- Subversive Spirituality
- Breaking the Rules
- Exposing “Sacred Cows”
- Family Values
- Redefining Sacred Space
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.
Tags: religious, Revolt Against Religion