Archive for March, 2006

Exposing “Sacred Cows”

Sunday, March 26th, 2006
This entry is part 3 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

INTRODUCTION

Three weeks ago I began a series entitled, “Revolt against Religion”. For most people the word religion has a negative meaning and is something people would rather not get involved in. Is it no wonder then, when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus in the bible, you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion? In scripture, we see Jesus offering people anon-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality ? a way of living that God originally intended for us to know.

Two weeks ago we examined the first characteristic of Religion (and religious people) that Jesus revolted against. Jesus had much to say to the Jewish religious people and the religion in His day that revolved around rules, regulations, and routine providing the way to connect with God. Jesus? life was a contrast to the lives of the religious people where being righteous is more important than being right. We discovered that Jesus called people to a rule-free spirituality. However, Jesus didn?t say that rules and “laws” are no good ? in fact rather than coming to do away with the Law of the Old Testament ? he fulfilled it ? the law exposes sin, Jesus deals with sin once and for all. He deals with sin because of the one thing that he emphasized more than anything in His ministry ? the freeing and motivating character of love!

Jesus, as demonstrated in the Bible, lived by a simple philosophy: if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. The love God has for us and the love we have for God and for others is the inward change that produces the righteousness God is looking for! You see, Jesus wasn?t against righteous acts and obedience to rules and regulations but clarified that such obedience apart from heart change is meaningless. In other words, if you love God and you love your neighbour the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationship with others! Simply remove rules and you are left with anarchy. Transcend rules with love, and you are beginning to live like Jesus!

Today we?re going to examine the second characteristic of religion and religious people that Jesus exposed and disputed. In Jesus? day the religious leaders had what they thought was a great way of helping people to apply the commands of Scripture to every part of their daily lives. Through the years they verbally passed on extra “traditions” or teaching from generation to generation that accompanied or expanded upon the written Torah (the Law). Taken all together, these teachings were called the “Tradition of the Elders,” or the “Oral Torah”. They were considered a “fence” around the law. It was based on the idea that it?s “better to be safe than sorry” and so these fences of tradition were designed to keep people conservative, conventional, conformist, and supposedly, far away from sin. The thinking was that in order to break a law and thereby fall into sin, a person would first have to intentionally hop the fence of tradition.

Folks, if Jesus was willing to break the rules of the Bible (as we examined last week) to make His point, He was even more merciless with these inherited religious tradition. As Bruxy Cavey says,

“Fences are fine for cattle, but sheep need a shepherd” (End to Religion by Bruxy Cavey, p. 52)

What Jesus disputed in the religion and religious leaders of His day was when Traditions and Customs are “Sacred Cows”.

As I explained in the first message in this series, a “sacred cow” is anything that becomes so important in religious tradition or custom that tampering with it is like taking a Bible and burning it. A common saying of religious people is, “This is the way it?s always been done ? so this is the way it?s always should be done!” With that in mind I?d like to pause for a moment to view a short video clip that gives a glimpse into this kind of thinking?

(show video clip ? “old man drama” [purchased from SermonSpice.com, video is by Icharus Productions])

I wonder what Jesus? might have to say to this guy? Well let?s take a moment and look what Jesus did say to the religious people of His day?

Mark 7:1-9 (NIV)

1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

Jesus and his disciples had opted out of something that was a very important religious tradition in first-century Judaism. When the religious leaders challenged Jesus and friends on their neglecting this ritual of washing hands, wanting everyone to conform to the norm, Jesus defended His position by going on the offensive:

“You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition” (Mark 7:9, NASB)

and,

“You ignore God? commands in order to follow your own teaching” (Mark 7:13, CEV)

Now, to those He was speaking to these statements would have been startling accusations. After all, the religious people believed that their traditions reflected God?s will!

Jesus made it absolutely clear in His ministry and in His various confrontations with religious tradition that tradition must take a back-seat to the Scripture it claims to be based on. He even goes one step further, Jesus believed that even the Scriptures themselves must submit to His own authoritative interpretation. So, Jesus considered himself, not religious tradition, the first and last word on how to interpret and apply the Bible.

Now friends, this doesn?t mean that traditions can never be helpful spiritual tools. An examination of the New Testament reveals that there are numerous occasions where it speaks positively of traditions?

1 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)

2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (NIV)

15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 (NIV)

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.

At the same time however, the NT also contains strong cautions against religious tradition?

Matthew 15:1-20 (NIV)

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” 12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”

Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Why would Jesus and his earliest followers give religious traditions, at best, mixed reviews?

In the next few moments I want to share some of the dangers of tradition and how something that may be initially good can become something destructive. In the process, I?d like to provide some questions that you can ask to determine if a tradition or custom you follow has become a “sacred cow”.

Tradition can take a bridge and turn it into a wall.

Traditions can be useful in providing a bridge to a more intimate relationship with Jesus in various aspects of Christian life and service. They can also provide helpful markers for living a life that honors God. However, over a period of time those same traditions which once acted as bridges can turn into walls that not only hinder the Christian?s relationship with God but can even block and prevent others from even discovering the love of God!

I?d like to share an illustration from Bruxy Cavey that helps to explain how traditions begin and can evolve into something that is more harmful than good.

Let?s make a up a hypothetical biblical law. Let?s pretend that God clearly communicated through Scripture that, for reasons known only to him, it is wrong for his people to sit in red-coloured chairs. (Remember, this is a symbolic exercise ? I have it on good authority that God actually likes red chairs.)

