Missing the Point - Day 123 Month 5-3 Week 18-4
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
Deuteronomy 4:1-38, Psalm 100, Jeremiah 14:13-22, Luke 24:36-53
Missing the Point
1. “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it.” These were Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 4:2. I’ve mentioned it before that the religious leaders over time added many more laws to what Moses was commanding. They added laws to protect people from breaking the law that Moses had commanded, but by doing so, they lost the heart of the law.
Our previous homes were (we had 4 there) in Hamilton Ontario. When we moved to Hamilton, we were thrilled at the area because it has more than 100 waterfalls. Syl especially was a fan of waterfalls and can never get enough. Many of the waterfalls were in dangerous locations so for safety reasons, there was fencing where one could easily step off a cliff if the fence was not there. But then there were the beautiful accessible waterfalls with some even having stairs leading down to the bottom where a person could turn around and view the beauty from below. One particular waterfall had stairs leading down to the bottom where signs were clearly posted “fall hazard,” “use these stairs at your own risk” and “slippery surfaces” so that those who used the stairs would be aware of dangers. One winter evening, an older teen attempted to traverse the staircase with a friend when the weather was inclement and the stairs were ice-covered. He slipped and severely injured himself in a way that would permanently change his life. He tried to sue the city (in my opinion it was seizing an opportunity for personal gain). The next year, those stairs were permanently blocked off and the city made it impossible to climb down the stairs. Instead, the city set up a viewing area at a distance that was fenced off in such a way that no one could access the falls. The waterfall-loving people of the area as well as tourists paid for that one person’s self-centred lack of good judgement and adherence to the caution signs. That is the same thing that the jewish leaders were doing. So that no one could break a law, they’d make laws that were fences to protect everyone from the risk of breaking the law. By doing this, they turned the spirit of the law into rules which contained devastating consequences for not only the person who broke them, but sometimes included those close to them.
The true heart of the law should have resulted in the words of Psalm 100. “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God”
2. Jesus gives His final words to His disciples. “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in His name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. (The Message).” He tells them to wait in Jerusalem for a short time and we’ll read in the book of Acts what that is about.
Jesus provides a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins. Then the charge to us all is to proclaim this message outward. His message is not just for the people of Israel but for the rest of the world.
Have a great day
Steve
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