Saturday, September 1, 2001
Saturday, September 1, 2001
"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever
they teach
you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
We have something in common with the Pharisees. Jesus once summed up the
Pharisees' chief
problem like this: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me."
For the Pharisees religion was primarily external. It was a badge of accomplishment,
not a gift of
grace. It was a means of dividing society into layers, not uniting it in love. It was a
means of
putting other people down, rather than a motivation for lifting them up. God on their lips
but not
in their hearts. Are there people today who have such a faith? Yes, there are, and let's
not be one
of them.
(Matthew 23:2-3
NRSV)
A young coed being interviewed on television about her religious beliefs said, "Oh yes,
I believe in
God, but I'm not nuts about Him." According to the Gallup Poll that is a good
description of how
most people feel about God. Ninety-four percent of us believe in God. When it comes
to
translating that belief into action, however, most of us are clearly not nuts about Him.
Dear God, help me to develop a belief in you that comes from my heart. Amen.
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