So, God?s Torah says, “Thou shalt not sit in red chairs.” The role of spiritual leaders would be to communicate this teaching to each generation, and perhaps to suggest ways that this rule could best be maintained in their particular day and age. So the next generations of religious leaders make a suggestion: “God?s people should never be within ten feet of a red-coloured chair.” This “fence” is designed as a helpful tool to aid people in their desire to obey God?s law, but now an insidious process has begun.

The next generation inherits that new suggestion as a rule and tacks on their own “helpful” addition: “It is wrong for God?s people to even look at red chairs.” There that should help people deal with the problem of temptation. Further generations add: “God?s people must never be in the same room as a red chair” and “in the same house as a red chair” and so on. Eventually, most of the religious leader?s time is taken up debating whether or not it is spiritually lawful to shop at Ikea! A whole lineage of rules and regulations that God never intended thus evolves around this one topic: Sin avoidance has been systematized, righteousness has been mechanized, and little room is left for deviation and diversity. (The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey, p.53)

So what begins innocently as a “fence” intended to protect ends up dangerously as a “wall” keeping out. With religious people, over time certain behaviors become sacred, certain styles of music are sacred, certain ways of dressing become sacred, certain methods or ways of doing things becomes sacred. And religious people have a real problem with those who question or even (!gasp!) break that tradition or custom!

The question to ask when examining whether a tradition or custom is in danger of becoming a sacred cow and hence a wall rather than a bridge is, “Is following this tradition on par with obeying Scripture?” In other words has the tradition or custom been elevated to the authoritative place of scripture in your life. To get even more personal, “Would you take it personally if you encountered another Christian who broke that tradition or custom?” Answering yes to either of those questions should be a warning to you!

“It?s the way it?s always been done?and it?s they way it should be done!”


Tradition can supplant vibrant faith with lifeless ritual.

Even well-meaning traditions can sometimes discourage thoughtful faith. Although the people who initiated that tradition may have put great thought into its meaning, this doesn?t guarantee that future generations will engage these traditions with the same mental energy! In fact, the danger with tradition is that religious people often use it to do their thinking for them. In the end, traditions that are claimed as “Bible based” can begin to take over the place of Scripture in the lives of people who claim to follow the Bible. Even thought tradition is a useful tool or mechanism or bridge that we can use to pass on truth to future generations, often only the mechanism gets passed on.

Take for example the practice of devotions. I?ve heard it, and you?ve all heard about it, I?ve even preached and taught on the importance of having a devotional life. Devotions, meaning taking a certain period of time each day to read your Bible, pray, and praise God. Not only is this encouraged in our private lives but also in our family life as well. A tremendous tool for families to encourage this practice in their homes is to set a certain time where their children will get together with parents leading a family devotional. It?s a great tradition, and creates many bridge building opportunities to grow closer to God together as a family and for children to be introduced to the love God has for them. Let?s say however that to make things easier the parents decide they are going to stick to a particular devotional book and just rotate through the stories. Then to make things even easier because you know how children need routine why don?t we have a special nighttime prayer that we say together before bed? And of course, because Dad is the head of the household he should always be the last one to pray?well, why don?t we just have everybody pray in the same order so that there?s no fighting.

Now that this family has got everything down pat ? their tradition is established and becomes a routine that?s easy to follow! It?s great! We?re doing devotions together, right? Can you see the problem here though? This tradition has become little more than a mechanical routine in the life of this family?much like the routine of brushing teeth.

Jesus deplored the condition of religious people where tradition had become so rooted in peoples lives that they had forgotten what they were doing it for in the first place. Oh sure they had the right answer down pat but there was no thought behind their answer. Tradition can supplant vibrant faith with lifeless ritual if we?re not careful!

This is one of the greatest killers of a persons excitement when they are first born-again into the family of God. Have you ever witnessed that? The joy and passion of a new believer is truly exciting to behold but then something tends to happen over a period of 10-20 years that somehow dampens and even kills that energy. There are many reasons for this but chief among them is the curse of religious tradition. The Christian church today is full of it. Even in preparing this message there were examples that came to mind in my own life that I realized Jesus isn?t too happy with!

Here?s another question you can ask that will reveal any tradition in your life that is a sacred cow, “Does this tradition leave you energized or drained?” Another insightful question would be, “Is this tradition just something you do, or does it adds meaning to what you do?” If this tradition or custom is just something you do then it has become so mechanical and routine that it will drain your faith of any vibrancy it had. Whereas, if the tradition or custom adds meaning to what you do (in other words it is infused with purpose beyond routine) then it is something that will energize your faith.

Friends, Jesus teaches that there is nothing wrong with breaking tradition when it has become routine!


Tradition can blind you to the truth.

Few people feel as spiritually safe as religious traditionalists do. I mean they?ve taken care to weave serving the Almighty into the pattern of their lives ? how could God ever be displeased with them? The problem is that the serving is by habit rather than be discerning choice. This causes blind spots for religious people that affects even the reading of God?s word. Understanding of scripture gets filtered through traditions and routines and leads to conclusions that inevitably reaffirm those same traditions and routines.

More than once you can read about Jesus calling the religious leaders “blind guides” (Matthew 15:15, 23:16,24). These blind spots can make it easy for hypocrisy to take root, which was Jesus? main grievance against religious leaders (see Matthew 23:28; Luke 12:1).

A common example of this we see in the church today is the tradition of Sunday Morning services. Yep, you?ve heard me right folks. Sunday morning services are a tradition. You know I tried to find it in scripture but unfortunately there just isn?t any place where Christians are told to spend an hour together every Sunday morning. Interesting, and yet its so entrenched in the practice of the western church that to even suggest canceling a Sunday morning service would meet with an uproar! Now I?m not using this as an example because I want to cancel church next Sunday hehe ? but to make a point. For some religious people, their strict attendance to services on Sunday convinces them that they are spiritual. Yet, their conduct throughout the week is a mockery of Christ?s name. I want to share with you a little story that I?ve received from numerous sources in this past week ? I don?t know if it?s true or not but I could definitely see it happening!

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard.

Suddenly, just in front of him the light turned yellow.

He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have

beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as

she missed her chance to get through the intersection.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up

into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to

the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed and

placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the

door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer

was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your

car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you,

and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate

holder, the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to

Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem

on the trunk. I assumed you had stolen the car.” (source unknown, received in various emails and by word of mouth)

Another question that you can ask that will reveal traditions or customs in your life that have become sacred cows is, “Do you measure your worth to God by how well you follow those traditions or customs?” If you find yourself saying things like, “I read my Bible, I pray, I attend church ? so I?m spiritual” then be careful. I want you to hear something important. Our value to God is not based on what we do but who we are! I treasure my children not because I get money from the government every month to subsidize their care, or because they give me hugs and kisses when I come home from work, or when they obey something I?ve told them to do, or when they are sleeping peacefully. Don?t get me wrong. I like all that. But I treasure Zachary, Liam, Jenna, and Karissa because they are my children! They are a part of my family! Our value to God is measured by the depth of our relationship with him not the amount of our works for Him. Now, it?s still important to Him what we do ? but not as important as who we are in Him. This is an incredible truth because when you truly understand this the things we do are motivated out of our relationship to the Father rather than a feeling of obligation.

CONCLUSION

What are the implications of Jesus revolt against tradition?

The diversity of form in Christianity.

As Bruxy Cavey puts it, “The great freedom and frustration of Christ-following is that the forms of this faith are open to diversity” (p. 55, The End of Religion). We have to be careful that tradition and customs don?t end up doing the thinking for us otherwise we may slowly evolve into something quit unlike what Jesus intended. An evolution that has sadly already occurred in many cases already.

There is room for incredible diversity in music, in acts of service, in ways to meet together, and evangelism in our relationship with God and in His work by His spirit through us! When tradition becomes a sacred cow we lose the richness of diversity that Christ encourages.

Tradition helps communicate the message but should never become the message!

When traditions or customs are sacred cows they become the focus rather than the reason for those traditions and customs in the first place. As I?ve already said, traditions can be helpful in providing bridges through which to be introduced too and live out the life Christ has for us ? but without care they can degenerate into walls that prevent that life from flourishing. One example of this implication is on the way we approach reaching our world with the gospel of Jesus Christ today. Let?s face it, there may be tremendous sentimental value and memory associated with some of the traditional approaches of evangelism that has been practiced by the church in previous years but holding to those methods simply because that?s the way it?s always been done communicates a far different message than the one you may think is being shared?

It?s important to be vigilant in evaluating tradition against God?s word.

?and not only that ? but whether it has become God?s word in our lives (a dangerous place indeed)! This of course is the most important implication. I believe very strongly in sticking closely to what the Bible teaches ? not to be an oppressive legalist, but to avoid oppressive legalism, which is usually the result of human tradition being added to the Bible and passed off as Scriptural teaching. The original teachings of Jesus are completely freeing ? why would anyone want to deviate from that?


John 8:31-32 (NIV)

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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Breaking the Rules

Sunday, March 12th, 2006
This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

Read at beginning of service:

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

INTRODUCTION

Today I?m continuing the series that I began last week entitled, “Revolt against Religion”. You may remember the warning I began with last week that I believe some of the things I say may cause some people to raise their eyebrows and wonder where I?m going with this. I hope if there is anything I say that raises questions in your mind that at the very least you?ll investigate it for yourself. Like I said last week, I don?t want you to be passive listeners.

Last week some of you may remember the challenge I gave you to ask a few people you know the simple question, “What?s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, ?Religion?”. Bobbi-Jo took me up on this challenge and posted the question on her website. At the time of writing this message there were 23 comments posted in reply ? here?s a sampling of some of the responses,

  • “conforming or stifling”
  • “The first word I thought of is ?bondage?”
  • “organized belief”
  • “Formalities, rituals”
  • “The word religion holds many negative conotations for me. I much prefer the word Christianity. Religion, speaks to me of organized religion, and a lot of death, judgement, and condemnation. There are a lot of different religions, Satanism is a religion. This word isn’t one of my favs.”
  • “To me religion is a set of beliefs and ideas that shape persons, and groups of persons with common ideals, goals, and traditions.”
  • “Government. That’s the word that came to my mind. For me, religion, like government, has this wonderful concept that can exist behind it, this guiding force that aids us in living together, working towards common goals, etc. Unfortunately, like government, it mostly gets caught up in worrying about its cogs and doings and internal organization and loses that esoteric grant quality that make it a word with good connotations and not a bad one.”

(quotes taken from “bobbi?s world” ? (http://spaces.msn.com/newbeginnings1976/))

A couple of the responses I received from people that I asked the question to were:


  • “Personally i feel religion is too much pomp and ceremony obstructing our true connection with our creator”
  • “Well when the word “religion” is said, I think Catholic, Christian, and all the other different types of beliefs”

For most people the word religion has a negative meaning and is something people would rather not get involved in. Is it no wonder then, when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus in the Bible, you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion? In scripture, we see Jesus offering people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality ? a way of living that God originally intended for us to know.

Today, we?re going to take a look at the first characteristic of Religion that Jesus revolted against. Jesus had much to say too the Jewish religious people and the religion in his day that revolved around rules, regulations, and routine providing the way to connect with God. What Jesus came against was the idea that being righteous is more important than being right.

