Whoever is of God

John 8:39-47
The Pharisees, claiming to have, first Abraham (vs. 39), then God (vs. 41)- see their confusion/delusion?- as their father, in reality have the devil as their father (vs. 44).  What a stark contrast to their original thinking of their heritage.  Obviously we would believe Jesus knowing he has the truth and sees the unseen, as opposed to believing the Pharisees.  But it is not intentional that they have served the devil, but unintentionally they have served him through their rejection of the truth (vs. 44-45).  Jesus warns them that they will indeed seek after him but will not find him (vs. 21).  Does this not seem to contradict his promise in Matthew 7:7-8?  He promises to those that seek, they will find, the same wording as in Jeremiah 29:13.  He clarifies their error in this passage, alluding to the fact that they seek him, not for truth's sake, but out of their selfish desire, using reason and intellect.  This is why he tells them that where he is going they cannot come (vs. 22), because he is from above and their seeking is from below (vs. 23).  Their pursuit of him is of this world and he is not.  Where he is from and where he is going cannot be ventured to by ways of earthly means, such as reason and comprehension.  Only faith can travel to Jesus' destination (vs. 24).  The proof is their rational approach to his words, stating that he could not possibly be who he says or thinks he is because it does not make sense.  In fact, it is humanly impossible (vs. 52, 57).  And since he does not appeal to their understanding they reject him and his teaching, and in so doing reject the Father (vs. 19, 47, 54-55) and truth itself (vs. 44-45, 55).  And Jesus makes it painfully clear that to reject his teaching, any part of it, is to reject the very truth of God and to begin serving the devil.  It is because Jesus is relating to us God's words, not his own (vs. 38, 40).  The Father has revealed himself in the Son, glorifying himself in the Son (vs. 50).  The Pharisees could not see this glory because they did not believe in Jesus.  Jesus' teaching held no influence in their lives because they believed that they were serving God despite their rejection of his authority and teaching.  So what about us today?  Do we not fall into the same position?  Have we not embraced some of Jesus' teaching and rejected others?  Is this not to deny both Son and Father, yes, even truth itself?  Jesus equated this to offspring of Satan himself.  We must understand that to reject any of Jesus' teaching is to reject God.  We cannot claim to serve God and follow him and "be saved", while ignoring any of Jesus' commands.  We today have fallen into the same trap of rejecting his hard words and tough commands because we cannot bear them.  And we cannot bear them because we neither know him, nor the Father (vs. 43, 47).  We cannot see the glory of the Father in the self-denying teaching of Jesus.  Let us end our pretending and our pretenses and begin to confess that we have accepted from Jesus what we understand, and have rejected from him what we do not (vs. 37).  Let us also confess that to do this is to choose the enemy as our father instead of God.  Let us begin to admit that we are from below and he is from above, and where he is we cannot go, though we may have attempted such an assault.  And let us allow him to impart to us the belief, the faith that will allow us to find him when we seek him, and to truly set us free, that his words and his teaching may find a place in us, because we have a new Father.  And this truth alone, this knowledge alone is truly freeing (vs. 36).

Misguided Loyalty

John 8:1-11
When Jesus is confronted with the prospect of acting apart from the law, thereby justifying the Pharisees' desire to eliminate him, he revealed their misguided loyalty.  The law said to condemn this woman by stoning (vs. 5), but Jesus ends up forgiving her and sending her away (vs. 11).  Jesus, instead of condemning, shows mercy, something the law does not allow for.  The Law was rigid in its statutes and demands and did not allow for exceptions or mercy, but only retribution.  The Pharisees adherence to such law was so devout that it blinded them to all other possible actions, including those of Jesus.  This was their downfall.  Now, the Law, in itself, is good (Romans 7:12).  So, complete adherence to it would have been good, if possible, after all, that is what Jesus did (Matthew 5:17).  But the Law does not save, in reality, in fallen man it arouses and intensifies sin and death (Romans 7:8-11), driving us to look to another source for life.  But the Pharisees refused, instead blindly adhering to Law, and also those who gave the Law: Abraham and Moses for example.  They had pretty much deified these men, claiming their following of them to be evidence of their spirituality.  But these men were fallen, just life us, and in need of a Savior just like us.  They never deserved the place they held in the Pharisees' life, just like the Law did not deserve the place it held.  Both, intended by God to drive us to Jesus, had been perverted and twisted into Jesus-like entities.  It was Moses they referenced as giving them the Law, when in reality this was not entirely true (John 6:32).  It was Abraham they claimed as father and proof of their religious value (Luke 3:8).  Their zeal and loyalty are to be admired, but not repeated, for it was for man and not God that they hungered for and pointed to, which is why they could not see Jesus (John 5:37-42).  So let us bring this into our realm today.  Are we really that different?  What is it exactly that we are patterning our lives after?  Is it our allegiance to Jesus that we cling to and his life that we imitate or is our allegiance to mere men, such as an author or pastor or respected friend?  Some of these men are surely appointed by God to shepherd the flock but not to be imitated in themselves and blindly followed.  Paul warns of this in I Corinthians 4:6, encouraging us to follow only as Christ is followed and it adheres to scripture.  The Church in Corinth was suffering the same allegiances to men that the Pharisees did and Paul knew this could not be present within the Church (I Corinthians 1:12-13).  These were all godly men who desired the Lord and his will, but they were still fallen men, capable of mistake and perversion.  Only Jesus is void of these pitfalls and never leads astray.  We cannot blindly follow any man, no matter how godly, or pledge our undying allegiance to any pastor, deacon, teacher, author, or any man.  Only the Lord is worthy of this and rightly demands it of us.  We follow these men, our authorities ordained by God, only as long as they follow Christ (I Corinthians 11:1), and only as long as their words are scripture.  Our lives belong to God alone, who purchased us (I Corinthians 6:20), not to any church or pastor or anyone else.  For we cannot follow both God and man (Acts 5:29; Galations 1:10).  For if this is the case, we will miss Jesus, just like the Pharisees did.  It is those who abide in Jesus' words that evidence their master, not in the words and opinions of man (John 8:31).  And when we all face judgement, giving an account for what we have done, attributing (blaming) our deeds to the leading of another is not a valid excuse (Genesis 3:12). 

The Official's Son

John 4:46-54
It is interesting in this situation that when this man approaches Jesus to ask for healing, Jesus responds by telling him that unless he sees a sign he will not believe (vs. 48).  We are told that Jesus does in fact give this man a sign by healing his son (vs. 50-51), and that this man and his household do in fact believe (vs. 53).  It is interesting because this situation is somewhat similar to the one that occurred in Matthew 12:39 and Matthew 16:4 where he rebukes the Pharisees for asking for a sign.  In both situations a sign is mentioned as the crux of the interaction.  In one it is condemning and deserving of rebuke, in the other it is given as a means to belief.  Why the difference?  The key is the heart.  In the case of the Pharisees, their heart is one of self-righteousness, a prove yourself to us type mentality.  They have come to Jesus not out of a pure heart, but an evil heart that walks by sight, not faith.  They are set in their religious ways and will not abandon them unless one proves to them otherwise (an asking for the opposite of faith: proof).  They are asking for the very thing that contradicts what is necessary: faith.  However, in the case of this official, Jesus simply takes what is already present in his heart and completes it through a miracle.  Jesus said that all it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20).  This man obviously had enough faith to approach Jesus for the healing to begin with (vs. 47).  Jesus' reply indicates that Jesus saw this meager faith that brought the official to him, and insinuates that by performing this miracle, according to this man's faith, he will complete his faith into belief.  If this man did not start with at least a little faith then the miracle would never have been performed (Matthew 13:58).  Jesus' reply is not a condemning remark, but a statement as to why he is going to perform this miracle.  He is going to consent to this man's request that he may believe in him, that the Father may be glorified (John 14:13).  This is the will and the work of the Father (John 6:29).  This is the purpose of the miracles performed, to attest to Jesus' identity so that they may believe(John 10:38).  Jesus has simply honored what faith is already there by completing it through a miracle, not creating faith by performing a miracle, as the Pharisees demanded.  There is a huge difference.  Do we not see the grace and mercy and love of our Savior in this passage?  Jesus had every right to refuse this man's request, as he did with the Pharisees.  But, if Jesus' statement in vs. 48 holds true, then by refusing the miracle, this man would have lost faith and never believed in Jesus and both he and his household would have been condemned.  And Jesus would have been just in doing so.  But he did not.  He showered love and mercy upon him, in accordance with his promises towards our faith (Matthew 9:29).  He does not leave us hanging.  He does not arbitrarily perform miracles and healing, but all have a purpose and it is according to our faith and his mercy and love.  He could have left this man doubting or even driven him away, but he honored what faith was there, even faith as small as a mustard seed.  He completed his faith into belief, thereby saving both him and his household.  What grace.  We truly have a Savior who loves and cares.  Let us then be leery of how we approach him.  Let us not approach him with the attitude of the Pharisees, demanding he prove himself before we will step out and walk according to his commandments.  We must first prove our faith, no matter how small, and he promises that, according to our faith, it will be done to us (Matthew 9:29).  Let us hold to this promise and come to him and we will see miracles!  For although we serve a holy and just God, we also serve a loving and gracious and merciful Savior.  Feel the compassion and mercy that this official experienced and be overwhelmed by Jesus' faithfulness.

