Easter Devotional - Day 35
"But don't have anything to do with stupid arguments about ancestors. And stay away from disagreements and quarrels about the Law of Moses. Such arguments are useless and senseless. Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then don't have anything else to do with them. You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are." Titus 3:9-11
Oh, the things which distract us from the important matters of faith! It is so easy to focus energy and attention on matters that seem important, but are actually secondary to the gospel. We look at the issues that concern us personally. In general, they are those issues that make us feel comfortable, "in", and grant us a special place in the context of faith, doctrine, or relationship with God. We seek assurance of our membership and status within the people of God. Without meaning to, we pit ourselves against others to place ourselves ahead of the pack.
For the Jews Paul addressed in this argument, it was concerns with heritage—a heritage backed up by Biblical witness to the heritage of God's people. They were concerned with their place in the history of Israel. They assured themselves of being children of the promise to Abraham—something even more important than attention to the traditional interpretations of Mosaic Law. In Jesus' ministry, it had been the tradition of interpretation that had been the biggest sticking point. That hurdle was not quite settled, but the focus shifted to another point of avoidance.
At heart, that's what it was about. They were getting off track from the gospel, avoiding the real issues of faith, love, grace, mercy, and humble service to God. That had been the major theme of the prophets throughout the witness of the Hebrew Scriptures. "Turn back to Yahweh," they had said. "What Yahweh really wants is justice, mercy, and caring for one another."
As long as the discussion centered on other things, living up to the ethics of the gospel could be sidelined. When the talk was about circumcision, dietary norms, rituals, regulations of Sabbath observance, and concerns of ancestry, loving one's neighbor automatically took second place. When the issues at hand were something other than responsibilities toward God and one another, they tended to pit one set of people against another. They still do.
Our distraction issues often are actually socio-political, though we cast them as integral to the gospel. We declare "the Christian position" on one or another issue, with more emphasis on our belonging to the right group than the love and grace of Jesus. Of late, these discussions are just as often concerns of doctrine and practice. We look for the right way to think and cast all others as suspicious and or heretical. We concern ourselves with the right way to perform, ignoring that our concerns are questions of culture, not of gospel. Like the pastor who decreed a vacation from music in worship in response to the culture wars over musical styles, we may need to lay aside all our discussions and disagreements to focus on what really matters.
When will we be ready to lay aside wrangling over questions that are less important than Jesus' summation of the gospel. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul—and your neighbor as yourself.
Determine what issues are distractions in your life from focusing on the gospel of Christ.
"Lord, grant me the wisdom to give importance only to what really matters to you."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
Oh, the things which distract us from the important matters of faith! It is so easy to focus energy and attention on matters that seem important, but are actually secondary to the gospel. We look at the issues that concern us personally. In general, they are those issues that make us feel comfortable, "in", and grant us a special place in the context of faith, doctrine, or relationship with God. We seek assurance of our membership and status within the people of God. Without meaning to, we pit ourselves against others to place ourselves ahead of the pack.
For the Jews Paul addressed in this argument, it was concerns with heritage—a heritage backed up by Biblical witness to the heritage of God's people. They were concerned with their place in the history of Israel. They assured themselves of being children of the promise to Abraham—something even more important than attention to the traditional interpretations of Mosaic Law. In Jesus' ministry, it had been the tradition of interpretation that had been the biggest sticking point. That hurdle was not quite settled, but the focus shifted to another point of avoidance.
At heart, that's what it was about. They were getting off track from the gospel, avoiding the real issues of faith, love, grace, mercy, and humble service to God. That had been the major theme of the prophets throughout the witness of the Hebrew Scriptures. "Turn back to Yahweh," they had said. "What Yahweh really wants is justice, mercy, and caring for one another."
As long as the discussion centered on other things, living up to the ethics of the gospel could be sidelined. When the talk was about circumcision, dietary norms, rituals, regulations of Sabbath observance, and concerns of ancestry, loving one's neighbor automatically took second place. When the issues at hand were something other than responsibilities toward God and one another, they tended to pit one set of people against another. They still do.
Our distraction issues often are actually socio-political, though we cast them as integral to the gospel. We declare "the Christian position" on one or another issue, with more emphasis on our belonging to the right group than the love and grace of Jesus. Of late, these discussions are just as often concerns of doctrine and practice. We look for the right way to think and cast all others as suspicious and or heretical. We concern ourselves with the right way to perform, ignoring that our concerns are questions of culture, not of gospel. Like the pastor who decreed a vacation from music in worship in response to the culture wars over musical styles, we may need to lay aside all our discussions and disagreements to focus on what really matters.
When will we be ready to lay aside wrangling over questions that are less important than Jesus' summation of the gospel. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul—and your neighbor as yourself.
Determine what issues are distractions in your life from focusing on the gospel of Christ.
"Lord, grant me the wisdom to give importance only to what really matters to you."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
My latest books can be found here on amazon
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