Does that mean that righteousness is not important to God? Of course not! But for religion and religious people ? righteousness is about what you do ? with God, righteousness is about who you are. For religion and religious people you are righteous when you do righteous things (follow rules and regulations) ? with God you do righteous or right things when you are righteous. I?m going to talk more about this important distinction in the process of sharing this message.

When you read about Jesus ? you discover that in order to make a point He broke a few rules! Jesus set out to deconstruct the rule-based system of the religion of His day so that He could reintroduce people to what was really important. Before he could build a new understanding, he first needed to tear down the old-law based construction. So Jesus lived in such a way as to offend anyone who put their faith in religious rules. Here?s some examples:

  • Even though the Old Testament contains many dietary rules about what constitutes kosher food and what does not (see Leviticus 11), Jesus declared all foods clean!


Mark 7:18-19 (NIV)
18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)

  • Even though Moses had commanded very clear procedures concerning divorce and remarriage (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus said God meant those to be temporary guidelines and that he came to offer a better way.


Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV)
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 19:8-9 (NIV)
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

  • Even though carrying personal belongings around on the Sabbath was clearly forbidden by the Old Testament Scriptures (Exodus 20:9-11; Jeremiah 17:21-22,27), when Jesus healed a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, he specifically commanded him to pick up his mat and walk (John 5:8-9). To add insult to injury, Jesus later referred to his healing as “working” on the Sabbath, apparently for no other reason than to shock the interrogating religious leaders into deeper thought.


John 5:16-17 (NIV)
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

  • Even though the Old Testament contains many rules about how to avoid people with skin diseases (see Leviticus 13-14), Jesus healed lepers ? with a touch (Matthew 8:3)

(see page 47-48 in The End of Religion, by Bruxy Cavey for these observations)

In his ministry, Jesus called people to a rule-free spirituality, which is very difficult for religious people to fathom. Now that I?ve made that statement, some might quickly jump to the conclusion that Jesus is teaching that we need to “do-away” with rules, and regulations all together. However, something that Jesus said contradicts that line of thinking?

Matthew 5:17-20 (NLT)
Don?t misunderstand why I have come, I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God?s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So, if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God?s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. But I warn you ? unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

There are a couple important statements that Jesus makes in this short passage that I think are crucial to understand when we consider Jesus? revolution against the “Laws of Religion”.

1. Jesus fulfills the purpose of the Old Testament.

In Jesus? day, using the phrase, “Law of Moses and writings of the prophets” was a simple reference to the scriptures that we now know as much of the Old Testament. In this particular instance, Jesus? is drawing attention to the rules, regulations, routines, customs otherwise known as “God?s Law” that we can read about throughout the Old Testament. Jesus was clear that his mission didn?t involve tossing away any of the Laws that God gave Moses or the inspired writings of the prophets but instead accomplishes their purpose.

The Greek word that is translated in the NLT using the phrase, “accomplish their purpose” is also translated as “to fulfill”, or “to realize”. What Jesus is saying, then, is that there is something in His life and mission that somehow fulfills or completes the planned purpose behind the giving of Law. So there is some purpose to the rules and regulations God gave Moses ? the question then is, what is that purpose? And how did Jesus accomplish that purpose or fulfill it? Notice he goes on further to say that not even the smallest detail of God?s law will disappear until that purpose is achieved or accomplished.

So what is the purpose of the Rules and Regulations God gave the Israelite people through Moses?

The Apostle Paul acknowledged this same question in Galatians 3:19,


Galatians 3:19 (NIV)
19 What, then, was the purpose of the law?

Galatians 3:19 (NIV)
19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.

He continues with the answer,

Galatians 3:19 (NLT)
?It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.

So God gave the law as a means of showing people the markers, or boundary posts of what was right and what was wrong. It showed people how they sin in their relationship with God and in their relationships with others. It?s singular purpose is to show how sinful people really are. It?s like coming across a bench with a sign on it that says, “Wet Paint ? Do not touch”. What?s the first instinct you have when you see that sign? “Ah, let?s just see if it?s really wet?!” Rules and regulations provide a means of showing what?s right and what?s wrong ? but they also reveal the need to have them in the first place. Because of sin.

It?s important to note that God?s giving of the Law in history was but a part of His wonderful plan to bring people to the place of a intimate relationship with him as friends ? the kind of relationship that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before the fall.

When you look at the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis, the absence of religious rituals and routines in their story is key to understanding the rest of the Bible. We are told that in the beginning God created us for intimate relationship with himself and with each other (Genesis 2:18-25). Together, people and God lived in deep connection, co-creating new life (Genesis 1:26-27) and tending creation (Genesis 2:15). It was a normal and regular natural occurrence for God to manifest his presence in non-threatening, human-like ways, since humankind reflected his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26, 3:8). God and people, Creator and creation, walking and talking together throughout creation, living life in intimate partnership and friendship! This was the life that God intended for humankind.

If it?s true that a world without religion was God?s original design, then it is also true that a world without religion is God?s final goal for us. The biblical perspective teaches us that salvation is not ultimately about going to heaven as a disembodied spirit, but about the renewal of all creation to what it should have been in the first place (see Isaiah 11:1-9; 55:1-13; Romans 8:18-25; 2 Peter 3:13). The Bible teaches that it?s God?s desire for us to return to experiencing a face-to-face intimacy with himself,


1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

The Law that God gave Israel for a period of time (as recorded in the Old Testament) was necessary because people had become too self-centred, too ego driven, too relationally stunted to live in healthy relationships with God and each other apart from the explicit direction of rules, rituals, and routines. So rule-based living had a role to play for a time in the history of the human race. God chose the Israelite people to be the models, or the examples, through which the rest of the world could understand the nature of sin and how distant it makes us from God.

