Breakin’ All The Rules…

I tend to not like rules. I admit…I can get pretty rebellious, especially if I don’t like the rules.

Reading through the Gospels, I see that Jesus was a bit rebellious as well. At one point, as a kid, he stayed behind at a temple while his family headed home. Another instance is when he was invited to a Pharisee’s home, and didn’t wash his hands before he ate. The Pharisee’s got pretty pissed. Speaking of getting pissed…Jesus walked into a temple and decided to ‘rearrange’ some furniture in there, because of some certain acts that were going on.

I spoke to the kids in Epic Church last night about its what’s on the inside that counts. Its not about following the rules and regulations that makes us Christians. In Luke 11 Jesus is invited to dinner with some Pharisees. Just by reading the Bible…Pharisees seem like some Grade-A d-bags. I wasn’t there…so my assumption isn’t very accurate. But nonetheless, Jesus puts them in their place.

He accepts their invitation…sits down at the table, doesn’t say grace, doesn’t wash his hands. Just eats. Starts doin’ work on all this food. The Pharisees were immediately offended. They probably called him out on it. They probably made a scene. They probably freaked out on him. I mean, I can’t really blame them here. Things were less sanitary then. They didn’t have hand sanitizer, and this guy waltzes in and doesn’t abide by their rules. Maybe if he was asked politely…he would’ve.

I love Jesus a lot…mainly because I’m a sarcastic person…and I can sense his sarcasm when he speaks to these religious leaders.

I assume that Jesus kept his cool in the beginning of this sitchu. He told the Pharisees (and I’m paraphrasing here) that he noticed that they shine their glasses and plates so they can shine in the sun, but their insides are maggoty with greed and secret evil (that was from The Message version). He went on to state that the same one that makes the outside also makes the inside.

We separate our how we look and how we feel. We’re concerned more about impressing God than realizing he’s already impressed with us.

Back to Jesus and the d-bags…I mean Pharisees.

Jesus really lets these guys have it. He calls them frauds. He also calls them stupid, fools, and hopeless (someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning). He then tells them that “They are like unmarked graves: People walk over that nice, grassy surface, never suspecting the rot and corruption that is six feet under.” Um…I don’t think he’s holding back here.

After all this…one of the Pharisees asks, “Teacher, don’t you realize that you’re insulting us?” Jesus says, “Yes, and I can be even more explicit.” Haha…I think his filter has left the building at this point. What he says next is his main point. He says, “You load people down with rules and regulations, nearly breaking their backs, but never even lift a finger to help them.”

Take a second and think about that. Think about the rules, regulations, guidelines, that you’ve been told to follow to be a Christian, to be a follower of Christ. Most new Christians, and most new Christians usually stop ‘being a Christian’ because its too much, its overwhelming. And pastors and family members usually don’t help. These new and young Christians are under the impression that they are expected to change everything that they’re doing that ‘doesn’t please God’ overnight, or right at that very second, for that matter. Change is a process. Life is a process. We have to realize that. I have to realize that. Not only in the people’s lives that I pastor, but I can’t be discouraged, when change isn’t coming in my own life as fast as I want it to.

I, also, have to remember that I can get to God through works…but not mine. CHRIST’S WORK on the cross gave me access to God! I don’t have to work for it! When he said ‘It is finished’ before his death on the cross, that meant that all the work, and following all these religious rules are done! We don’t have to jump through hoops to get to God! Just accept and receive what’s been done for us! We get to be with God because of Christ’s finished work.

No hoop jumping…no more working for God’s approval…just embracing what’s already done.