Day 54 - Bottom Lines

Day 54
Exodus 21-22, Matthew 12

While policies are so boring and can make a person feel like they're being put through the processes, they are a necessary evil. As the people of Moses begin to settle in together as a traveling community, we read how the policies are needed to keep the lines evident and the expectations clear. The same goes for certain areas of our lives today, whether it be in our work or as a parent to our children.

As we begin just the beginning of the rules and regulations that are being presented in Exodus (and beyond), we'll probably have to shrug our shoulders at some of them and remember how different the times and culture were back in that day. The bottom lines still remain though - love God, love others.

In Matthew, we see how Jesus puts a spin on the old rules and gets called out by the Pharisees for allowing the disciples to eat from the fields and by healing people on the Sabbath. Jesus challenges them and their reasoning however, and asks a very important question that is relevant today. "How much more valuable is a person than a sheep?"

But really. We cling to our traditions. We cling to our "ways of growing up". We cling to everything but reaching out to people it seems. Jesus shows us how to love. Traditions are great, but they can sure hinder the outreach part of church and life at times. The organ may be traditional and a very beautiful-sounding instrument, but it isn't so appealing to the younger generation that just needs a trusting place to fit. We can turn them away (people) because we care too much about our things and traditions. We are NEVER to give up the Gospel message and the essentials that go along with that, but for the other things that hinder growth of someone's faith, we need to think hard.

What is the bottom line in your life? Do you cling so tightly to traditions and the old rules, that you can't see past what people need today? Everyone is looking for something. The people who enter our churches looking for something honestly don't really care about your traditions. The bottom line is Jesus and loving Him and loving others. Jesus makes that pretty clear. There is nothing wrong with traditions and doing things the "ol fashioned way", but don't ever let it hinder the love we need to show others, so they may have a clear picture of what Jesus is about.