Earthly Perspective

John 3:1-15
In Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus, we have an individual who comes to Jesus from an earthly perspective.  He has seen the miracles and is impressed and led to believe in Jesus as, at least, a prophet (vs. 2).  At this point their interaction takes a confusing turn.  As Jesus goes on the explain eternal life and the reasons for which he has come, Nicodemus is left bewildered and confused.  He cannot grasp these truths.  He has come to a man who has impressed him, one that he respects and admires and honors.  But he is still earthly-minded about things.  Jesus tells him that as long as we testify to what we see and know, we cannot comprehend heavenly truths and wisdom (vs. 10-12).  Nicodemus is a Pharisee (vs. 1).  So his whole life has been spent learning and studying laws and rules and scripture from an earthly perspective.  Their religion is based on intellectual comprehension of spiritual truths.  This is exposed as he approaches Jesus from an intellectual, earthly perspective.  He cannot comprehend what Jesus is saying and telling him because he is still caught up in the tangible, the earthly and intellectual.  It is all he can attest to because it is all he knows.  Thus the necessity of abandoning all these things, that he may begin to believe and understand heavenly things (vs. 12, 16-18).  He must move past knowing to believing.  He must move past the physical to the spiritual, from the seen to the unseen.  If one can only go as far as he can see or understand, then he is doomed.  Jesus did not come simply to do miracles and impress people, but to seek and to save, to bestow eternal life and to open people's eyes to the truth.  If we are content to see miracles (admire and respect Jesus) and walk by sight, then our life will consist of nothing more than flesh and earth.  But if we are to see Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, our perspective, our beliefs, our very nature of who we are must be re-birthed (vs. 3, 5).  We need a do-over.  Nicodemus could not understand this because he could not look past the physical, the see-able, the understandable.  And belief (faith) is the required key.  We are quick to supposedly understand these truths and accept them (pray to receive Christ), but what have we really accepted?  A Jesus who impresses us, who we admire and appreciate, who we praise and honor, who we boast in his humanitarian efforts and sympathy?  Well Nicodemus did that also, and Jesus clearly pointed out to him his lack.  No, we must move beyond these things.  We must move to the realm of being exposed as evil and sinful, as wretched and in darkness, not because we make mistakes or mess up sometimes, but because we desire these evil things, because we love them and prefer them to Jesus (vs. 19-20).  We do not sin because of lapses in judgement, we sin because we love it.  If given a choice, we choose sin every single time, no exceptions (Isaiah 53:6).  This is why we cannot understand the concept of new birth, even though we think we do.  Nicodemus thought he understood the things of God and Jesus exposes that he does not.  We too must submit to Jesus' exposition of us or we cannot come to him.  His light must expose our darkness or we cannot see the kingdom of God.  Do not suppose because we have said we are sorry for our sins and have accepted Jesus that we have been re-born.  Nicodemus, being a Pharisee, would have prayed and asked forgiveness as well, and yet he is confounded by Jesus's words.  Have we been exposed?  Have we had our heart's darkness brought to light and remained there?  Have we been re-born?  Have our affections and desires and direction changed?  Have we abandoned earthly understanding and perspectives in favor of the "foolishness" of Christ crucified (I Corinthians 1:23)?  For we cannot begin to see heavenly things until we abandon earthly views (vs. 11).  To be re-born is to completely change, from the inside out.  Does your life look different?  What has changed since your heart was supposedly re-born?  Have you exchanged earthly mindsets in favor of heavenly ones?  If still walking according to this world and what it says is wise is to be blinded to heavenly truth (vs. 12).  Only in re-birth is this changed.  Nicodemus, one of the wisest teachers in Israel could not grasp this (vs. 10).  Are we so proud and arrogant to be sure we have?  Have we given him every aspect of our lives or simply been content to have him lead in some areas, but not others?

We Cannot be Trusted

John 2:23-25
Jesus has called his first disciples, performed his first miracle, and now his ministry is beginning.  From the outset it is stated that he knew what man really is, not needing anyone to testify to him of this, therefore he did not entrust himself to them.  What a statement.  Jesus sees behind the scenes in our lives, looking into what drives and motivates us even when we do not (Proverbs 20:24).  This is a frightening thought.  Jesus, knowing man, decided not to entrust himself to them, knowing they would pervert and twist whatever was given to them.  Look at what they had done with the Lord's temple, which had been entrusted to them (2:14).  In mere moments (comparatively speaking) they had defiled a temple that had taken 46 years to construct (vs. 20).  It was perverse and serving man's interest now, not God's.  How could people of this nature be trusted with real truth and heavenly treasure?  They could not, and Jesus knew this.  This is why he spoke in parables, and why not everyone was privy to the secrets of the kingdom (Luke 8:10).  In fact, in reality no one is deserving of anything from Jesus (Romans 3:9-10).  He reminded the disciples that even though they had received the keys to understanding, it was not because they were deserving of it (John 15:16).  We must take this to heart: no one is deserving of anything but judgement and condemnation.  We are not lovable.  There is nothing in us that is appealing or worthy of grace and mercy.  However, what is more frightening about this scenario, aside from us realizing this, is to realize that Jesus knows this also.  From this vantage point we are eternally doomed.  He has seen what is in the heart of man and it is stated that he could not entrust himself to them.  This should bring us to our knees.  What a gift Jesus is to us; his life, his sacrifice, his workings in our lives, his attention to us, his love, his mercy and grace, etc.  We are not deserving of any of these.  Our tendency is to pervert and twist and taint with self-benefit and self-glory, the "What's in it for us" mentality (Isaiah 53:6).  And this does not stop after conversion.  In Acts 8:17-24, a man, Simon, is radically transformed by the Holy Spirit (vs. 13).  However, even after this change, he perverts the gift of the Holy Spirit, seeking the benefits for himself and the advancement of his agenda and pleasure.  Heed this example!  We are never, at any moment, righteous in ourselves, or able to do good.  Only Christ in us is capable of doing good (John 15:5), the exact confession of Paul (Philippians 3:3-4).  The subject matter in a majority of the New Testament letters to churches deals with this issue: the believer's flesh penetrating the church and the horrific ramifications that occur as a result.  Read the warnings to the churches in Revelation and see the same issue.  This theme (flesh vs. Spirit) is all over scripture, this is the battle.  We are told to do nothing more than offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1).  A sacrifice is not opinionated or demanding or trying.  It simply lies on the altar to be given and done with as another decides.  This is our stance and position and only when we assume this position are we cleansed and worked through by Jesus himself, and only then are we bearing fruit, the good deeds.  All other workings and doings are of the flesh and are opposed to godliness (8:7).  No matter the righteous or godly appearance from the outside, the flesh is unable, at any moment, post or pre-conversion, to do good.  Never!  Only Jesus through his Spirit in us.  Only!  He does not come to change us, but to replace us (Ezekiel 36:25-27).  This is why he tells Nicodemus he must be born again, because the first birth is into death and cursing (John 3:3; Galations 3:13).  It is the second birth that gives life, nor the first.  Jesus could not entrust himself to man because of the self-life, our own agendas, ourselves.  He cannot entrust himself to us today for the same reason, saved and unsaved alike.  Perhaps we (Christians) do not experience him because we too have perverted and twisted things into our own agendas and slants and preferences.  We too, like Simon, must repent and ask that the intents of our hearts be forgiven (Acts 8:22).  Then, and only then, can Christ entrust himself to us.

Close Encounter of the Third Kind

John 1:35-42
When the first disciples came to Jesus, it was because of John the Baptist's testimony.  He referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God (vs. 36). This was overheard by two men who then turned to follow Jesus, eventually becoming his disciples (vs. 37).  We infer from their confession and statements that these men were familiar with the Old Testament and the scriptures and the coming Messiah (vs. 41, 45).  The fact that John's words and testimony had such an impact would also lead us to believe that these men were familiar with his ministry and who he was and who he served.  So when John worships and praises Jesus, it carries with it some weight and pull, enough so that these men inquire more of Jesus (vs. 38-39).  John was really doing nothing all that out of the ordinary, simply following God in obedience (vs. 31-34).  But his simple obedience was used by God to draw people to his Son Jesus.  John knew that in himself he offered nothing to these people, aside from Jesus himself (vs. 20, 36).  He never meant to possess the spotlight or have people see him, but to prepare the way for Jesus, knowing that only Jesus could help these people, forgive and save these people.  His only mission was to point people to Jesus.  This is the same position that we must assume in our lives.  No matter how much we may want to flatter ourselves, we offer people nothing outside of Jesus.  We cannot save or forgive or redeem or lead people into what God has for them.  Only Jesus can do these things, therefore we must point them to him.  No matter how much we serve people, help people, care for people, give to people, or love people, if we are not doing with the intention of pointing them to Jesus, in obedience to his leading, then we have done nothing at all (John 15:5).  They are dead works, to be burned at the judgement (I Corinthians 3:11-15).  However holy and righteous our works may appear, Jesus is all there is (Isaiah 64:6).  John knew this, and therefore desired that all people would see is Jesus, nothing else (John 3:30).  What do people encounter when they meet and interact with us?  If it is simply a nice person or a helpful person or a caring person, and not Jesus, then we have failed to be salt and light as commanded.  John does not desire to be a nice and caring person in people's eyes (Luke 3:7-9), and neither did Jesus (Matthew 10:34).  We are characterized by our love for others and commanded to be peacemakers, but it is all in the name and leading (Holy Spirit) of Jesus, in the advancement of his kingdom and his name, not ours.  People must encounter Jesus when they encounter us.  Paul wrote that one plants, another waters, but God gives the growth (I Corinthians 1:5-7).  In either case, the person is sowing gospel truth, leading people to an encounter with Jesus.  So what if we feel like we do not fall into either of these categories?  Jesus said that we are either gathering or scattering (Matthew 12:30), so if we feel we fit into neither category then we fall into the opposite category: drawing people away from Jesus.  There is no middle or in between according to Jesus.  John drew people to encounter Jesus, as seen in the lives of the first disciples and the people coming to him to be baptized.  Whether a person runs to Christ or from Christ is not ours to determine.  We simply point them to Jesus and God gives the growth.  We just must be the fragrance (II Corinthians 2:15).  What do people encounter when encountering us?  Is it Jesus?  Or is it anything else?  If it is not Jesus then we are scattering people and set against Jesus (Matthew 12:30), not matter how nice and pleasant we are.  Even Satan, who lusts after our demise, appears nice and pleasant (II Corinthians 11:14; Daniel 11:32).  Do not be deceived.  We cannot claim to know Jesus and continually forsake showing him to people.  Because if this is the case, then in reality we are showing the very opposite of Christ.

