"Making the best of it"

 "For by the same criteria you use to determine what's right and wrong, you will also be weighed and examined". Matthew 7:2.

Evil rarely comes at us in horns with a tail, and if does, there's usually been a long developmental process to get to that point. 

The powers which enable genuine evil to perpetuate, notes C S Lewis, are "given to it by goodness" (Mere Christianity) - by an inversion of what is meant to be there to enrich and enliven into something which demeans and taints.

In the days of Jesus, those deemed teachers in the region of Judea had refined their means of determining what could and could not be done to the point of literally dotting their I's and crossing their T's, because, in addition to Mosaic law, they had composed an additional rule-book called the Halakah, which told them what to do in all those niggling little moments when the Laws in the Torah weren't detailed enough. A practical solution, perhaps, but the trouble was, as time went on, these 'additions' came to be seen as just as important as God's given law, and this meant that judgements often derived from a reasoning that placed what certain "religious" folk determined as right, in fact imperative, rather than what was actually right.

We all have a propensity to 'judge' in ways that require demanding a great deal from others, (whilst usually requiring not so much from ourselves), and this had certainly become the case amongst many of those who made such requirements when Christ came amongst them.

Many of these rules were really hot button "musts" in respect to the Sabbath - it was imperative that pretty much everything that wasn't to do with treating the day differently (so, for example, work) was entirely concluded before sunset on Friday, and not resumed until after the special day was over, but there was a problem here. Did the rule not to work mean that you ceased from doing good for a whole day? Wouldn't that mean, in effect, that if there were an immediate need, and it wasn't addressed, that what was meant to be holy instead became a context for harm and evil?

After reading from Isaiah's striking words to define His ministry, Jesus often 'worked' (did good) on the sabbath to clarify the trouble we place ourselves in when we serve religion rather than God.

Keeping a day special is good (rest and refreshment are essential), but there are other requirements than just those provided for in such a break, so we should also take genuine notice of the "closing down" of religion in what Jesus is about here.

The Torah says nothing to forbid doing genuine good on the day of rest - and it is this truth that makes Jesus both angry and grieved at those who wished to manufacture their own morality above and beyond what was provided by God (Mark 3:4).

Soon, it would be the scribes and religious who were murderously angry with Jesus as He continually defied their rules and proceeded to teach that these were futile when it came to genuine righteousness.

The intention of those deemed 'spiritual' was to work amidst a framework of statutes which allowed them to continue to be viewed as 'good' and 'holy', whilst in truth, they continued to avoid the genuine requirements of God's commands in respect to the fullest compliance to these. 

Truth, of course, shatters the illusion, hence their violence towards Jesus.

So, what of us?

Are there rules or requirements we impose that are in effect contrary to the good that God is seeking to work amongst us?

Christianity isn't 'muddling along' beneath a set of moral, civil and ritual devices that we believe will convey some kind of acceptable piety whilst covering up our far deeper evils in respect to God and each other. Being naked bar the righteousness of Christ means we 'walk in the light' before Him and each other - that we genuinely understand each other to be sinners saved entirely by grace.

Law compliance, however pious it may appear, concludes beneath a curse (Galatians 3:10) - for all of us truly fail miserably to come close to complying with its comprehensive and relentless requirements - if we're honest, we'll admit we even fail in reaching the far lower standards we make for ourselves.

The community of faith has to be seen to be marked by something better, and that is where grace comes into the picture.

What are we about right now?

Are we throughly 'ruled up', seeing our assent with what's required as virtuous and even perhaps allowing us to see ourselves as "good".

We must be careful to understand how evil really leads us into ruin by such devices.

There are plenty of times God's people failed because of this blind spot, but, thankfully, because of God's mercy, there are also countless times when they were picked up again by Gods goodness and embrace so they could continue to walk in something that truly heals them, and us.

Let's not muddle through in our own folly, but rest assured on the surety of His astounding care.

(Happy Reformation Day from Dr Mike Reeves)