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Title: The Twelve
Scripture: Luke 9:1-6
Speaker: Bill Shirlaw
Date: 29 January 2012
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| Title: | A call to true religion |
| Reference: | Zechariah 7:1-10 |
| Notes: | I couldn’t care less. Indifferent attitudes. Building the temple in Haggia. The temple is now halfway to completion. People had began to see the construction from a distance Delegation arrives from Bethal. We need to have a bit of understanding about the history of this. They arrived to ask the priests some questions. They wanted to know if it was proper for them to observe the fast which commemorated the destruction of the temple. Now, you see, problems had started to work their way in the lived their religious lives. The Law of Moses only had one fast. The Day of Atonement. But since the fall of Jerusalem the Jews of the exile had developed a series of fasts around significant moments: 17th day of the 4th month – mourned the capture of the city. 9th day of the 5th month – they remembered the burning of the city. 3rd day of the 7th month – commemorated an assassination and massacre of 80 men. 10th day of the 10th month – fasted in memory of the day Nebuchadnezzar began his siege. The fasts were appropriate because they were the people’s way of keeping the memory of the past alive. So now they were asking valid questions. Should they continue? But people had missed the point. The people of Bethal had failed to see that in God’s eyes the whole matter was more important than this. These fasts had become an empty ritual. We need to remind ourselves and always remind ourselves of why things have been done the way they are done. (7;5-7, 9-10) The point is quite clear. God doesn’t want a ceremonial act. In fact he says he hates such acts if they aren’t accompanied by a genuine love for God and for other people. Amos 5:21-24 – Isaiah 58:3-9 He points out that the worshippers weren’t seeking God in what they were doing. That’s the importance of the ‘for me’ and ‘for you’ in the verses. Also, they were brought to book because there fasting or anything else really didn’t lead to acts of mercy. Yet, this is what was called for. Without acts of mercy religion isn’t true religion. Without justice, the worship is empty. People’s present duty (8:9) We have to remind ourselves that we have a present duty to fulfil. Sometimes that isn’t particularly glamorous. It’s not limelight stuff. But in the end, what does this have to do with fasting? The whole discussion has to do with the fact that whatever we are doing it has to be done with the right spirit. If we are called to serve in whatever way we can it has to be with the right spirit. So whether it is worship, serving tea, changing light bulbs, it was to be done in the right spirit. It should be all about God, and not about us. If the fast had become just ceremonial without significance, then it was worthless. How do you feel about what you are doing today? Are you here with the right spirit? For the right reasons? Let’s remember the significance of what we do today |
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