I Myself Did Not Know Him

John 1:29-34
When John begins preparing the way for Jesus, he confesses that he was unaware of who this man was that he was preparing the way for (vs. 31, 33).  He is but one person crying out to prepare the way (vs. 23).  Although he does not yet know Jesus or who this man will be, he has been anointed by God and he stands on the promise that God will reveal this man to him (vs. 33).  His faith in what was hoped for though not yet seen carried him on in strength and confidence leading him to abandon all (Mark 1:6).  He needed nothing more than the words and promises of God.  It is the same with the disciples when first called.  John merely mentions that Jesus is the Lamb of God and two of them begin following Jesus (vs. 36-37).  Another is simply told to follow, and he does (vs. 43).  Their confidence is so strong at this point that they even begin to go to others and tell of the Messiah, leading them to follow as well (vs. 41, 45).  They are already confessing him as Messiah and leaving things behind to follow after him.  They have had no promises from Jesus or guarantees of anything.  They simply believe he is the promise of God, worth everything.  On the opposite side, the religious of the day (the Pharisees) send a delegation to gather more proof, some concrete evidence from John as to what it is that is going on (vs. 19-27).  They are not willing to put things on the line here without further evidence and guarantees.  They want to know the specifics and the details before they are willing to risk their lives and reputations.  We see this same thing in the rich man who wants eternal life, but needs some guarantees first.  He is not willing to put his possessions and reputation on the line for just anybody (Mark 10:17-22).  He is given no guarantee and therefore leaves sad.  Jesus just isn't worth his life and possessions.  He cannot venture out on a "whim".  He wants assurance from Jesus, not faith, but one cannot have both simultaneously.  One comes, then the other (Galations 3:2; Romans 10:17).  This was their holdup, their stumbling block in the form of Jesus (I Corinthians 1:23).  You see, they had constructed a religion around selfish guarantees.  Following the law, a tangible see-able standard, that one could measure and read and ensure compliance, involved no faith.  This made things somewhat easier.  There was no unknown or reliance on something unseen.  Their whole religion was based on human ability and capability within a written code.  If someone wanted eternal life, they could give them a list, tell them to follow it, and then guarantee them eternal life.  No faith, no walking blindly, no guessing.  Just simple rule following, followed by guaranteed eternal life.  As long as the standard measured up, it did not really matter what else one's life consisted of.  Just don't venture from the standard.  But suddenly Jesus comes on the scene preaching things unseen and difficult to follow and understand (John 3:3-8; I Corinthians 1:18).  It now takes faith and walking without seeing.  The only things he guaranteed us was suffering and hardship (Matthew 10:16-18, 21-25, 34-39; II Timothy 3:12; Philippians 1:29), and eternal life to come (Matthew 19:29; John 6:40), presuming we endure and persevere.  Is this enough for us?  In that day they could have ease and pleasure in this world and the next, as long as standards and laws were maintained.  Jesus tells us that we forsake the riches of this world in favor of riches in another (Mark 4:19; Matthew 6:19-20; Luke 12:33; Luke 14:33).  They did not approach this dilemma because their religion said they did not have to.  Only Jesus did.  Our religion today says the same thing, so neither do we approach this dilemma.  However, if we are to follow Christ we must approach it with no guarantee except for his promises to come.  He will care for us (Matthew 6:33), but not in the way we prefer, but in his way.  Is this enough of a promise for us to lose everything for?  The Pharisees wanted proof before they venture out, seeking it both from John (John 1:25) and from Jesus (Matthew 16:1).  What is our coming to Jesus like?  Complete faith in him and his words or are we out for more of a guarantee?  Is he worth everything or just something?  For John and the disciples he was worth everything, and they bet their whole lives on it, according to his commands (Matthew 10:39; I Corinthians 6:19-20).  Do we believe these words of Jesus that demands losing all to gain all, or the leaven of the Pharisees that says we can simply have it all?

Shadow of Light

John 1:1-18
Christ's entrance into the world at this time brought with it some incredible things that meant a significant and sometimes controversial change to the order of things.  The light and truth that he brought meant freedom for the people of that day who were religiously laboring under a law-driven religious system that was bondage and darkness (Galations 3:13, 23-25).  Of course it was also freedom for those who were under no system and in darkness of soul (lost).  Ever since Moses had been given the law, the people were kept captive under it, as a form of guard (Galations 3:24) until Christ could come.  The problem was that instead of treating it as such, they had embraced it as life, as the means to God and holiness, which was never its intention (Hebrews 10:4).  A whole religious system was formed around this, leading people astray, laying heavy burdens on them that they could not possibly fulfill (Matthew 23:4).  The leaders of this religion (Pharisees) lorded it over them and constantly subjected them to bondage and slavery to this law-driven system.  Although the law is in itself good (Romans 7:12), it was never meant to bring life, as they were intending it (John 5:39).  The problem is that they only had a copy of life, a shadow of things to come (Hebrews 8:5, 10:1), a form of a hight priest, fallible and fallen (Hebrews 8:6).  This entire system was based on man's ability to do and to follow and to fulfill, all the while coming up woefully short of atonement (Hebrews 7:27-28, 10:4).  And since they looked to the law for life, they were now under a curse, obligated to fulfill the entire law (Galations 3:10).  The copy of heavenly things, the shadow given to them was abused to the point of being embraced as life, so that when true life did come, it was overlooked and unrecognized (1:10-11).  But for those who did hear his voice and did recognize the light, it was a burden lifting, soul quenching truth that truly set them free to serve the living God instead of statutes (Hebrews 9:14).  Some of the impact of this eludes us today.  We do not see ourselves as in bondage as they did during their day, for we already "have" Christ.  So the "freedom" that Christ offers us, the light shining in the darkness, is not as bright and freeing.  But in this we are deceived.  The bondage we naively think is absent is still there, just in different forms.  Do we not also have lists of rules that we place on people when they "come to Christ"?  Do we not immediately begin to tell them what their life should look like and how they should be involved and what steps should be taken next to ensure spiritual growth?  We place burdens on them just the same, only ours are more modern.  We are content to have them stand in beams of light instead of driving them to the source of light.  We are nothing more than modern-day Moses's.  What God has started in setting them free, we snuff out in chaining them to modern expectations and appearances that should characterize a "Christian".  Why else do we so often confess how tired and weary we are in living this life?  Why do we so often burn out quickly and just need to get away?  This is not the life that Jesus provides (Matthew 11:30; Isaiah 40:30-31; I John 5:3).  So what is it?  Nothing more than updated, modernized bondage, law-keeping, slavery to rules and regulations and expectations.  We are expected to conform to these present-day standards to appear like all other Christians, and it in no way requires Jesus to do it, just simple will-power and dedication.  In fact, almost anyone can do it, with or without Jesus.  Do we not see this as a problem?  We claim Christ, but a veil still remains (II Corinthians 3:14).  We must turn to Christ, to the true light of men, to the true life-giver and bestower of grace and easy yokes and light burdens.  We have trouble understanding and appreciating the freedom he brings because we have not yet experienced it.  If we would but turn to him he would lift our burdens and remove the veil and truly set us free, and then life would truly be experienced, the life that Jesus said he brings (John 10:10), for grace is another gift he offers (1:17).

Where the Mind Falls Short

Luke 24:13-35
It is in these interactions between Jesus and his disciples, post-resurrection, that we come to more fully understand the inner-workings of faith.  These disciples had sat under his teaching for years.  He explained parables to them in detail, so that they may understand when others did not.  He told them on numerous occasions how he would be handed over, suffer and die, then buried and raised again to life.  They had confessed him as the Messiah, forsaking all to follow him in obedience.  And yet, at a most crucial time, they reveal their hearts by saying, in their disappointment, that they had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel (vs. 21).  Everything he had taught them about himself and upcoming events was unfolding before their eyes and they were completely missing it (vs.20, 23).  They understood things conceptually but could not grasp it practically.  Even when he appeared among them from the dead they did not believe (vs. 41), instead thinking him to be a spirit (vs.37).  Jesus, once again, explains the Old Testament to them, from the beginning, laying it out clearly for them, but still it missed the mark (vs. 27), since they continue to disbelieve (vs. 41).  They "understood" what he had been saying to them, they just didn't believe it.  Even the Pharisees had understanding of scripture.  They knew what their life should look like scripturally; they were anticipating the Messiah, understanding and aware of his coming.  They knew where he was to be born and what his purpose was to be in coming.  They were filled with understanding, but it did not lead to belief.  It is not until Jesus opens his disciple's eyes (heart) to scripture that their understanding finally leads to belief, instead of doubt (vs. 45).  How interesting that what their minds finally grasp, their hearts had already been speaking to them (vs. 32).  And this is the key to understanding, true understanding.  Understanding (folly- I Corinthians 2:14) originates in the mind, but belief (true understanding) originates in the heart.  One can easily have one without the other.  The disciple's hearts cried out for belief, but their minds overcame this belief with mental comprehension and reasoning, which subdued their belief.  No matter how incredible an occurrence may be, intellect will never rise up to grasp it as belief, even when involving something as amazing as one rising from the dead (vs. 41, Luke 16:29-31).  Belief originates in the heart, not the mind.  We may understand things, and comprehend them, but it is with the heart that true belief is cultivated (Romans 10:9).  Jesus is the one that opened their eyes.  It is the Spirit that opens eyes to see, that imparts truth and understanding, and this takes place within the heart, a place the mind does not dwell or venture.  These are spiritual matters, worked out within one's heart spiritually, according to the workings of the Spirit, matters unconcerned with comprehension (I Corinthians 2:10-14).  We must stop waiting for things to make sense to us or until we understand things better before we walk in faith.  That is not faith.  We also must never think that because we grasp concepts, because we understand them, that we automatically believe them also.  Neither one ensures the other.  One leads to eternal life, the other to eternal condemnation.  Our minds, like the disciples, play too active a role.  They are too involved in matters that do not concern them.  Our minds must be renewed by matters of the heart (Romans 12:2), not the other way around.  Heart first, then mind.  To reverse this order is to invite deception, and to ignore the burning hearts within. 