But, as Paul writes, “the Law was only designed until the coming of the child who was promised” (Gal 3:19 NLT). Who is this child? Jesus. What?s so important about this child? He?s the one who was promised way back before the Law was given as the one through whom all the peoples of the world could be blessed. And the blessing? The doing away of sin.

So how does Jesus fulfill, or complete the Law then? And the answer is simply, the law exposes sin ? Jesus deals the death blow to sin. How does Jesus do this? By bringing back into focus the whole plan of God right from the beginning ? through relationship. Why did Jesus die on the cross? Well there have been plenty of legal arguments and wonderful theological treatises and even whole books written on the necessity of Jesus paying a ransom for our sins because sin results in death and so Jesus takes our place and upon Him all the sin of the world was placed so that we could be set free from the penalty of sin. Now all that is true, and is important to understand ? but folks, that isn?t why Jesus died on the cross! Jesus died because of love! Love led him to the cross ? God?s plan for relationship with His creation is a plan rooted in love and carried out in love.

In His ministry Jesus addressed the sad progression in Israel?s relationship with God from one based in love to one based on religion (i.e. Laws, rules regulations). In other words the way in which the people related to God and even to each other became an external form.

In the last statement in Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus draws attention to this supposed righteousness the religious people thought they had by following God?s laws and rules and regulations to the letter and takes it one step further. He says,

Matthew 5:20 (NIV)
20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

2. The righteousness that God is looking for is outward actions motivated by inward change.

To Jesus hearers, what he has just presented them creates quite a predicament! The Pharisees and religious teacher of the law were strict adherents to every little tit and tat that the law required. They were the “holy” people ? if anyone was righteous ? it was them. And yet, Jesus is saying that unless you have a greater righteousness then them you?ll never see the inside of the kingdom of heaven. Ouch!

At first it seems Jesus is presenting an impossible proposition. Certainly if He left it there and walked away ? then there?s no hope. But here?s the key ? Jesus is emphasizing the fallacy of thinking that it is impossible for one to completely obey every single rule and regulation in the law of God. Certainly, God requires obedience BUT the purpose of the law remember, is to show we can?t obey because of sin.

Then in the next few lessons that Matthew records for us, Jesus shares with the people the kind of righteousness he?s talking about. It is a righteousness marked by something in our inner character.

When he talks about hurting people ? the law says you must not murder. Jesus takes this one step further and says if you are even angry with someone you are subject to judgment.

When he talks about adultery ? the law says, you must not sleep with someone other than your spouse. Jesus takes this one step further and says if you even look at another person with lust then you?ve already committed adultery!

The examples Jesus gives illustrate that our outward actions are important – but if they are not motivated by inward good character ? then the outward actions are meaningless. In other words, it is in our heart that our real allegiance lies.

The problem with religion in it?s focus on rules, regulations and routines is not the laws, but the dependence on outward acts of righteousness absent of inward character. This is what was Jesus was against!

In the middle of His Sermon on the Mount, portions of which we?ve already heard from. Jesus says these important words,

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Whoa! This emphasis on other-focused action has been called “The Golden Rule,” and it sits as the epicenter of Jesus? teaching on faith, religion, and ethics. It however, is more than a rule ? it is more of a transcendent principle, a guiding orientation, a directing ethic that is transferable to all situations.

Jesus, as demonstrated in the Bible, lived by a simple philosophy: if love guides our hearts, rules become redundant. Love, embraced as a principle of other-centredness, will always lead us to do the right thing. It is love then, that is the inward agent of change affecting what we do outwardly.

This is why, when Jesus was asked by a religious leader what the greatest commandment in God?s law was, Jesus replied,

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In other words, if you love God and you love your neighbour ? then the resulting inward change will take care of everything else in your relationship with God and your relationship with others!

Simply remove rules and you are left with anarchy. Transcend rules with love, and you are beginning to live like Jesus.

Bruxy Cavey shared a personal experience of trying to explain this concept to his daughters while reading a bedtime Bible story. They were quite puzzled by the fact that Jesus, the “hero” of the story, was the one breaking all the rules and getting into so much trouble. He found a way to explain to them that love must always overcome law. He says, the lights came on when He gave them this example. In his words, he said to them,

“Suppose you got a wonderful new dress for an upcoming wedding,” I started. “Because you liked it so much, you asked if you could wear it to school the next day, rather than waiting until the weekend wedding. What if I told you that you could wear your new dress to school if you wanted to, but only if you obeyed this simple rule: you must not get the dress dirty. This would mean that you would have to sit out from playing any sports at recess and would have to be extra careful in class. Would that be a fair rule?” They agreed it would be. “Then what if you set out for school the next day with your new dress on, only to come across a friend who had fallen off her bike and landed in a muddy ditch. What if your friend was hurt and needed help. What should you do?” It didn?t take my daughters long to express the right answer, the loving answer. “We should help her,” they said. I told them I was happy to hear that answer and completely agreed, but reminded them that in all likelihood, they would get their new dress completely dirty. “That doesn?t matter as much,” they said. “Helping our friend is more important.”

“Are you sure?” I pushed. “What about the rule? What do you think my reaction would be if you came home all dirty from head to toe?”

“You would be proud of us for doing the right thing,” they answered. And they were right. They got it. It was one of those moments parents lived for. (The End of Religion, p. 49 by Bruxy Cavey)

The point is this: religion and religious people focus so much on obeying the rules that they forget to put love first. Jesus called his followers to live by a higher standard, the way of love instead of the way of law.

CONCLUSION

So what are the implications of this?

