Mark 10:17 -31
[Matthew 19:16 -30; Luke 10:25 -37, 18:18 -30]
From the moment the rich man asked
his question, Jesus saw him for who he was: outwardly pious, inwardly
conceited.
This man trusted the “fear of God”
instilled by culture not from experience, and he presumed himself righteous. Like the majority of man-made gods, the man
viewed his deity as far away in heaven, reachable by only the most dedicated. Because of this, the man did not trust God’s
goodness to keep promises. In
Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Moses told the people that obeying was not a difficult
(ritualistic) or a hidden (esoteric) task.
The Word lay within their reach and in their heart. A child could follow His rules.
The description of the people of
Ezekiel 8 is outwardly pious, inwardly insolent. The incorporation of other gods into the Temple
gave God reason to condemn Jerusalem
to destruction. We look at this chapter
and say the text lists the examples backwards.
How could waving a branch be worse then open or hidden idol worship? Bowing to the east does seem trivial in
comparison.
Accepting another culture’s
description of God dilutes understanding of who He is. If God was like “all the others,” He was not
paying close attention. Therefore, secret
sins were acceptable, as long as they stayed secret. The people of Jerusalem
viewed incorporating outside religious beliefs as insignificant as long as the leaders
met the national traditions.
As bad as the abominations seemed,
they paled in comparison to what God considered the worst sins. No one held their friends accountable. The leaders were deceitful. They taught injustice, not faithfulness. Oppression and violence were common inside Jerusalem . Self-centered reasoning justified wickedness. The majority of the population no longer knew
the difference between good and evil. Because
of this, they no longer worshiped God as singular. He was simply one among many, significant
only because their city held His Temple.
The people dismissed loyalty, by adding one trivial custom at a time.
And, the leaders held themselves
above it all, religiously pious, outwardly clean. Jesus saw similar sins in the religious elite
of His day. He knew their actions dictated
the same outcome. Like Ezekiel, Jesus
grieved for the city that would soon die.
**Whom do I follow? Does my religion require dependence on
traditions and rituals instead of listening to God? Do I trivialize the addition of beliefs and rituals
that do not respect my neighbors or esteem the One God only? Is my God one among many?
To be continued…
[Lessons from Holiness Parables, by Jo Helen Cox, a work in progress.]
The Rich Man’s Question – Part 1 of 7
The Rich Man’s Question – Part 2 of 7 – Good Teacher
The Rich Man’s Question – Part 5 of 7 – A Task of
Poverty?
The Rich Man’s Question – Part 6 of 7 – The Task to
Follow
The Rich Man’s Question – Part 7 of 7 – Eternal Life
Also in this series: