Irritating Scripture
One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”
Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (Matthew 22:36-40, The Message)
Some folk become so consumed by minor details that they miss the big picture. It doesn’t matter what arena of life it is playing in. Detail-oriented people may see the misshapen campfire but not the forest fire. That happens as we read scripture, also. We (I put myself in there) may focus on a detail that we know doesn’t bring judgment on our way of life, but miss the blowing headwinds of the words that mess up the hair of our daily existence. For instance, a hardcore Baptist might emphasize abstinence from alcohol while gossiping like asupermarket checkout display issue of the National Enquirer.
We have an unwritten, unspoken way of customizing our journey with Jesus that gives us the false illusion of intimacy with Christ, while at the same time liberally using the bottle of white-out to avoid discomfort with our personality warts. It’s our protective shield that keeps the reality at a safe distance from the illusion.
Honestly, the 21st-century church has not strayed that far from the first-century Corinthian congregation, filled with freshness and faulty relationships, gathering to celebrate the Agape meal and gorging themselves to the point that some were left with nothing. (For our time, that means jello fruit salad on the church potluck table.)
As a good friend of mine summarized the mega-church he attended several years ago: “Praise Jesus with lifted hands in worship, and then drive like we’re demon-possessed getting out of the parking lot!” Just as there is often chatter about worship feeling like a performance, most of us have been guilty of giving a performance in our demeanor in worship and returning to our real selves afterward.
Jesus brought a sudden silence to his questioners when he talked about loving one another. They were used to selective love and choosy generosity. After Jesus talk about loving others, the next verse in Matthew 22 says, “As the Pharisees were regrouping…”(Matthew 22:41, The Message)
They were religious, but their relationships were problematic.
So, back to us, has the contentiousness of our culture become so normal that the faith community of followers has slipped into that shoe as well?
Last Sunday, I preached on Matthew 22:1-14, a parable that Jesus tells that is…ugly! At the end of the service, I said to the congregation, “After hearing that parable, I think we need to highlight one another.” Several people approached me and embraced me. This Sunday I think I’m going to look for a few people who seem like they need to be hugged…loved on, as a saintly sister has said. It’s not fulfilling Jesus’ words, but it is a step in that direction.
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