The laws of God as written down are a bare skeleton of their intent. The words are stark and clinical - a bulleted study card if you will, of the very basics of how to live life in relationship with those around us, and the God who made us. Unfortunately, as humans, we took those words as limited boundaries for determining correct behaviour - and as clear determinates of infractions in order to apply judgement to those who broke them. They form the basis of our legal system here today! And they engender no heart response! They are simply fences designed to set up good boundaries - nothing we would have a warm attachment to.
But when Jesus came, he began to show us that the way of God's kingdom was so much more than just this brief outline!!! That there was so much more depth than simply "You shall not kill." - that beyond that brief line was a whole volume of meaning, wrapped up in the principle that drives them all! God-like love! To God and man! That kind of love is not self-driven! It is not set up to benefit self before others! It is a deeply giving and serving love! And the whole "Law" is built on this!!!
When your mind awakens to this concept, and you begin to explore its depths, you start to fall in love with all that it stands for! It no longer is just following the rules out of duty, respect or obligation! It becomes part of the love story to be lived out!! And in order to live it to the depths of its intent, as Jesus pointed out, we need that God-love expressing itself through our every thought, word and action - towards God, and to every single person we encounter!
It's much more than Pharisaicly living out rote-learned words!!! It's living out the spirit and soul of the Kingdom-love!! It becomes something deeply internalised and heart felt. No longer just stark words on a page to be used to bludgeon those who fail them.
No photo credit
Comments