1. If life has any meaning, it won?t be found through religion but through relationship.

We were not made to live religious lives. We were made for intimate friendship with God and for relating in community with others. Friends, healthy friendships don?t need contracts and rule lists to govern the relationship. Mutual respect and love govern well enough. As long as both people are oriented toward one another in other-centered love, the relationship will develop naturally without either person having to become a systems manager.

For example, when I married Kerryanne, we made promises to each other to love, honour and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. Because we were oriented towards each other, we did not have to craft a contract with detailed rules about what that loving relationship would look like. Rules such as, “If one party of the marriage is going to be later getting home from their place of work or other persons house then he or she must phone the other party within a reasonable amount of time.” And yet, if I?m going to be later getting home from work, I would know to call Kerryanne, simply because it is the other-centred thing to do. Our relational connection is toward one another.

This is different from something like a business contract in which each party is essentially oriented away from the other, since personal gain is usually the main motivation in such agreements. In business, you need the fine print. In marriage the fine print will kill the relationship. Understanding the difference is crucial.

Folks, when there is love, it transcends the need for law because,

Romans 13:10 (NIV)
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

2. Rule-based relationships encourage minimum morality.

A classic example of this kind of thinking is experienced every time you drive a vehicle on a highway. I drive a little bit over 80km/h on the highway connecting Hanover and Owen Sound when I travel to visit my family because 80km/h is the speed limit. Funny, even though it is the speed limit, I still exceed it! However, I only exceed it by what I believe I can get away with. In the back of my mind is always the question, “How fast can I really go and still be ignored by the police?” or if Kerryanne is in the passenger seat, “How fast can I really go and not be yelled at!” But do you catch what I?m saying? Rather than loving other drivers (or my wife) by travelling at a safe and courteous speed, the rule of the law becomes the focus of my attention.

Also notice that the focus of my interaction with the law is how far over the speed limit I can reasonably get away with, not how far under. The fascinating truth is that humans tend to react to law by questioning how far beyond it they can safely get. Law can, ironically, become a form of increased temptation (Paul points this out in Romans 7). It?s almost like the law is acting like a childhood dare.

3. In truly loving relationships, law is always second best.

We need law to govern our societies because people do not automatically love as they should. Through God?s law we learn that sin cripples us and keeps us from loving God as we should.

4. In this loving relationship with Christ we learn righteousness?

  1. Comes from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves
  2. Results in us being God and other centered, not self-centered
  3. Is based on reverence for God, not approval from people.
  4. Goes beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.

Why? Because our inner being is transformed by the love of God for us in Jesus Christ, and the love we have for Him.

On one occasion, some spiritual seekers came to Jesus to ask him what “work” God would require them to do. No doubt, their religious background prepared them to receive a response that included a variety of detailed duties: pray this much, read that much, give this much, take that pilgrimage, avoid those things, do these things, and so on. His advice, however, was almost to simple for them to grasp:

John 6:28-29 (NIV)
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus is essentially saying, “Trust me, get to know me!” They expected rules. He offered relationship. And that?s what Jesus offers every single one of us.

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Subversive Spirituality

Sunday, March 5th, 2006
This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Revolt Against Religion

INTRODUCTION

I?ve got to warn you – today I?m beginning a series that may raise the eyebrows of some people. There are some things I?ll say that may leave some of you wondering just where I?m going with this. You may even question the accuracy of what I share with you. Some of you may even say, “Hang on a minute, is that really true?” or “Is that right?” and then pull out your Bibles and check it out ? or even discuss it with others after the service ? through the week. I hope you do! In fact, I invite you to listen carefully to what I say in the messages of this series and check what I speak against scripture. Pray about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment. If I say anything that you believe is wrong or not scriptural then please come and tell me. I can?t promise you I?ll agree with you but if there is error in what I say I will apologize and stand corrected.

Friends, the reason why I preface this message series I?m embarking on with those statements is because I don?t want you to be passive listeners. Some of the things I?m going to share with you may alarm some of you ? others may say Amen. But whatever the initial reaction – I?ve prayed, am praying, and will continue to pray that you will investigate for yourself what is being shared.

In this series I hope to introduce you to Jesus Christ in a way that many of you may never have been introduced before. Jesus can be described in many ways, but the way I?d like to emphasize this morning is that He was irreligious. I?ve titled this series, “Revolt against Religion” because I believe that when you take a close look at the original teachings of the historical Jesus with the Bible as our primary source you discover a person who sets in motion the end to religion. What we see recorded in the pages of scripture are Jesus offering people a non-institutional, deeply relational approach to spirituality. It is a way of living that he was willing to die for, and through His death opened the door for every single one of us to experience life the way God originally intended for us to know.

Today, I?m going to begin this series by looking at the first miracle that Jesus did in His ministry on Earth and then introduce you to the religion that Jesus revolts against which we?ll look at in more detail in the future messages of this series.
Now this miracle that Jesus accomplished is actually a miracle you don?t hear preached on too often because in itself it?s rather scandalous. Some Christians are actually uncomfortable with the fact that Jesus was involved! It?s the miracle where Jesus turned water into wine. It?s interesting how Jesus used His power not only to heal but also to encourage the celebration of life. Now I?m not going to wade into the minefield of talking about whether Jesus turned the water into grape juice or into a fermented drink, which is usually the reason most people avoid talking about this miracle! Honestly, I believe it?s really irrelevant to the point Jesus was making here. As I read this story to you there is one small detail that is a keyhole through which we can peer into a larger reality. Try looking beyond the wine ? and see if you can spot the scandal.

