Truth as food

The Pharisees wanted to advance God’s kingdom by keeping Jesus from healing on the Sabbath. They were really wrapped up around that issue, and it blinded them to what God was doing in Christ. They said healing was work and you can’t work on the Sabbath. They gave this interpretation more importance than other clear commands in the Word – to do good to those in trouble.

We can do the same thing, taking the way we think Scripture should be lived out, and criticize others with it, instead of feeding them with it. We confuse advancing the kingdom with getting others to see things our way. In our zeal to advance God’s moral standards in our culture, we can leave behind charity and grace, key elements in that very kingdom.

8/15/10