And one of the lawyers answering, says to Him, “Teacher, saying these things You insult us also.” Luke 11:45
Reading the passage in Luke (11:37-52) from Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees and the “lawyers” (Basically learned scribes who interpreted the ‘Law’) is an interesting one. They were always taken aback by the behavior of Jesus, because He didn’t automatically follow the ‘traditions’ of the ‘Law’. And His explanations of why always had to do with the spiritual truth rather than the physical ritual. The ‘lawyers’ were always ‘finding’ new ways that showed what one needed to do in ritual or physical action or money – rather than the spiritual component of the heart. These are the tactics of religion. They are as old as the human race – as they are instigated by our enemy to keep people from true relationship with God. These rituals and practices always make us feel ‘comfortable’ and require ZERO participation from the Holy Spirit. These are the practices designed by these “high academic learned ones” which really had other intents that in this passage Jesus really condemns with a lot of “Woe to you…” statements.
Lying in bed this morning after first waking – I was thanking God for my health, and the thought came about the biggest barriers to real relationship with Him. That’s the way the Holy Spirit works in me sometimes – I going one way and He leads into another. Maybe it was because we were having such a sweet time of love together that He wanted to highlight what really holds people back from experiencing what we were having together in that moment. It really hasn’t changed since Jesus’ time. The ‘people of God’ are still bound up in the ‘religion’. We think we have to ‘meet’ God in a certain way, that we have to ‘do’ the ‘thing’ or the ritual or go to the ‘service’ to really be ‘holy’. When in reality it is just being ‘in the Spirit’ and to go with Him.
What does I mean when I say ‘in the Spirit’? It’s that conversational prayer intimacy. It’s that inner dialogue of love to one another, where His Voice and words are touching the deepest part of your heart and soul. And you are reciprocating that love with words of real humble gratefulness, thankfulness, and love from the depths of your soul. This is the relationship Jesus wants to have with us.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24
Religion is like a gas that causes slumber. The sleep seems SO wonderful and peaceful, what ever could be wrong with it? And we make huge beautiful places for us to be … asleep. We hire people to teach us how to sleep. When Jesus wants us to be AWAKE, and growing in Him by His Holy Spirit, and making other disciples! This only comes by spending time with Him… not by religious programs, or rituals, services, or practices, customs or traditions. It is being with Him “in the Spirit” and having real soul intimacy with Him in your heart. That is the RELATIONSHIP He wants with you and me.
Holy Spirit …open our ears to hear you!! Jesus we seek you with all that is within us!