John 2:1-11 (NIV)
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Talk about a wedding gift! Six huge jars full of the best wine going! John records that each jar could hold between 20 and 30 gallons. This makes for a grand total of between 120 and 180 gallons of wine, which would fill over 2,000 four-ounce glasses. Now that?s a lot of party juice don?t you think? What a way to begin doing miracles! But that is just the beginning. The New Testament is written in Greek and when you look at the original text, the phrase miraculous signs in verse eleven conveys the idea that this is a pointer toward the true nature of Jesus? message and mission. It was a “sign” the first of many to come ? regarding what Jesus was doing here on Earth. Hence, this miracle was not just about providing refreshment for thirsty guests. There is more going on here.

If you look closely at this miracle you?ll discover a clue that could potentially alter the way you think about Jesus. Let?s look closer at verse six. John tells us that Jesus did not use ordinary wine jars. He directed the servants to use the sacred containers set aside for a religious ritual. A little investigation reveals that one of the traditions of some religious groups of that day (especially those of an influential group called the Pharisees) was regular ritual hand cleansing. They would dip their hands in sacred water as a way of symbolizing a desire to remain pure from the sin of the world.

Here?s a question though, why would Jesus use these sacred stone jars for the water-turned-wine? Surely there were other containers available that could have held the fun-juice? If they had just run out of wine at this party, there would have obviously been plenty of “empties” around to hold the miracle liquid. Wine jars, wine jugs, wine bottles, wine kegs, wineskins ? whatever they had been using were sitting right there, empty, and waiting to be filled. So why use the stone jars? Why the sacred icons of religious tradition? Why intentionally do something so potentially offensive?

There?s only one resolution to this and that is that through his first miracle, Jesus intentionally desecrated a religious icon! He chose those stone jars with purpose ? to challenge the religious system by converting them from icons of personal purification into symbols of relational celebration! Bruxey Cavey in his book, The End of Religion says, “Jesus takes us from holy water to wedding wine. From legalism to life. From religion to relationship.” (p. 20)

This story is just the tip of the iceberg ? when you take a close look at the activity and teachings of Jesus you discover that he stood opposed to religion and religious systems and promoted something that transcends all that. In this series we?re going to uncover some prime examples of this in Jesus? ministry ? today I?d like you to consider why someone might think religion is worth revolting against.

what is religion?

There is a distinct difference between religion and spirituality. Religion is understood by most people to refer to established systems of belief about “ultimate reality” and the institutions that protect and maintain them. Essentially religion is a reliance on systems or institutions as our conduit to God. Religion offers salvation through a system of rules, regulations, rituals, and routines.

Jesus, as described in God?s Word, never used the word religion to refer to what he came to establish, nor did he invite people to join a particular institution or organization. When he spoke of the Church, he was talking about the people who gather in his name, not the structure they meet in or the organization they belong to.

Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

When Jesus talked about connecting with God, he consistently spoke not of religion but of “faith”.


Luke 7:50 (NIV) [Jesus was just anointed with expensive perfume by a sinful woman]
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus never commanded his followers to embrace detailed creeds or codes of conduct, and he never instructed his followers to participate in exhaustive religious rituals. In fact, as we will see in this series, his life?s work was about undoing the knots that bound people to ritual and empty tradition!

There is a very important difference between relating to God through systems of doctrines, codes of conduct, inherited traditions, and institutions of power ? and relating to God directly, spirit to spirit, mind to mind, heart to heart. Jesus taught this distinction, lived this message, and was killed because of its implications.

Friends its saddening as I look at the variety of ways his teaching and example have been codified, conceptualized, and institutionalized by a religion that bears his name but all too often misses his message. I?m convinced that rightly understood and fully embraced, the message of Jesus can transform our lives in a way no religion ever could!

Earlier I made the claim that Jesus? offensive actions of turning water into wine were the tip of an irreligious iceberg. In this message series we?re going to dive beneath the surface to see just how deep the scandal goes. I hope that in the process I can help you see how the actions of Jesus reveal the irreligious heart of God. For the next few moments I want to give you an appreciation of the socio-religious context in which Jesus lived and taught. The religious people of first century Israel considered various external characteristics of their faith to be central to their spiritual lives. These “badges of identity” can be divided into four different categories, all of which Jesus challenged in some way. In the midst of sharing this I?m also going to draw from them the transferable characteristic that applies to all religious people which Jesus revolted against as well. Today I?m just going to briefly introduce these characteristics and then in each message of the series we?ll look at them in more detail.

Now I want to clarify something important. Read the New Testament and you will see that Jesus was very hard on the religious leaders of His day. He often condemned them for hypocrisy, blindness, and hard-heartedness. Because they were leaders of the Jewish religion, some ignorant people have concluded that Jesus or the New Testament authors are somehow Anti-Jewish or anti-Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Jesus of the Bible is no more anti-Jewish than was Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, or any of the Old Testament prophets who criticized Israel for missing the mark in their day. Jesus? challenge to his contemporary Jewish leaders represents a critique from within. It was a “in house” confrontation, motivated by love. His harsh words against Jerusalem, the Temple, or religious leaders were not motivated by any anti-Jewish sentiments but exactly the opposite. Jesus criticized the Jewish religious leaders because they were religious, not because they were Jewish.

TORAH
The Law of Moses was to be obeyed down to the letter, including all the dietary laws and Sabbath regulations.

1. Being “righteous” is more important than being “right”.

What I mean by this is a religious person is more concerned with external acts and “appearance” of righteousness than they are with their understanding of why they do it to begin with. A religious person is constantly absorbed with following and holding to a particular legal system of rules and regulations that is to be obeyed down to the letter at the expense of understanding the heart of God in His relationship with them.

