Thoughts for another day


November 24, 2010

Today's verse: Jn. 7:49. But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

In the Jesus' time, the Pharisees, rabbis, scribes and Sadducees were the ultimate authority on rules and regulations concerning God and His worship. What they said was the writ and no other person was allowed to go against it. Misinterpretation of the Law and also the keeping or non-keeping of it was judged by the lens these people wore and also what they felt at that particular moment. The common Jew strictly maintained what they said for he was afraid that he'd be ex-communicated if he didn't.

Then Jesus came, a Man who never studied, yet knew Scripture so well. Jesus even interpreted Scripture the way it should be interpreted and deep inside they knew the truth, but were they pleased to transfer the inherent power that interpretation of the Law gave them? No way! Jesus' interpretation shifted the focus on the well being of man the way God saw it whereas their interpretation was so they could be glorified and demand respect from the people. Through this, they even generated fear of reprisal among the people. Besides, they didn't want Scripture to be known by the common Jew except those among their group. Which is why many times they rubbished the claims of Jesus who they said did not obey the Law of Moses.

In Scripture today, they curse those ignorant of the law; and according to the Law, Jesus was a sinner as He never kept the Sabbath (the way that seemed right for them and not the way, God intended it) with its legal requirement and also interpreted it wrongly. To them Jesus was unworthy to be a Jew because He never gave any respect to them, rather exposed their hypocrisy in full view of the ordinary Jew to whom they were like demi-gods! Anyone who supported Jesus was also given the shoddy treatment and blatantly ex-communicated.

We have this practice in our churches also today. Those of us who know Scripture want to stand out as scholars and move about puffed up as if we have the world in our hands and bumble on with our 'expert knowledge'. We want people to obey what we think is the proper interpretation and that is why there are so many break-away groups and they multiply each day. Some day the Lord who created us all will come and teach us and that day, the schisms will vanish.