Faith Forsaken

Luke 23:44-49
In Luke's account of the crucifixion Jesus calls out to the Father, committing his spirit into his hands, yielding his spirit unto death (vs. 46).  He breathed his last.  If we turn to both Matthew and Mark's accounts of the crucifixion, they offer us a few more details that, when brought into this account, offer us an intense glimpse of faith.  Matthew (27:46-50) and Mark (15:34-37) tell us that Jesus cried out to the Father, asking why he had forsaken him, and then cries out again some time later, yielding up his spirit.  We are told here in Luke what the second crying out was: committing his spirit to the Father.  At the moment just after Jesus loses fellowship with the Father, he commits his spirit into his hands.  What faith!  There is no sense of the Father's presence, no gaze falling upon the only begotten Son, no oneness or unity, only darkness, for the first and only time ever.  And at this most desperate and direst of moments is when Jesus fully surrenders himself to God unto death.  He does it without emotion or feeling, simply trusting.  Is this not the kind of faith we all must have (James 1:6-8)?  Paul wrote that God was leading him to Jerusalem, not telling him what awaited him there aside from suffering and hardship (Acts 20:22-24).  Paul did not have to see what lay ahead or have more details and plans, for he knew that God awaited him wherever he went, whether he felt it or sensed it or not.  Jesus offered himself up unto death when God had forsaken him.  How much more confident can we walk blindly knowing God will never do that to us (Hebrews 13:5).  Why must we have more details and more confirmation upon confirmation and guarantees of safety or success before we go out?  Why do we wait for some type of anointing or feeling or maturity before we are willing to strike out not knowing where we are going?  Is this not our flesh, our human understanding jumping in to offer bits of earthly "wisdom"?  Some kind of promise that our flesh seeks to ensure its own vitality?  And yet we are told that only in faith is God pleased (Hebrews 11:6), not in our figuring it out and playing it safe.  And not even is he pleased in our going if not in faith.  Our lives have grown too valuable and important to us, therefore faith affords us little, for God's promises are spiritual in nature, not carnal guarantees.  Paul was able to walk blindly into suffering because he knew his life to be of no value apart from his following and fulfilling God's set purposes in his life.  Jesus too was able to offer his spirit at the darkest of moments since he knew the reason for which he had come (John 12:27-28).  They trusted in a sovereign God and his plans and will, not in the value of their own lives, which allowed them to walk in faith.  If we continually await for guarantees and confirmations before we walk, we will never walk.  All God has promised is to accomplish his will, and honor and provide for those who are dedicated to the like.  Our lives are instruments of glory in the hands of a sovereign God; instruments of death otherwise.  Let us yield our lives up in faith to God, even in the most  desperate of circumstances, for he has promised to guard and keep what is his, and to never forsake us.  Even Jesus did not have this guarantee.

Small Jesus

Luke 23:35-38
When Jesus is dying on the cross, the religious leaders come to him, mocking him and saying that he is so limited in his power and authority he cannot save himself from this death, from this cross.  They rely on this as proof that he clearly cannot be the Messiah.  Right after this, the soldiers join in the mocking (vs. 36), and then one of the criminals joins in as well (vs. 39).  They relied on what they were seeing as evidence, concrete evidence against Jesus, and their small view of him was then ingested by those around them, infecting them like a disease.  It spread quick.  It is plain to see Jesus cannot save himself, so let us determine from this he is not the Messiah, let us move on, and let us continue to do religion the way we always have, so they concluded.  What rash, deceived, blasphemous, damning remarks they are making and wicked hearts they are manifesting.  And they are passing this along to others, leading them astray from their only hope by their skewed, small view of Jesus.  Are we really that different today?  Is this heart not manifested in us continually?  Is this same small view of Jesus not shared by us presently?  Jesus cannot provide for us, especially in these economic times, so let us do it for ourselves.  Jesus cannot sufficiently draw people to himself, especially with these outdated phrases and methodologies, so let us use our wisdom to update and modernize the gospel.  Jesus cannot fully captivate and sufficiently satisfy, so let us not forsake him, but healthily mesh him with entertainment, worldliness and culture.  Jesus cannot actually lead us in every single area, so let us rely on him and our own common sense.  Jesus cannot come down off the cross, so let us move on.  Is there really a difference?  Do these views not all stem from the same heart and mind?  How small is our view of Jesus?  How limited is he in our opinion?  These religious leaders portrayed a small, impotent Jesus who not only could not save himself, but could not save others either.  We too have portrayed such a small, insignificant, impotent "savior" to the world that we border on their same heresy.  What does our life say to others about Jesus?  None of us would openly say these things, in fact we would deny them vehemently and condemn anyone that would say them.  But it is not our words so much that condemn us in this, but our actions, our methods, our way of life and how it is ordered day to day, Sunday to Sunday.  How many things in our lives do we interpret that Jesus "cannot" do?  Even if it is one thing, or a host of things, it makes no difference, because if Jesus is limited in anything then we have questioned his deity, limiting his omnipotence and sovereignty, stripping of his glory and robbing him of his worship, the exact thing the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and chief priests were doing in this instance.  The seed is the same, though the plant may look different once sprouted.  Is he all powerful?  Is he all-knowing?  Is he perfect and good and trustworthy?  Is he sufficient?  Is he worthy of all glory and complete praise?  If we believe this then we must repent and begin to live like it, and he will be gracious and merciful to do so in our broken hearts.  If we do not, then we might as well move on and stop the charade.

A Bondservant

Luke 22:50
This is a seemingly insignificant person mentioned here in the form of the bondservant who has an ear cut off and healed.  But it is of extreme importance, providing us with a crucial truth and warning.  A bondservant is a slave who has fulfilled his term as a servant for 6 years, and then in the seventh year he is set to go free, equipped with provision from his master, to help ensure his success as he ventures out on his own.  However, when this time comes, out of pure love and devotion to his master, he revokes his right to freedom, and instead chooses to remain a slave for life to his master, giving up whatever rights or entitlements he would have been given.  He will now serve his master for the rest of his life (Deuteronomy 15:12-17).  This is a truly beautiful picture of love and devotion, when one's heart is truly wrapped up and lost in his master.  Numerous people throughout the Bible refer to themselves as bondservants of Jesus Christ.  It is an incredible relationship and statement made when one opts for this life in Christ.  But should it be that surprising?  Should this not be anyone's natural reaction when encountering Jesus?  After all, he is the only one deserving of this type of commitment, as he alone is purely loving, good, kind, gracious, merciful, holy and righteous, all-sufficient, perfect, and worthy of our heart's and affections and desires.  He alone is worthy of giving up all our "freedoms" for and all that entails and implies, for however long our life may be here on this earth.  Why, in light of who he is, would we ever choose anything or anyone else to give ourselves to in bondservanthood?  He alone can be trusted.  And yet, here in this verse, we see a horrific perversion of this truth, as this man here has forever linked himself and devoted himself to a mere mortal, another human being, in the form of a high priest.  He has revoked any chance and opportunity for freedom and liberty in order to serve another human being, who offers benefits and advantages in this life only, and at some point will perish just like his bondservant.  He has chosen to bind himself to an earthly creature, an empty vessel, that is going down with the ship, all stemming from a fleshly mindset, which is death and deception (Romans 8:5-6).  He has given himself over in deception and neglect to eternal life and truth, and will pay for it for eternity.  But let us not be so quick to pity this man, for we are this man.  Everyone of us, not matter what you may think, have latched ourselves, yoked ourselves to someone or something (Romans 6:16).  To think otherwise is to be deceived and in disagreement with God's Word.  We all are a bondservant to someone or something.  We all have revoked our rights in order to serve something, in obedience to something.  We all listen to and follow something, either Jesus or something else, and it really doesn't matter what that something else is, for if it is not Jesus it is eternal damnation.  And if we are of the mindset that we are still trying to decide who we will be a bondslave of, we have in reality already made our choice.  And once one has chosen his lifetime commitment it cannot be changed, for it is a lifetime covenant.  It is impossible to retake one's own life after having given it away.  One would have to die to be freed from their previous covenant, and then raised to life in a new covenant, which is clearly impossible.  However, praise be to God that one has come and done the impossible and one has come and died to the previous and been raised to life in the new.  And praise be to God that he now offers us this if we will but turn to him in weakness and repentance, asking the God of the impossible to do the impossible within us.

