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At Concordia, my friends and I lived in a
“bubble” surrounded by theology and doctrine which often
encouraged debate. For instance, “should we or should we
not say alleluia during the season of Lent?” Looking
back it is almost comical--almost.
Earlier in Matthew 12, the Pharisees
attempt to pick a fight with Jesus backing up their
arguments with the Law. It is easy to focus solely on
the law. Just like the Pharisees I like rules. They give
me boundaries and keep my scattered brain in check.
However, sometimes my friends and I became so focused on
the law that we forgot to look at it through the eyes of
Jesus. When this happens I become bruised, broken, and
beaten because I will never live up to the standards
given to us in God’s perfect law.
I can say with relative certainty that
many of you probably fall into these traps too. It is
easy to focus on our differences and, like the
Pharisees, use the law as our proof. The good news is
that Jesus invites us to switch our focus from the law
to the CROSS. Romans 1:16 reminds us that the Gospel is,
“… the power of God that brings salvation to everyone
who believes.”
When was the last time you argued someone
into believing in Christ through the law? This approach
leaves us and everyone involved bruised and smoldering
in our own self righteousness. This leaves an open door
for Satan to swoop in to break our spirit and snuff out
our hope. It is only when we walk, with Christ, the path
to the Cross that we are healed. The POWER OF THE CROSS
saves everyone who believes. It is the HOPE that we have
in Christ that closes the door to all the devil’s
schemes and allows us to view life through the lens of
forgiveness and salvation and truly live as Christ’s
disciples. |