A classic example of this religious characteristic is found in Matthew 12:9-15,

Matthew 12:9-15 (NIV)
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. 15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,

In their zeal to obey God?s command of keeping the Sabbath Day holy the Religious people of Jesus? day were very strict on the righteous way to behave on the Lord?s day. Their strict observance to their religious laws became so limiting that even helping a person on the Sabbath became a no-no! What Jesus pointed out to them by his actions there is an overarching guiding principle to every law that God gave Moses and that is love. It was not a sin to heal a man on the Sabbath because it was in keeping with God?s heart in loving our neighbor. The religious people were so intent on being “righteous” that they neglected to do that which was right!

TRADITION
For the religious people of Jesus? day, keeping the “Tradition of the Elders,” handed down from their ancestors, was on par with obedience to Scripture.

2. Traditions and customs are “Sacred Cows”

What is a sacred cow? A sacred cow is anything that becomes some important in religious tradition or custom that tampering with it is like taking a Bible and burning it. A common saying of religious people is, “This is the way it?s always been done ? so this is they way it?s always going to be done!” With religious people certain behaviors become sacred, certain styles of music are sacred, certain ways of dressing are sacred, certain methods or ways of doing things becomes sacred. And religious people have a real problem with those who question or even (!gasp!) break that tradition or custom! The reason why it?s a problem is because religious people associate the tradition or custom with the will of God. To go against that tradition or custom would result in standing outside of God?s will.

An example of Jesus? revolt against religious tradition can be found in Mark 7,

Mark 7:1-9 (NIV)
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” 9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

TRIBALISM
Ethnic, national, and cultural purity were bound together with religious identity.

3. Religious people belong to an exclusive “club”

An “outsider” would feel extremely uncomfortable in a group of religious people. The mindset of the religious is that by their adherence to a particular system of rules, regulations, rituals, and routines that they?ve got a handle on the way to connect with God. This carries over into the very idea that a person might be more spiritual or have more value to God.

Jesus message of God?s love was radically inclusive in a world where religions were anything but. The religious leaders in His day had become rather exclusive in their understanding of God?s blessing in their lives. Unless you were an Israelite, born a Israelite, lived as a Israelite it is very difficult for you to “belong” to God?s family. As “King of the Jews”, Jesus invited his own people to give up their claims of exclusivity and to join him in ushering in the universal sisterhood and brotherhood that faith in Him can bring.

The Apostle Paul described the inclusive reality of the Kingdom this way.

Galatians 3:28-29 (NIV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

And also,

Colossians 3:11 (NIV)
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

In Christ?s Kingdom, ethnicity, social status, or gender identity are no longer important categories of distinction. Instead, all members of this Kingdom are unified as one family, with God as our shared Father and Abraham as our shared ancestor.

Think for a moment about the human hostilities in the world today that are the offspring of racial revulsion, economic oppression, or gender discrimination. Often the root of this is the practice of religion!

TERRITORY AND TEMPLE

The Jewish religious leaders had a theology of holy geography, with certain land, cities, and places being more sacred than others. This theology made war against those who invaded this land an expected religious duty. Regarding the temple, God was though to dwell in one holy location, in a unique way, where worshippers could offer sacrifices and receive forgiveness.

4. For the religious person, the “Holy of Holies” still exists.

When it comes to location and spaces ? the religious person makes a strong distinction between the sacred and the profane, the holy and the mundane. The religious person identifies and marks out different spheres of life where God is or isn?t. An example of this kind of thinking today is the emphasis on the church building where we go to worship God. In the church building we have the sanctuary which is a special sacred space where we meet God. Hmm?I wonder what Jesus would say about many of the sacred monuments that have been built by religious people?

Jesus taught his followers to expect his own continuing presence to dwell, not within special buildings called “churches”, but within their relationships. He said that wherever two or three people gather together in His name He would be there with them (Matthew 18:20). When you read Matthew 25:31-46 you discover Jesus saying essentially, “If you want to get close to me, get close to the people I love”!

CONCLUSION

So, for the next few weeks we?re going to look at the revolution Jesus initiated against these 4 characteristics of religion and the implications it has for us today. It?s interesting that Jesus spoke about religion as though it were a burden that weighs people down and a master that enslaves. Listen carefully to what I?m about to say, When any system of salvation or organization of belief becomes our conduit to God, it is not a large step for that system to become our God! The system itself can easily begin to demand ultimate allegiance, and in the end, something that was meant to be helpful to humanity becomes a heavy burden, demanding ever increasing loyalty and service. Religion quickly becomes an endless obstacle course of demands rather than the source of freedom.

Jesus taught that religion is a weight from under which humanity needs to be free. When speaking about the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said,

Matthew 23:4 (NIV)
4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

The problem of religion, according to Christ, is that it can point out what is wrong with us without freeing us from those very problems. It can direct us to where we need to go, but it doesn?t really help us get there. It gives us an apparently high standard but not the power to live up to that standard. There are rules to force our steps, is guilt to keep us in line, and are rituals to remind us of our failure to live up to those rules. Religion really adds more weight to those who are already burdened with life?s hardships.

As a contrast, listen to the words of Jesus. He offered (and continues to offer) Himself as an alternative to the way of religion. If you have experienced the burden of religion in your life, felt pushed down by its cumbersome demands, then I invite you to not only read these words of Jesus ? but let them sink down into your life ? take them as a personal invitation!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Although Jesus did offer rest, please notice that he said “take my yoke on you” not “take my couch under you.” He offers rest, but it is active, constructive rest. Yokes are farming implements, put on the necks of animals so they can pull a plough or wagon. By using a yoke then, Jesus makes it a symbol of purposeful work and cooperative labor. A yoke often unites two working animals together in working together cooperatively. Jesus promised that there is work involved if we want to learn from him and grow spiritually, but it is the kind of creative, purposeful , and partnering labour that is more of a release than a responsibility.

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