Hearing With Deaf Ears

Luke 22:66-71
Once Jesus' threat has grown too potent, the chief priests and elders decide, as has been determined by God ironically, that the time has come to do something about it.  They arrest Jesus and call him to account, to testify before them so they can condemn him.  They expose themselves instead in vs. 71, by evidencing that they have heard his message and "understood" it.  This excites them because now they can accuse him and hand him over to secular authorities, but the very thing that excites them actually condemns them.  They are testifying and acknowledging that they have heard the true gospel from Jesus himself, and that they have understood and heard what he has said correctly.  How scary to think that such a situation can occur.  We can hear his words and properly understand them and yet turn from him in disgust and anger, which is all too common (Luke 13:25-27).  When we accuse these "radical" Christians of being too legalistic because of their call to give up everything for Jesus, and abandon the treasures and attachments to this world, we are condemning ourselves, not them, because we admit that we have heard their message of the true gospel and yet we reject it openly.  Their accusation was that Jesus was contradicting their religious ways, their man-made and religious laws, and their loyalty to governing authorities (vs. 67-70; 23:2-3).  And this is exactly what Jesus was doing, because this is truth, not the religion they had.  This further shows that they understood his message and the implications, which is the very reason they did not like it.  It meant too much of a loss and hardship for them, which their present religion did not, so if they could eliminate one then they could selfishly enjoy the other.  Is this not eye-opening and sobering?  We too, like the chief priests and elders, hear and comprehend the accurate gospel message.  And we too have disliked it and what it means for our lives, the suffering and hardship and loss of the "American" way of life.  It is uncomfortable and hard and we don't have to stand for this, so we dismiss it and those teaching and living it, accusing them of going against "real" Christianity in our churches and the American way, the same that the religious did then.  They took these accusations before their own councils, within the church first (vs. 66), then seeking to further quell this threat, they take him before secular authority (23:1).  We are currently proceeding with the first step here, condemning these "radicals" within our churches, how much longer do we think it will be before taking them before secular authority?  They thought they were bringing down justification on their way of doing things, just like we think so today (much to our relief since we don't want this radical way of life), but in actuality we are piling up judgement against ourselves for the end times.  How desperate are we to hold on to our comfortable, secure, American way of religion and church, to the dismissal of the true gospel message of earthly hardship and loss in light of eternal glory?  How much longer will we abuse truth as a means to condemn those living out the gospel?  Our own accusations are proof we understand the gospel and our dismissal of it is proof we don't want Jesus.  But he is merciful and gracious if we would but turn and repent.

Watch Yourselves

Luke 21:34-37
When Jesus mentions the end times just before he is arrested, the disciples are eager to learn more.  He goes on to tell them signs that will accompany these end times.  When finishing his description, Jesus warns them to watch themselves (vs. 34) and to remain awake at all times (vs. 36).  This is of course a warning for us all, not just the disciples.  And how beautiful that this passage and these warnings are put here right before Jesus is arrested and his disciples scatter, serving as an example for us to learn from.  He has just warned of all these things to take place, and they are now observing the Lord's Supper, where Jesus once again alludes to and tells them of his upcoming arrest and betrayal (22:19-22).  This is now numerous times he has told them of this.  He even warns them of their abandonment of him, and they do not listen (Mark 14:27).  They are so confident that they are loyal to him, come death or torture or prison or whatever (22:33).  They have already remained loyal to him in past trials and situations, experiencing incredible things (22:28, 35), and nothing has really changed since then, so surely they are still ready now as they have been before.  We can see the distractions creeping in though (22:24), however, they cannot see them.  Their past loyalty and endurance has deceived them into current piety and loyalty.  They are basing current situations on past situations.  Jesus' arrest comes upon them quickly, they are clearly unprepared for it, and end up abandoning Jesus immediately.  This serves as our warning for end times.  He warns us, as he did the disciples, to watch and stay awake at all times.  There is no luxury to relax and coast, because the end will come quickly and unexpectedly, and we will be caught off-guard, just as the disciples were when Jesus was arrested.  If we have been "alert" for 30 years, but slip for 1 day, we risk everything, because it is our endurance until the end that proves our salvation (vs. 19), not past experiences.  Their confidence rose from past endurance, but it did not lead to present endurance.  Our past does not guarantee our future.  What is current?  Our only hope is to pray through this (vs. 36, 22:40), asking for alertness and freedom from the distractions of persecution (vs. 12, 16-17), false prophets (vs. 8), boredom (vs. 34) and everyday life (vs. 34).  These all tempt us, not to abandon Jesus, but to put those religious things off for now, picking them up later at a better time, or getting serious later when things calm down.  This is a violation of Jesus' warning and determines our eternal destination.  The disciples were so confident they were alert and ready and they were not.  They were so certain they had obeyed Jesus' commands to remain watchful and alert and they had not.  They realized this after it was too late.  Why do we think we are so different?  The more confident we are that we are ready the more deceived we likely are.  The more leery we are of ourselves the better, and the more driven to prayer to keep us.  If we are so sure we are ready, are we not the disciples disagreeing with Jesus' words (Mark 14:31)?  Are we really so bold as to tell Jesus he is wrong?  We must remain watchful and awake because deception lurks at every turn, around every corner.  It feasted on the disciples, and it will feast on us too if we are not watchful.  It is called deception for a reason: it is not obvious and clear.  It is delusive.  And only the Spirit can lead us in prayer to be ready and prepared for these times (Romans 8:26-27).  So go to him or rely on your own ability, like the disciples did.

Hidden From Your Eyes

Luke 19:41-44
Jesus, amongst a crowd of people praising him and God (vs. 38), people described as his disciples (vs. 37), when arriving in Jerusalem, laments and weeps over it (vs. 41).  He knows this worship and praising will not last.  Although they worship and praise him now, it is not real and lasting, because true worship consists in spirit and truth (John 4:24), which is hidden from their eyes (vs. 42).  They will suffer total destruction due to their ignorance (vs. 44).  People here capable of worshiping even in the midst of deception.  God, along with Jesus, are worthy of our praise and will ultimately get it (vs. 40), whether it is by us or in spite of us, to our detriment or our profit.  One can quickly decipher this worship to be somewhat false when we see the condition of the Lord's house,having been converted into a den of robbers (vs. 46).  These worshipers had allowed or been responsible for the temple becoming a place of business, a for profit venture that no longer caused people to commune with the living God (prayer).  But before we judge, let us look at present day.  Are we really that different?  Are our churches not run like businesses, trying to balance budgets and make money and "expand the business", while neglecting the greater task of calling people to commune face to face with God?  Are tithes not encouraged so that expenses are met and salaries paid, so that more amenities may be offered to the lost world (or ourselves) to draw them in by appealing to their fleshly tendency to indulge self?  What would we consider a successful Sunday?  What is the criteria we use to determine?  Is it not how many visitors came or the overall attendance or the giving report or whether or not the sermon appealed to us or the singing was to our liking?  What about how many people encountered God or repented?  Do we even ask this or "track it" as we do other numbers and statistics?  I am sure these temple money changers probably brought in people to the temple that did not normally go.  And yet they were rebuked for it because their motives were impure.  Their goal was to simply draw in others, for selfish reasons.  Are we so different?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  Do people encounter God more when they come to our business-like churches than they did in that day with the money changers?  These disciple's worship would quickly change to condemnation for Jesus and his disciples  because it wasn't in truth and spirit but surface (vs. 37), and there was not church to nourish and nurture them in this true worship.  They worshiped for the mighty things they had seen (vs. 37), not from the heart.  What about us?  Do we worship out of abundance of his mighty works done among us (our stuff we possess, the blessings of the comforts and ease of our lives) or out of pure love?  Time will tell, but hopefully before it is too late (Matthew 24:9-12, 36-29).  And in the end, the responsibility of this will be held against the church,Christ's body.  And God's measuring stick is not adorned temples or attendance or numbers of ministries or appealing songs and lessons, but lives changed for eternity and true worship in spirit and truth, in prayer and intercession.  Are these priorities in our churches?  Or are we dens or robbers, who have left behind actual prayer and worship in favor of business and profit?  The truth was hidden from these people's eyes (vs. 42), is it also hidden from ours?

Walking by SightFaith

Luke 20:41-44
This question here is posed in response to a previous question asked by the Sadducees.  They did not believe in resurrection and they wanted Jesus to prove them otherwise (vs. 27).  They asked him a question regarding this matter, thinking their intellect had come across a bridge that was uncrossable, thereby rendering resurrection impossible (vs. 28-33).  They knew, just knew they had Jesus in a compromising position and that he would be exposed by their reasoning.  However, he answers their question and then poses a question of his own.  They believed in scriptures of the Messiah to come, the Son of David, and yet David, when writing of this, seemingly states a contradictory thought, that the Messiah will indeed be the Son of David, and yet David's Lord at the same time.  The Sadducees had no trouble believing this, which goes against reason, but they reject the notion of resurrection due to its opposition to reasoning.  How interesting that they are so quick to accept some impossible matters of faith but reject others.  Jesus ends up exposing them.  It is not in godliness that they truly revel and find being, but in self-promotion.  They desire attention and recognition, the praise of the people, not honest matters of faith and truth, even though appearances may suggest otherwise (vs. 46-47).  Due to their earthly religious mindset, they had grown blind to loopholes in their faith, their hypocrisy in beliefs.  Their position of self first prevented them from seeing the truth, even when Jesus clearly pointed it out.  Are we not the exact same?  Are we not quick to accept things by faith such as redemption and regeneration, atonement, the Trinity, a Holy Spirit indwelling and speaking to us, the parting of the Red Sea, etc?  These completely go against reasoning and logic, and yet we accept them as truth because God's word says it.  And yet, at the same time, we reject other commands in scripture such as giving up all we have, avoiding worldliness, selling our possessions and refraining from earthly luxuries, moving to dangerous areas to witness, etc. all because they make no sense, we cannot understand them.  Why the difference?  We too, despite our "godly" appearances, are self-seeking.  We too desire to please and satisfy our flesh, even in religious matters, so we accept those things that benefit us or have no affect on us, and we reject those things that are difficult or inconvenient, dismissing them due to the fact that they make no sense.  And yet if we step back and truly look at the whole of scripture, none of it makes sense, humanly speaking.  But we are blind to this due to our selfishness, blind like the religious of that day.  We are told that faith is essential in all matters of our lives (Galations 3:11, II Corinthians 5:7, Proverbs 3:5-6), not just some.  In all areas, we have to be led by God through his Holy Spirit, not our own understanding, or else it is in no way pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:6) and in fact is sin (Romans 14:23).  We are not afforded the luxury of making our own decisions or relying on our own reasoning.  Why do we feel that it is ok to walk blindly in faith in some areas, but refrain from walking by faith in other areas?  Why are we quick to use human reasoning and wisdom (common sense) as our gauge of what to accept in faith and what to reject?  This is not the determining factor, Jesus is and he has given us our commands.  The religious of that day were of the mindset that they had figured it out and this caused a blend of faith and sight for their lives, a walking by faithsight.  Jesus exposes this and warns against it.  We either walk by faith or by sight, not both.  Let us repent of our ways, or else we cannot follow God and are of no help to others either (Luke 6:41-42).  Do not let outward appearances fool you.  No matter how righteous our acts appear, if not in faith, if not conducted because God is leading you to, then it is of no eternal value.  Their intellect blinded them.  Will our arrogance and "common sense" also continue to blind us?

