S - John 5:37-47 (NIV): "And the Father
who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice
nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the
one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures [Or Study diligently Greek
mood is imperative] because you think that by them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to
have life. "I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that
you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's
name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you
will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet
make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? "But do
not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom
your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote
about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to
believe what I say?"
O - How could Jesus tell the leaders of a
society built on the Law of Moses that they did not believe Moses? Weren't they
obsessed with Sabbath Law, Temple Worship and the study of the Scriptures?
Didn't they tithe, believe in the promise of the Christ and in the coming
Kingdom? Yet Jesus clearly and
consistently identifies their true condition: they do not believe. What kept
these people from believing and in their own self-deception? Jesus gives us two sources which feed and
produce this tragic condition: 1. accepting praise from humans as their primary
affirmation and, 2. the absence of the love of God in their hearts. This malady
works in all religions (Christianity included) because all religions are
culture and culture is all about the opinions of humans (praise of others) and its
own continuance (the protection of the cultural norm more than anything
else). Jesus must shape, inspire and
affirm the application of any religious/cultural expression. He is the message
from God and the exact representation of his Person.
A - For the Jews it is Moses, for the Muslims
it is Mohammed and for the Christians it is Paul. What if I insert the name appropriate to my
culture into the text? Would these words
read the same? I can quote the three, live out the current cultural norm
produced by those who claim their authority and ... be missing Jesus, refusing
God and bringing judgment upon myself.
In the end just as Moses will accuse the Jews so Mohammed the Muslims
and Paul the Christians who claim them as their authority yet who refuse the
love of God and live only for the praise of men. Today, my assignment is to
love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and my neighbor as myself;
to do the work of believing and to refuse to allow cultural norms to be the
measure of self-assessment or the inspiration for my activities, beliefs and
worldview. Jesus is the message and my
hope is set only on/in him.
P - Jesus who does not accuse,
Today I'm looking out at my life and wanting
your praise, affirmation and love to be in me and flowing through me. I don't want to navigate my days by my
culture but by your life and kingdom. Please protect me from my culture and
myself. Let me get and keep the beam out
of my own eye that Moses, Mohammed and Paul would not need to accuse. Jesus, cause your life to come into me and
out of me. Let me live in you; work with
you; and only be holy to you, never for you.
Thank you for loving me and for letting me love you back.
My hope is set on you,
Steve
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