September 1, 2010  |  Mark 3:6

Read - Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Examine - This story comes in the context of Jesus challenging the Pharisees on their interpretation of the Mosaic Law.  The Pharisees were mainly concerned with applying and interpreting the Law and had considerable trouble trying to fit Jesus into their way of thinking. This particular instance concerned the Sabbath and Jesus busted their paradigm by healing the man with the shriveled hand on that day. This was so over-the-top offensive to their cultural religion of the day that the Pharisees and others began to plot how they might kill him.

Apply - The story is clear that Jesus was not concerned with the traditonal practices or cultutal religious customs of the day.  Jesus, as the fulfillment of the Law, clearly illustrates that true religion is marked by love of God and love of others (like we will see in Mark 12), and is not found through a list of what is moral and immoral.  But what strikes me in this passage is that what was most important to Jesus was that he honored his Father, even though the cultural force at the time would not approve and sought to do Him harm.  He was more concerned with being faithful, than being popular.  He was more concerned with what was true, than what was expected.  The times have changed and our cultural parameters look different, but following the teachings of Christ can still be offensive in an age of "Cultural Christianity." I need to follow Jesus and what the Bible says, regardless of the risk associated of alienating today's group of Pharisees.

Pray - Father, help me to be committed to you before anything else. Beyond the opinions of man or any system they devise, may I follow you with a whole heart. Whatever the risk might be, it is nothing compared to the joy of being found in you.