Caught in the Trap?

~~~ 1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Mark 7:1-13 ~~~

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

The Pharisees and some scribes became
increasingly caught up in the letter of the law.
The rules and rituals became more important than God.

We must keep up our guard so that
we do not get caught in the very same trap.
If we get caught in being too vigilant in following the rules
we may lose sight of the truly loveliness of God.

Our worship space is a reminder to me of the loveliness of God.
This is why we design our churches in such a manner
 to lift up our hearts to God.

The dwelling place of God is one of love and acceptance.
The dwelling place of God is not about where you stand,
how you walk, or is the book in exactly the 'right' position.....

Many times I feel for our sacristans because their
role in every liturgy is to make sure that all is in
place and ready for the service.

I often wonder if they have the chance to just be...
to be fully present to the Lord.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.

Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees and the scribes.
We do want everything to be perfect.
It is imperative that we also preserve the spirit
of our Christian calling.

As we count down the hours until Ash Wednesday
I invite you to consider worrying less about the rules,
laws, or rituals and more about deepening your relationship with Jesus.

Let this Lent be a time of complete
abandonment to the loveliness of the Lord.

Allow him to bring out the best in your heart.

Let God plump up your soul with his unconditional love.
Ask God to show you how to love like him.
If we can love more like Jesus the
laws and the rituals will pale in comparison.
We will not get caught in the trap of the letter of the law.

Blessings through the loveliness of God.

~~~Peace~~~

Designer Frauds

~~~ Galatians 5:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 11: 37-41 ~~~

 

When we are living meticulously by the law alone we are just fooling ourselves.

The law governs your external attitude.

The law prescribes certain procedures to be carried out at specific times.

The law may restrict the the inner spirit.

 

Jesus came, not to abolish the law, but to expand the view of law.

Jesus knew that even if you followed the law exactly

you were not necessarily a model or holy person.

Following the law may just be a matter of going

through the prescribed actions.

 

The presence of Jesus leave those around him perplexed

as he challenges their understanding of the laws.

Strictly living within the confines of the law can be deceiving.

Jesus often found himself delivering

his message outside the boundaries of the law.

 

We can sometimes become so caught up in the

'outside of the cup' that we overlook

what is happening inside the cup.

The outside of our cup may not be who we really are inside.

Jesus says to the Pharisees

"...Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?"

 

Why are you spending so much time on the outside...

the external appearances?

Do you not know that the maker of the cup also

intimately knows the inside of the cup?

 

Washing the hands is not symbolic of ones internal cleansing.

Outward appearances can be deceiving.

Underneath the external facade there can be a host of maggots and decay.

 

Just because you may dress well or drive a fancy car or

 live in an expensive home; none of these things may represent

what lives inside your heart.

 

Today Jesus is saying pay more attention to your internal intentions

and less about the external ritual laws.

Today Jesus is saying even if you go through all of the prescribed laws

and your heart is not in the proper place

you are a fraud.

 

Several years ago I was introduced to a place

where you could purchase 'designer' handbags at a greatly reduced price.

Apparently if you knew the right thing to ask the sales clerk

you gained access to the 'special' room.

 

Little did I know at the time that this 'special' room

containing the 'designer' products was illegal.

All of the products were frauds.

All were rip offs of the real thing.

All were copies made to look like the actual designer handbag

to the unsuspecting buyer.

To the untrained eye you could not tell the difference.

 

I think this is exactly what Jesus is warning us about today.

Are you a true disciple of his or are you just going through the motions?

In other words, are you really a good imitation...a fraud?

 

Don't be offended by these words just examine your own heart.

Just be honest with your self.

Only you and God know the truth.

It really does not matter what anyone else sees or thinks.

 

 

Above all of the laws and rules there is only one thing that matters in the end.

Have you been true to your call to love others...

not only as you love yourself,

but more importantly as God has loved you?

 

You see what really matters is the

'inside of the cup'.

One spec left inside the cup can contaminate the whole contents.

It is time to focus on the inside of the cup.

 

Sometimes Jesus did not follow the prescribed laws

in order to make his point.