SEE THESE STONES? (50 OF 52)
Scripture: Matthew 23:37, Matthew 24:8
This content is part of a series.
See These Stones? (50 of 52)
Series: Discipleship Part Two
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 23:37-24:8
It is often hard for us to accept that other people may not share our concerns. We pick up themes that are important to us, for we expect them. We tend to overlook what others may consider relevant or important. Too often, we talk around one another without hearing what each other has to say. When it comes to Jesus, it is the same. We firmly expect Jesus to share our priorities and interests. We project our concerns onto Jesus, demanding he take issue with the same things that bother us. How can we claim to follow Jesus without really paying attention to his guidance and purposes?
Jesus had just been talking about Jerusalem's poor track record with Yahweh's prophets. He had been discussing the hardhearted unfaithfulness of the religious majority, especially their power brokers. They subverted God's desire for justice and mercy through a legalism devoid of compassion. Instead of focusing on the institutional structures of Judaism, Jesus called for a faithfulness to God which required far different priorities. Jesus' emphases were very different from the traditional forms and expressions. While First Century Judaism's faith, worship, and practice revolved around the Temple, Jesus called for worship that centered on people, especially those most neglected by society.
Along the course of his ministry and preaching, Jesus had stressed the importance of loving one's neighbor, feeding the hungry, teaching the poor, and indiscriminately healing people. On every occasion religious legalism had raised its head, Jesus prioritized relief to individuals far above any observance of rules, regulations, and precedent. The Temple in Jerusalem was a stone rendering of all that legalistic, institutional observance. Jesus was not anti-Temple, but he did not share concern for the Temple on a par with his disciples and the balance of the Jewish community.
There simply was ...
Series: Discipleship Part Two
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 23:37-24:8
It is often hard for us to accept that other people may not share our concerns. We pick up themes that are important to us, for we expect them. We tend to overlook what others may consider relevant or important. Too often, we talk around one another without hearing what each other has to say. When it comes to Jesus, it is the same. We firmly expect Jesus to share our priorities and interests. We project our concerns onto Jesus, demanding he take issue with the same things that bother us. How can we claim to follow Jesus without really paying attention to his guidance and purposes?
Jesus had just been talking about Jerusalem's poor track record with Yahweh's prophets. He had been discussing the hardhearted unfaithfulness of the religious majority, especially their power brokers. They subverted God's desire for justice and mercy through a legalism devoid of compassion. Instead of focusing on the institutional structures of Judaism, Jesus called for a faithfulness to God which required far different priorities. Jesus' emphases were very different from the traditional forms and expressions. While First Century Judaism's faith, worship, and practice revolved around the Temple, Jesus called for worship that centered on people, especially those most neglected by society.
Along the course of his ministry and preaching, Jesus had stressed the importance of loving one's neighbor, feeding the hungry, teaching the poor, and indiscriminately healing people. On every occasion religious legalism had raised its head, Jesus prioritized relief to individuals far above any observance of rules, regulations, and precedent. The Temple in Jerusalem was a stone rendering of all that legalistic, institutional observance. Jesus was not anti-Temple, but he did not share concern for the Temple on a par with his disciples and the balance of the Jewish community.
There simply was ...
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