“Do as I say, not as I do”. The mantra of hypocritical leaders through the ages. It is important to note that Jesus makes a clear distinction between the righteous observance of the Law and the self-important practice of the Pharisees.
Praying Together 2nd June 2024
Collect for Trinity 1
2 Corinthians 4: 5 – 12
Mark 2: 23 – 3: 6
Doing the right thing the wrong way
You may remember the song: ‘It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it, that’s what gets results.’ Catchy tune, catchy title. But wrong. Actually, it’s the other way round – ‘It ain’t the way that you do it, it’s what you do…’
The problem the Pharisees have – but don’t understand or even know that they have it – is that they are so fixated by keeping to the letter of the law, they forget that the purpose of being given the law in the first place was to bring justice, peace and healing among God’s people.
They recite the fourth Commandment recorded in Exodus 20:8-11: Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it.
In striving so hard to follow the rules, they lose sight of their purpose. They believe that the important bit is doing no labour. It isn’t. The important bit is keeping the Sabbath Holy, resting from the necessary activity of living day-to-day, and celebrating the Sabbath as sacred and special. And what could be more Holy than healing others in God’s name? Even when Jesus explains, they refuse to hear Him – indeed, they plot to have Him killed. He’s rocking the boat – their boat – and He can’t be allowed to carry on.
There is one proviso though. You might summarise the above as ‘The end justifies the means’ – a phrase first coined by the Roman poet Ovid (and plagiarised by Machiavelli). But the Russian political theorist Trotsky rightly qualified this by insisting that it is only true if the end itself is justified.
In our case, the end – furthering the Kingdom of God – is achieved by means of obedience to the New Commandment Jesus gives – to love. Sunday, Monday, Holyday and everyday. It is justified in Him.
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Throughout the centuries, God offers a gift being able to choose life and starting again, but when continually refused, He shakes the dust off His sandals and moves on. Could you blame Him, then, if He turns Hs blessing to the poor?
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The reward for accepting Him is the joy of knowing freedom, and then to accept His command to work in the vineyard, to feed His lambs – not with empty words, but with deeds.
Praying Together 24th September 2023
Heavenly Father, help us to work to accomplish your will for us according to our individual gifts without comparing ourselves to others. Help us to acknowledge our own failures and avoid condemning others for theirs.
Praying Together 17th September 2023
And when it comes down to it, I will always need forgiveness – as do we all. For all of us have sinned and fallen short.
Praying Together 10th September 2023
Yes of course we have a responsibility to address sin – but before we criticise others, we need to start with ourselves.
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‘Those who want to save their life will lose it’, said Jesus, but though people hear Him, they don’t actually listen.
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In the end, it is Peter, once again, who takes the step that faith demands. Thousands since that day have proclaimed the same. And so do I.
Praying Together 20th August 2023
As are we all, whoever we may be – Jew, Greek, slave, free, man, woman. One in Jesus, the Christ. That’s the important bit.