The Forbidden Kingdom

Luke 18:31-34
There was the belief in Jesus' day that when the Messiah came he would establish a real, tangible, physical kingdom,God's kingdom here on earth.  He would come in glory and power, reigning over all other kingdoms.  He would establish rule and authority.  This is what was looked forward to.  No wonder the people and the disciples were constantly confused by Jesus' teaching and his ways.  When Jesus is approached by children, they are rebuked (vs. 15).  When he gives attention to the poor and crippled and despised, he is also rebuked (vs. 38-39).  These are not typical things of a king establishing a kingdom.  When the rich young ruler approaches Jesus, he too is confounded.  Surely he was aware and learned in the ways of scripture, also anticipating a kingdom (vs. 18-21).  But when Jesus tells him to give up the very things that should endear him to a kingdom, he is confused and saddened (vs. 22-23).  This man had anticipated a hearty welcome into the kingdom to be established and yet received a scathing rebuke for his kingdom mentality (vs. 24-25).  Jesus has just rejected the perfect official for a kingdom.  The disciples are astonished at this.  If this rich man with authority is not fit for the kingdom, then who could possibly be fit for it (vs. 26)?  Peter's response reeks of doubt and concern (vs. 28).  They have left everything to follow him, the one who will establish a kingdom and now he is opposing this kingdom ideal.  What sort of kingdom is he to establish?  What have they left everything for?  This is further emphasized when he tells them that he is to be mistreated and flogged and killed (vs. 32-33).  What king would subject himself to this treatment?  This leaven of the Pharisees (the idea of a physical kingdom, of privilege, of luxury) had worked itself through both the disciples and the people.  Why else would the disciples argue over who was the greatest in the kingdom unless they had this false notion of a physical kingdom (22:24)?  No wonder people had such a hard time understanding his teaching and parables, and why the rich man, anticipating a kingdom position left sad and the Pharisees rejected him.  But what about us?  Have we not also bought into the leaven of the Pharisees?  Look at the castles we have built.  Look how we have fortified ourselves against those unrighteous, unworthy people out there beyond our gates.  Have we not put up moats and bridges and gates to protect ourselves from those outside our kingdom?  Have we not indulged ourselves with our resources just as royalty builds bigger and better luxuries for themselves?  Jesus reminds us that it is not a physical kingdom he is establishing (17:20-21), but within, to be carried to the nations, welcoming anyone and everyone who repents (Mark 1:14-15).  And yet we live as privileged royalty behind our "kingdom" gates, committing the same gross sins, buying into the same lie as the Pharisees did.  By our lives we shut the kingdom of heaven from others and miss out ourselves (Matthew 23:13).  How are we different?  Just because we "believe" in Jesus?  So did the disciples (Matthew 16:16, 20), and yet they continually were plagued with an earthly kingdom mindset.  How are we any different?  Look at the estates and castles and fortresses we build, and dare to say we are so different.  We have traded a heavenly kingdom for an earthly one.  And by accepting one we have rejected the other (Matthew 12:25), both for ourselves and those around us.  But there is hope, for what is impossible with us is possible through Jesus, if we will but repent and turn.  Will we give up our earthly kingdoms and mindsets for a heavenly one?  The religious and rich would not.  Will we?

Deceptively Ready

Luke 17:20-37
In this passage the Pharisees are asking Jesus when the kingdom of God will come.  He tells them that it will come suddenly and without clear and obvious signs (vs. 20-21), as it was already in their midst and they had missed it.  So too, unless prepared, would they, along with us, miss it again.  We are so certain that we are ready for the second coming, having filled our heads with knowledge of the end times, thinking this is preparation, thinking that it will be obvious when this time has come, ignoring Jesus continued exhortations that his second coming is as sudden and unexpected as lightning (vs. 24).  It will not be obvious until it is too late (vs. 29-30, 34-37).  Why do we think it will be so clear, when he tells us otherwise?  Why do we think our head knowledge has prepared us for this?  Did not the Pharisees have knowledge of the birth of the Savior and yet missed it?  Did they not have knowledge of the Messiah and yet missed it?  And we have this same intellectual knowledge and think we are so different.  Hear Jesus' warnings.  Just as lightning suddenly flashes and spreads and then is gone, so too will his second coming be.  Just like in the days of Noah and Lot, people will be going about business as usual, doing the same things they have always done, anticipating what they will do tomorrow and the next day, and suddenly it is all over and they missed it (vs. 27-30).  They did not see it coming.  Total destruction, however major and catastrophic, was not obvious, and will not be obvious, so Jesus says.  But, we say, although we are going about business as usual, we, unlike those, have knowledge and awareness of these end times so although we go about routine, we are prepared due to this knowledge.  The same prayer the Pharisee prayed (18:11-12).  However, regard the parable of the wise and the wicked servant in Matthew 24:45-51.  This wicked servant, just like the wise servant, knew that his master would return, he was not ignorant of that fact.  He knew what it was his master wanted him to do also.  And yet this knowledge led him to a false sense of readiness that led to complacency, which led to his being totally unprepared for the anticipated return of his master, and then it was too late.  Simply being aware of Jesus' return is not to be prepared for it.  In fact, being aware of it is more dangerous because there is a false confidence that arises within us, telling us that this knowledge has prepared us, when in fact we are deceived.  Look at the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to pray (18:9-14).  It was the Pharisee that was so sure he was ready for the return, due to the fact of his holiness and self-righteousness.  His religion, he reasoned, had well prepared him for heaven.  And yet it is the tax collector, mourning in his own wretchedness and unworthiness, confessing his lack of readiness, that was truly prepared for the kingdom to come.  Those of us who are so sure we are ready, are most likely the ones who are the least ready (I Corinthians 10:12).  Our certainty and arrogance in knowing we are ready is our downfall.  We lose dependence on the Father to keep us ready, as only he can (18:7-8).  The Pharisees desperately wanted to be ready for the second coming, so they turned to religion to due so.  They looked to their "fruits" and adherence to a religion as proof of their preparation, and yet it was all in self-interest.  They wanted heaven, to preserve their own lives, to live on, and this is not salvation and readiness (vs. 33).  True preparation is to know you are not prepared and cannot get yourself prepared.  This is the work of God through Jesus, only.  The widow persisted in crying out for justice, knowing there was only one who could give it to her, and it was not her (18:2-8).  Jesus is coming back, we all know that.  But knowing that is not to the same as being ready.  If we think we are ready, then be very, very careful.  Those that are ready tend to grow complacent and lazy, since they were "prepared" some time in the past.  When he comes suddenly, after it is too late, they realize that in being "ready" they have actually divided their hearts among the things of this world, and have missed his coming, being deceived by their "readiness", it leading them to complacency (vs. 31-33).  They have prepared to be ready for his coming out of self-interest and self-preservation.  Their religion is nothing more than a means to preserve life in heaven, not for the glory of God and love of Jesus.  No wonder as he is delayed in coming they turn to other means to satisfy self.  The ones who are truly ready are overcome by their own sinfulness and wretchedness, leading them to continually cry out to God and lean on him and him alone (18:7-8, 13-14).  To be prepared is to know you can never be prepared, and this keeps one watchful and dependent.  It is those who are "ready" who lose that dependence, instead relying on their religious works as proof or some past experience or conversion, not realizing they have become divided and deceived.  When Jesus returns, what will he find?  People putting full trust in past works (18:11-12), with divided hearts (vs. 31-32), whose goal is to preserve their own life in heaven (vs. 33), who have lost their sense of urgency and dependence, instead turning to the things of this world to enjoy until the end times (vs. 27-30)?  Or will he find those who have turned to him continually, crying out day and night for justice and mercy (18:7-8, 13-14), depending only on Jesus to do the work that only Jesus can do (vs. 18:8), fearing lest they be unready (Matthew 10:28)?  If you are ready then you are not ready.

