Bush standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier proclaiming “Mission Accomplished” as one of the biggest mistakes in his political career. The premature victory sign about the war in Iraq became a symbol of the lack of foresight that has plagued the Bush administration.
Thinking something is over when in fact it is still very much ongoing is a mistake many of us make. We think we are over our girlfriends in high school when in fact we still inwardly ache with loss. We claim we are over an addiction while pining for the “pleasure” our addiction brought. We want to go on to the next thing and forget about the old way of thinking.
Our desire to move on to something new is not new at all. Jesus confronted it in his ministry. People were just as anxious to leave behind the days of law then as they are now. We all prefer grace to law, unless the law is on our side. But Jesus says, “Hold on. The law is not going to disappear until it has finished its work.”
As far as making us righteous before God, the work of the law was completed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ the law was fulfilled. The penalty for sin was fully paid in Christ. Yet the law still exists. It exists to bring an awareness of sin and to guide the believer. The law points us to our daily need of grace. Before we throw out the law, remember, Jesus said it would only disappear when all its work was done. That day will be when Christ returns and evil is vanquished.
Righteous judge and ruler, your law reminds me of how short I fall in my life and makes me feel uncomfortable. I bristle under its reminder, yet rejoice in the fact your grace is available to me. Thank you for giving me the law as a guide and standard which call me back to your grace each day. Help me to live in obedience to your law through the power of your love and grace today. - Dan Jones
Making the Complex SimpleFocus on rules, even the ones God gave, and life become unnecessarily complex. Not only are the rules many, they demand interpretation and application to changing cultural situations. Focus on rules with deep sincerity and hard work and you end up rigid and critical, shaking your spiritual finger at those who don’t measure up.
Most sad, focus on rules and the vast majority of us will end up keeping the easy, straightforward ones really well, while ignoring those that threaten our assumptions, world views, and cultural biases and point to the deeper spirit underlying the rules. Such is the story of the nation Israel. Despite periodic revival of spiritual fervor and renewed allegiance to the Law, the nation trended further away from the God’s heart for justice, mercy and walking humbling with himself.
Jesus simplified everything. He didn’t make it easy. If anything Jesus makes things harder. But he simplified it. Rather than learning all the rules, he insisted all the rules fulfilled their purpose, reached their zenith, were fully expressed in his one life. Every bit and piece of the God’s holy standard finds perfect expression in Jesus. That simplifies everything.
Follow Jesus with a single devotion and don’t worry about all the rules. Sure read the rules, study them, but not to expand the list of do’s and don’ts. Old Testament Law and New Testament commands are there to help me understand Jesus more fully.
Jesus, Fulfillment of all the Law and Prophets, let the one question on my lips again today be, “How do you want me to live today?” - Mike Leamon
No comments:
Post a Comment