54 verses, 5 different topics….which one should I focus on?
I’m selecting two things to reflect on today: Prayer and the Religious Leaders. Prayer, because of it’s great importance, and the leaders because the interaction with them takes up the largest part of the chapter.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he used an example of a man asking for things for a friend. That would place Jesus as the man with resources, us as the ones asking, and an unidentified third party as the recipient. Looking at the illustration from that perspective, Jesus wasn’t giving instructions on how to pray for yourself. It occurs to me that the Lord’s prayer is plural…”OUR Father” and “give US this day” and “lead US not into temptation” It would seem Jesus was telling us to pray together for the needs of one another. Since it says “give us THIS day” I guess it’s meant to be a daily prayer. I don’t think Jesus meant for us to simply recite the words daily, but rather to use the prayer as a pattern for prayer. Since we can’t all be together every day, we should at least “pray together in separate places”, and never miss an opportunity to be together. Those who are filled with the Spirit long to be in the fellowship of others who are in the Spirit. God desires to give good gifts to His children, and we are the ones who may request them for the children. We can either include ourselves in that request along with others, or we can trust that others are going to pray for us also. I don’t think either one of those is wrong.
The religious leaders are chastised for hypocrisy. The hypocrite is an actor, the image they present to others is not who they really are. In that very plain, literal understanding of the word, being called a hypocrite isn’t demeaning, it’s simply stating a fact. Jesus could just as easily said “Woe to you, Pharisees you actors”. What makes it gloomy is the “Woe to you” pronounced by Jesus. As soon as Jesus tied woe to the word hypocrite we learned that we didn’t want to be hypocrites…ever. But being a hypocrite in the theater is perfectly okay. In fact we applaud those who play other characters so well we forget the character isn’t real. Being a hypocrite can be a real talent.
Except when it comes to spiritual life. In spiritual life the only authentic change begins on the inside, in our spirit. In the Old Testament it says “man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart”. Clearly, what we think and believe is evidence of who we authentically are, before our actions are taken into account. Outward actions are important, sure…but noble efforts are only credited to our account if they are motivated by noble thoughts and beliefs. If we perform wonderful deeds but our heart isn’t in it, we haven’t gained anything because we are only acting. Acting doesn’t get you into heaven, therefore the “woe to you”. I don’t think Jesus was trying to be mean in one sense…He is simply saying “you are in serious trouble because of how you’re acting”. Any loving Father would say the same. When your eternal destiny hangs in the balance it isn’t time to coddle or enable, speak the truth in love, but by all means speak the truth!
Then there is the second reason for “woe”: The religious leaders were adding “unbearable” religous demands to the people, making it more difficult for them to enter into relationship with God. Instead of doing whatever they could to make it simple and straightforward, they added layers of complexity. On top of this they stand accused for removing the “key to knowledge” from the people. Perhaps that meant they didn’t make the Law widely known, or it could mean they added their interpretation to the Law and in so doing made it less effective. The way the “experts” interpreted the Law and lived by it wasn’t sufficient to get them into heaven, so what they taught wasn’t sufficient either.
I think this should be considered when listening to “experts” today who redefine sin as okay, and explain away creation for evolution. Let the student beware…not all teachers and religious experts are correct. They may be considered brilliant in the eyes of man, but unless they exhibit the fruit and witness of the Spirit, I would be very careful about following them. And regardless of what they exhibit, DO NOT follow anyone who tries to reinterpret the Bible to make what is clearly defined as sin something acceptable.
Loving the journey,
PR