Mercy or Merit

Luke 17:11-19
From the outset a question or dilemma is posed: Are Jesus' acts of kindness deserved or undeserved?  Jesus encounters 10 lepers begging their "master" for mercy (vs. 13).  They are asking for an unmerited, undeserved act of kindness in cleansing their disease.  But their hearts are later exposed when, upon being cleansed, nine of them never return to "master" Jesus offering thanks for his mercy, only one of them does.  So back to our original question, did they truly feel they received mercy or had they the impression they had received what they deserved?  Is Jesus truly master or just fulfiller of personal desires?  The fact that they never returned to give thanks insinuates they felt deserving and no need to return to give thanks since they had received, not mercy, but just payment.  Jesus warns against this mentality when he told his disciples that there will be the tendency to begin to think that after serving and obeying him they are entitled to some kind of reward or payment (vs. 7).  They will forget that they are nothing more than unworthy servants deserving of nothing (vs. 9-10).  Their obedience is nothing more than a gift of mercy, an act of grace, not work that deserves wages.  He will give us "wages" (vs. 8; Matthew 10:10), but they are not earnings in the truest sense, but merciful acts of provision regardless of anything within us.  When we obey, even the noblest, most radical acts of sacrifice and action, we have done nothing spectacular, but only what is expected of us (vs. 10).  Why should we have extra merit or favor or grace?  Because we deserve it?  Absolutely not.  Our life is of no value, aside from what he does within us (Acts 20:24).  God rewards his own work within us, despite us, not because of us.  This is true mercy.  These lepers cried out for mercy from master Jesus, but did not see it as mercy, nor him as master.  They did not want real mercy, they wanted healing, and when they received what they wanted they had no more need of Jesus.  There is nothing wrong with going to Jesus with needs, but once being fulfilled, do we return and fall at his feet praising God (vs. 15-16)?  If his fulfilling our requests does not drive us to worship and cling to him that much more, then we do not understand who we are, who he is, and what true mercy and grace are, no matter what we say or refer to Jesus as.  And this is not a simple "thank you" or I will sing harder next Sunday in church or something, but a falling at his feet, worshiping, giving your life to him.  That is true thanks.  How often do we come to Jesus in desperate need, only to leave him, never to return until the next desperate situation arises?  How quickly we forget his past mercy and grace to us, abusing it due to the fact that we feel deserving, that we are lovable creatures.  Why else would we exchange his glory and provision for what what the world offers us?  Only one of these men kept his life by losing it (vs. 19; 18:33), while the rest, in preserving their life through requesting healing, truly lost it.  They feared their disease and the death it brought near, desperately wanting healing, not because they desired Jesus.  Why do we run to Jesus?  Because we fear what it means for our own personal lives if we abandon him?  Do we "worship" him and "follow" him because we are afraid of what it would mean if we did not?  We want his provision and grace and mercy so we will take his "lordship" if that's what it costs to get what we want.  We can stomach a little Jesus if it means good things for us and the fulfilling of our wants.  Is he nothing more to us that a means to an end, just like he was for these nine lepers?  Is it Jesus we want or what Jesus offers us that we want?  These lepers cried out to their "master" for his mercy, and yet it was not Jesus that was master but their own desires, i.e. themselves.  Their selfish desire for something drove them to Jesus, not a recognition of who Jesus is and who they are.  So many times we are our own masters, yet deceptively calling Jesus master simply to manipulate him to do what we want.  How often do we run to him, begging for mercy, while each act of mercy draws us closer and closer to him, to his feet, assuming the position of an unworthy servant who has received undeserved reward?  Or do we run to him begging for mercy, only to leave him once again after receiving what we wanted?  He is not master in this scenario, we are.  But we will give him whatever title we must to get what we want: master, savior, king, friend, father.

Sins Against Your Brother

Luke 17:1-4
Jesus warns here that temptations to sin are inevitable, however, that is not excuse for the one through whom they come (vs. 1-2).  Our tendency would be to skim over these four verses, thinking that we surely do not introduce sins or encourage sin in people's lives.  But this is clearly not what he is referring to, since he goes on to tell us to rebuke those who are in sin and to forgive without limit (vs. 3-4).  Now that we have received these commands from Jesus, we sin by neglecting them or justifying them away (James 4:17).  So many times we overlook sins in the lives of others thinking that is love, to overlook their wrongs, and not to judge them.  However, true love holds accountable and overlooks wrongs committed against oneself (forgiveness), not overlooks sin that is consuming and killing another (I John 5:16).  We rationalize confrontation by wanting to avoid those awkward moments or not appear judgmental or unmerciful thereby showing patience and love.  But it is in love of self, not others that these desires are born.  We fear others and their responses to us rather than fear God and his commands.  To see a brother immersed in sin and ignore it is to choose self over brother, to condone his sin by our silence, and to usher in temptations to sin by our letting our brother continue in it with conscience seared, ultimately to sin against God and disobey his commands (II Thessalonians 3:15; Titus 3:10; Matthew 18:15-17).  Godly confrontation of sin is born, not out of judgement, but out of love for God, by obeying his commands, and out of love for our brother.  We also forgive without regard.  We forgive because of the forgiveness that we have received from Jesus, it is a reflection (Ephesians 4:32; Luke 7:47).  Our lack of forgiveness demonstrates a lack of forgiveness experienced.  We are quick to hold on to petty "hurts" when Christ has forgiven our innumerable and gross sins, even while we remained dead and unrepentant (Romans 5:8).  How can we hold grudges against one another in light of Jesus' mercy towards us?  Our sins against one another are nothing in light of our sins against a holy God, so also our forgiveness pales in comparison (Matthew 18:21-35).  There is no excuse to ever withhold forgiveness from another, not matter how major they may seem.  With the same measure of forgiveness we offer, the same will be reciprocated to us by God (Matthew 6:14-15; 18:35), because one stems from the other.  If one is absent then the other is absent as well.  Do not deceive yourselves into thinking otherwise.  Are we lacking in forgiveness?  Then do not try and muster up more.  Rather, go to Jesus and seek to what degree you have experienced and embraced his forgiveness, because he is the source of forgiveness, and it is in our receiving from him that we in turn forgive others (Luke 7:41-47).  To ignore either of these commands (to confront others in their sin and to forgive always) is to violate Jesus' commands and to usher in sin to those around us, and Jesus says it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and cast into the sea (vs. 2).  Do not take this lightly, both of these are absolutely essential to our christian testimonies and walks, thus the reason he gives such a drastic alternative (millstone) and the phrase "Pay attention to yourselves!".  Do we have the heart of Jesus in these matters?  If not, we are risking ultimate deception (Matthew 5:25).

Forceful Entry

Luke 16:14-17
Jesus has just warned the Pharisees of the dangers of accumulating wealth.  There is the tendency to begin to trust in it and rely on it to the point of choosing it over Christ as your master.  You begin serving it and devoting yourself to its accumulation as opposed to serving and devoting yourself to God (vs. 10-13).  The Pharisees, however, had fallen into this trap.  They were both lovers of money and "lovers" of God, or so they thought (vs. 14).  They viewed themselves as having God as their true master, while also indulging in luxurious wealth and earthly treasure.  Clearly they did not intentionally and purposely choose wealth over God, but justified themselves in their own eyes and those of the people, reckoning one could have both and be without division between the two.  They did not have to choose, as Jesus said they did, they could combine them both together in harmony.  They felt justified in this, it made sense, it had the appearance of meshing together and the people accepted it.  But Jesus warns them that the very justifications that appealed them to men, condemned them before God.  Just because it works here on earth and is accepted by the masses is not validity before God, in fact it should cause concern because what we like and accept is opposite from what God values and accepts (vs.15).  How could they so clearly violate Jesus' words and justify themselves apart from obeying him?  He spelled it out so clearly for them and yet they remained disobedient.  They felt justified because they considered themselves to be "Children of Abraham", law-abiding, holy religious leaders who gave generously, attended temple constantly, prayed and converted people (Luke 11:39-42; Matthew 23:15, 23-28), all the while maintaining their religious standards (law).  They could have their indulgent wealth as long as they continued to keep these laws given to them and remained legally "pure".  They were trying to force their way into the kingdom of heaven through law-following (vs. 16).  Jesus reminds them that if one so chooses law as his means to heaven, he will be judged according to it and every single ordinance and act must line up perfectly, not one mistake is overlooked or accepted.  There are no exceptions or allowances (vs. 17; Galations 5:2-4), which condemns all men under law (Galations 2:16).  If they want to maintain their wealth and earthly riches and possessions and continue to rely on the law and their own means of righteousness as entrance, then so be it, but they have chosen their master, despising the other (vs.13), trying to force their way into heaven apart from Jesus.  Have we not done the same thing?  We prefer our possessions and wealth and worldly treasures, refusing to give them up, so we justify them and trust in our godly appearance and behavior (i.e. law) as proof of our righteousness in Christ, which is no more than counting on Old Testament law as our means of righteousness before God, the same as the Pharisees.  We just have slightly different sets of laws.  Instead of a sacrificial system, we adhere to the law of "asking Jesus into our heart".  Our offerings are now church attendance, sunday school, tithing 10 %, and avoiding major sins instead of rams, bulls, sheep and goats.  We too have justified ourselves and our indulgences in our own eyes and the eyes of those around us, thereby actually appealing to the favor of the lost world, the same as the Pharisees, which Jesus said should be a clear sign of warning to us (vs. 15), not a sign of God's blessings and workings.  We who are "under the blood of Christ" have in actuality divorced ourselves from Christ and committed adultery against him, by "choosing" both him and this world, i.e. law (vs. 18; Galations 5:2-4).  This is all given in a vivid illustration in the story of Lazarus and the rich man (vs. 19-31).  This rich man lives in self-indulgence, thinking he is a Child of Abraham, destined to the kingdom of heaven (vs. 19, 24-25).  When he is exposed as having chosen his master (by his selfish indulgence and ignoring the helpless while still maintaining his religion) he pleads for a prophet to be sent back to his family to warn them so they do not suffer the same fate as he has (vs. 27).  Abraham reminds him that they already have their sign in the form of the prophets of old, and if this will not open their eyes then there is no hope (vs. 29, 31).  What is it we are waiting for to open our eyes to our having chosen our master in the form of earthly wealth and treasure?  Why do we still believe we can have both?  We have Jesus' clear words of warning, Old Testament warnings, and New Testament warnings from the disciples.  Do we seek some sign from heaven, someone arising from the dead before we repent (vs. 30)?  We are warned against this mentality (Matthew 16:4), and told that we already have our sign in the form of God's word.  But have we simply heard it but not understood it (Matthew 13:14-15)?  Have we embraced treasure in this world, combined with treasure in the next?  Have we ignored the gospel's warning against this, instead justifying ourselves in man's eyes?  Have we relied on "modern day law" as our path to force our way into heaven, refuting grace (Galations 5:2-4)?  Are we the present-day Rich Man and Pharisees ignoring Jesus in the form of Lazarus (Matthew 25:45)?  Have we have made our choice?

