“Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.’” Acts 15:5.
There was a group of Christians who held closely onto their belief in the Law of Moses. Yes, they believed in Jesus, yet they also believed that keeping the Law was still of vital importance. Their whole life pointed to the maintaining of the letter of the Law, and it was difficult for them to believe that anyone who came into relationship with Jesus didn’t have to submit to the same requirements of the Law, particularly for males to be circumcised.
When I was in my early years as a follower of Jesus, I connected with the use of contemporary music in times of worship. I could not understand how anyone could connect with God using the old, traditional hymns. It seemed that people didn’t sing these hymns with much enthusiasm, while those us who sang the contemporary music seemed to be alive and vibrant. The type or style of music was a dividing line in my judgment of who really believed in Jesus. It took me a while to become aware of my attitude and to let it go. In like manner, there are many issues that we hold to that add to the central importance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is “Jesus and….” Sometimes it is difficult for us to let go of things or issues that we believe are important but are just not as centrally important as we thought. And it is difficult for us not to project these issues on others.
Questions to consider: Are there issues that you hold dearly that you believe others should abide by? What is of central importance to you? How do you project on others those issues that are of central importance to you?
Prayer: Father, please help me to see what is of central importance to You, and give me the humility to recognize my own elevation of those things that are not as important to You. Amen.
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2 comments:
I remember hearing someone who did not like music in church at all say that it was not right to sing in church. Obviously, they had not read much of the Old Testament. I know though that it can be a fine line between biblical orthodoxy and becoming a modern day pharisee. If I am so focused on what I think good Christians should be doing, do I lose opportunities to speak to others about Jesus? It is tough to know what to say sometimes. Usually I am better off, if I ponder and pray as opposed to just blurting out the first thing that comes to my mind.
As Proverbs 17:28 says, "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps slient, and discerning if he holds his tongue." I think that you are right about not just blurting out the first thing that enters our minds. In my case, that could be a very dangerous thing!
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