John 7:14-31
There is wisdom and knowledge to be had simply by looking around you. I am sure that is part of the knowledge that Jesus held that astonished people in the temple. The kind of knowledge I am speaking of is most often associated with the truths of eastern religions. These are religions that hold sacred truths but that do not create additional man made laws that must be adhered to in order to be holy, to have a relationship with the Creator or to achieve salvation.
Was Jesus speaking in part about these additional laws that the Jewish faith had created? Is he speaking to us today about the myriad rules churches today create out of their reasonings, logic or tradition?
Jesus was quick to point out that Moses had received the law yet those were not adhered to so much as the myriad man made ones. This is where the beauty and simplicity of the eastern religions comes from. The extra gobbledygook is missing and it is that which often stands in the way of our having that unique and loving relationship that God wants to have with us. People get too caught up in the man made s'stuff' of religion.
All this gobbledygook is fine if it can enrich or enhance your worship or your relationship with God. The problem arrises when people and religions make that 'stuff' the most important thing. It is a problem when the man made rules become more important than the simplicity of God's true message to us.
What is that message? What is the message of the eastern religions? What is the message that Jesus felt necessary to condense over the ten commandments because even those simple ten laws were being mangled? Here it is, I know you'll recognize it, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".
Simple and easy. Well, maybe not always so easy but certainly free of 'stuff'.
The key for me is to love who I am and keep my love of God always in my sight. This allows me, prompts me, to love others because I know how much God loves me. Be sure to love yourself.
There is wisdom and knowledge to be had simply by looking around you. I am sure that is part of the knowledge that Jesus held that astonished people in the temple. The kind of knowledge I am speaking of is most often associated with the truths of eastern religions. These are religions that hold sacred truths but that do not create additional man made laws that must be adhered to in order to be holy, to have a relationship with the Creator or to achieve salvation.
Was Jesus speaking in part about these additional laws that the Jewish faith had created? Is he speaking to us today about the myriad rules churches today create out of their reasonings, logic or tradition?
Jesus was quick to point out that Moses had received the law yet those were not adhered to so much as the myriad man made ones. This is where the beauty and simplicity of the eastern religions comes from. The extra gobbledygook is missing and it is that which often stands in the way of our having that unique and loving relationship that God wants to have with us. People get too caught up in the man made s'stuff' of religion.
All this gobbledygook is fine if it can enrich or enhance your worship or your relationship with God. The problem arrises when people and religions make that 'stuff' the most important thing. It is a problem when the man made rules become more important than the simplicity of God's true message to us.
What is that message? What is the message of the eastern religions? What is the message that Jesus felt necessary to condense over the ten commandments because even those simple ten laws were being mangled? Here it is, I know you'll recognize it, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" and "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".
Simple and easy. Well, maybe not always so easy but certainly free of 'stuff'.
The key for me is to love who I am and keep my love of God always in my sight. This allows me, prompts me, to love others because I know how much God loves me. Be sure to love yourself.
About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. The Jews were astonished at it, saying, ‘How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?’ Then Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.
‘Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?’ The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.’
Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, ‘When the Messiah* comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?’
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