Sense of Entitlement

Luke 15:1-7
The Pharisees have noticed that Jesus continually gathers with the unrighteous and sinners, while seemingly neglecting the religious, the "righteous".  This causes anger and grumbling among them against Jesus (vs. 2).  He tells them that it is not the righteous continually growing and maturing that causes rejoicing in heaven, but the unrighteous turning, the sinners repenting that causes true rejoicing (vs. 7, 10).  He further illustrates this point by telling the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son.  It is the second son we focus on, the one who remained loyal to his father, never straying, the one who most resembles us.  When the straying son returns and repents from his fleshly, sinful ways there is celebrating and rejoicing (vs. 21-24).  When the "good" son hears of this he grows jealous and angry (vs. 27-28).  He feels as though his loyalty and righteousness has earned him some favor with the father and well-deserved rewards (vs. 29).  He feels a sense of entitlement for his "good behavior", that he is owed attention and praise from the father, a portion of the father's wealth.  The father reminds him that he is privy to all the father has, and is freely granted access anytime he so chooses (vs. 31), but it is in the recovering of a life that celebration and rejoicing is due, not in the abiding.  This sense of entitlement that we so often have, that this son had, is warned against by Jesus.  It is Jesus that has changed us and has kept us, not our own strength and capability.  We have played no part in it, and therefore should not expect to receive any more than is due a lowly servant (Luke 17:7-10).  We think our love for him, our loyalty to him, our worship of him, and our service to him earns us some kind of merit, a portion of the proceeds and his full attention, and this is just not the case.  This is exactly what the Pharisees thought and what we think today.  We deserve this and we deserve that, after all, we are God's people.  Is this not why we spend our resources on ourselves and our churches, under the guise of equipping the saints?  Equipping the saints is the work of God, not our money.  Even our tithes have become gifts to ourselves, not God.  Is this not why 85% of tithes remain within the local church they are given to; half of it dedicated to staff to "feed" us the way we prefer to be fed, to lead us in worship according to the style we enjoy most and purchasing class material that keeps us entertained?  We spend our money on building ourselves (i.e. the "church") up, on growing and maturing ourselves in the faith, on our own personal spiritual learning and development, while a lost world is dying without Christ.  Our priority is our own spiritual growth, in direct disobedience to Paul's exhortation to consider others, the lost, as a higher priority (Philippians 2:3-4), the same direction that Jesus gives us in this parable of the Prodigal Son, and the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-13).  He tells us to use our "unrighteous" wealth (i.e. earthly treasure) to gain those souls who are lost (16:9).  If we are not spending our resources to seek and save the lost in this world, instead focusing on ourselves and our own spiritual needs we will never be entrusted with true eternal riches (16:10-12).  And, in actuality, if we continually spend God's money on God's people we have missed the entire message of the gospel and the call of Jesus,and in turn are serving money, not God (16:13), no matter the outward appearance.  Jesus came to save the lost and the sick, not focus on the needs of the healthy and righteous (Mark 2:17; Luke 4:17-19).  Of course, we are to grow and mature in our faith, but not at the expense of saving the lost.  God will finish what he started in us, and will carry us on to maturity in our faith as we seek the kingdom first, not seek our own growth first.  Let him do the work he has promised to do in us, as we carry on the work he has given us to do in the Great Commission.  With our resources continually going to our own needs and "in-house" church focus, while giving leftovers to mission (whether local or foreign), how can we ever claim the heart of Jesus?  This never was and never is his heart or intention.  Jesus has given us a clear choice to make: either spend and be spent for the lost, or spend and be spent on to the detriment of your own soul.

Invitation Only

Luke 14:15-24
Upon hearing Jesus' exhortations about life, a man excitedly states, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God" (vs. 15).  This man clearly supposes that he, along with others there, is one of these who will be doing so.  It causes him to erupt in prideful declaration, "Oh lucky me!"  But Jesus lovingly brings him back down to earth, putting a cork in his celebration for the time being.  He tells them a parable of a man who threw a banquet inviting many (vs. 16).  It says that at the time of the banquet they began to make excuses as to why they could not come (vs. 17).  From this we deduct that they initially accepted the invitation, evidenced by the fact that many were invited,the banquet was planned, and it was not until time to attend that excuses were made.  They received the invitation, but did not carry through with attendance.  So, the master of the banquet then draws in and invites those who are desperate for such a banquet: the lame, the poor, the blind, the ignored, the hurting, the distant, the unknown (vs. 21, 23).  The ones who "deserved" the banquet or were satisfied without such a banquet accepted the invitation, but began to make excuses on why they could not attend, evidencing that the idea of the banquet appealed more to them than the actual banquet.  Although seemingly excited about this prospect, they were easily distracted and excited about other things unrelated to the banquet, finding fulfillment and satisfaction elsewhere.  The same thing happened to the seed sown in Luke 8:11-14: initial reception but affections elsewhere.  We, along with these people in the parable, are so quick to "accept" Jesus, and get excited over eating bread in the kingdom of God.  But, as he begins to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12), and this life that we have accepted begins to take shape, we make excuses as to why we cannot endure unto attending the banquet,revealing our divided interests and heart.  Jesus warns that this life, this invitation, involves struggle, hardship, loss, and sacrifice (vs. 26-27).  So before so joyously accepting the invitation count the cost (vs. 28, 31).  Because one cannot "accept" Jesus and then not live the life that he has determined for you, a life of personal loss and death, a life that reflects the life of Jesus, not culture (John 13:15-17; I John 2:6).  Otherwise this is to accept the invitation but not attend the banquet.  It is not those who said yes to attend, but the ones who actually persevere in attending that enter the kingdom/banquet (Matthew 7:21).  This is his warning to us.  Count the cost or else you will start on this journey and then turn back, and you will suffer the loss of all things, including what you thought you had in Christ (Matthew 13:12).  He tells them that they are either all in or all out, no in between or excuses, no matter how "innocent" they may be, an excuse is not acceptable (vs. 33).  We cannot simply say we are saved by grace and I have accepted Jesus and prayed and asked him into my heart, then direct our affections towards other things, thereby making excuses.  Otherwise we are the same as this man who is rebuked by Jesus, those who made excuses as to why they could not attend, and the disobedient in Matthew 21:28-32.  We all have the right answers and proper understanding, but do we have the life that proves it?  Does our life conform to that of Jesus, revealing true salvation, or of one who simply accepted an invitation?  To accept an invitation but not walk in his ways is not salvation but deception (vs. 24).  Are your interests divided?  Have we made excuses?  Does he have all of us?  Do we realize our situation like the desperate who attended the banquet, or, like those who made excuses, have we forgotten our current condition (Revelation 3:17)?  Have we just accepted some invitation to a future, distant banquet?

Disobedient Obedience

Luke 14:1-6
When Jesus asks the question of it being lawful to heal on the Sabbath (vs. 3) he is exposing the hearts of the Pahrisees.  They were experts in the law and experts in maintaining its statutes, yet the whole time missing the key to the law: love.  They were great at disobeying the law while obeying the law.  Jesus is pointing that out to them.  The law stated to do no work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).  But at the point where this conflicts with love for one's neighbor or God, it ceases to be obedience, for the law is absolutely dependent on love (Romans 13: 9-10, Galations 5:14).  An outward keeping of law without the motivation of love is, in reality, to not keep the law.  They were missing this completely.  Our obedience should never be at the expense of others, i.e. self-interest, (Romans 14:15).  If so, we must go back to Christ to repent and seek out true obedience.  If not done out of love, then all we have is legalism, which is to destroy life, not give life.  In this passage, the Pharisees attempts to keep the law out of self-righteousness and legalism, was resulting in their forsaking the very commands they thought they were fulfilling, a practice all too common (Mark 7:8-9).  Jesus was exposing their motivation for obedience, which was evil, even though outwardly they had the appearance of perfect law abiding.  He confirms this in his story in verses 7-9 and 12-14, further exposing their hearts.  They were evidence against themselves.  There is the temptation to adhere to rules, while neglecting the true matters of the law.  Their obedience, in actuality, stemmed from love of self, not love of God and his statutes.  The flesh is tempted by acting out of self-interest, expecting repayment and recognition for deeds done, for law kept (vs. 8, 14).  Outwardly these are "good deeds" and obedience, but inward it is self-gratification, missing the whole point.  Is our obedience disobedient?  If it causes another to stumble it is (I Corinthians 8:7-13), not matter how holy in appearance.  If we are not acting in the interest of others, for their good, we have ventured out from under obedience to Christ (I Corinthians 10:23-24, 31-33).  Christ cares much more for those around us who are lost and hurting than he does for our reputation and holiness (Luke 15:4-7), although he does care for both.  So we must ask: Are we obeying disobediently?  Have we obeyed out of self-interest and advancement and?  Has our law-keeping ventured into legalism at the expense of others?  Do we obey because we love self?  The law hinges on love, for God first, then neighbor, not keeping statutes and rules.  We can have the appearance of adherence to the law while inwardly we are far from it.  The Pharisees life and religion was built around this, although they did not see it (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 3:1-6; John 8:1-11).  In all these situations they acted in accordance with the law, even having scripture to base their actions on, and yet were disobeying God.  We cannot simply stop at outward rules.  We must ask Christ to carry us deeper and expose our hearts and cleanse our motivations.  We must love him first and foremost, then let that extend to our neighbors, and then and only then can we truly obey what he commands us, all else is vanity (I Corinthians 13:1-3).  Do we love God and others instead of self?  Has our own personal holiness and conformity to law taken precedence over souls?  Has our own stance before God become paramount, turning to self-interest and in turn forsaking true law, the law of liberty and freedom,that considers others of more importance?  It is impossible to obey without love, no exceptions.  We must stop "obeying" and start loving.