8-1-2019

Good Morning All,

Matthew 23:23; “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

    I was having a discussion with some high school students a while back and the talk turned to “holy hardware”.  That is the stuff that some Christians wear; things like crosses or bracelets that have a scripture verse or something like that.  I think that this discussion opened to me because, as a minister, I rarely wear a clerical collar.  I usually wear a polo type shirt that has our parish logo on it.  I think they were wondering why all the other pastors in the circuit wear the collars and I don’t and that made this discussion easier for them.

    I told them that is was a preference; I like my parish shirts and that I usually wore my pectoral cross.  One of the kids said, “so other people know you’re a pastor” and I said, “no, so I remember I am a pastor.”  I think that caught them off guard.  I told them that to be a Christian was to have an inner change.  Paul tells us we are new creations. (2 Cor. 5:17) We are different from the rest of the world.  We have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us and our desire and our outlook should be different than that of an unbeliever.  My outward signs, my “holy hardware” really should be a sign of an inner change and really, a reminder to me of who I am.

    Many today are like the Pharisees of the time of Jesus.  The Pharisees had over 600 laws that they believed and taught that if, every single Jew kept all 600 of these laws for one day; then God would have to send the Messiah.  They thought that by merely doing the acts they could manipulate God.  You hear and see the same thing today.  I hear it most from my neighbor farmers in a drought year most often.  The comment goes something like this, “I could sure use some rain, guess I better go to church this Sunday.”  And it is not just farmers; it is anyone who thinks, “I want a good doctor’s report, I better go to church.” Or “I am worried about my job, I better go to church.”  We are trying to keep the appearance up but there is no inner change.

   Jesus told the Pharisees, and is telling us, doing things that look righteous and failing to do things of true faith are hollow and empty.  In a couple of verses later, Jesus calls the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs”; pretty on the outside but full of corruption and death.  It is what is on the inside, where faith resides, that truly matters because true faith will lead us to true acts of love for our neighbor; which is what Jesus truly desires from his followers.

    Crosses, bracelets, fasting, tithing at your church, or whatever you do, are all fine outward signs if they truly reflect an inner change.  Wearing a cross does not confuse God, just like not wearing a cross does not confuse God.  But sometimes, outward signs can, and should, remind us of who we are and what that means.  We are the redeemed of Christ and we are called to be his witnesses and servants until he returns. 

Gracious Father, there are many times that my sinful nature wants me to forget what you have done for me.  Guide me to always remember who I am and where I fit in your kingdom.  Lead me to serve you by loving others and sharing the news of Jesus, in His name we pray, amen!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret