Something Old, Something New
Lenten Reflections on the Sermon on the Mount
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17
Jesus said He did not come to do away with what many Christians nowadays call the “Old Testament.” Unfortunately, “old” has connotations of 'obsolete’ or ‘antiquated’ or something that no longer matters. Our culture’s emphasis on the “new” often relegates “old” things, ideas, even people, to the dust bin. The “Hebrew Scriptures” or “First Testament” would be better monikers, and they would be more in step with Jesus’ understanding of the Scriptures, which, during His life, would not have included any of the books and letters of our modern day New Testament. His life was built on the Bible, Genesis-Malachi. We would do well to revisit the stories of the First Testament, just as Jesus regularly did Himself.
You see, Jesus was a practitioner of Traditioned Innovation. He didn’t discard the Law nor the prophecies or promises of the Scriptures; instead, He came to fulfill them, to bring them into effect, to follow them as God desires them to be followed. He knew them well and studied them regularly. Jesus made sabbath worship a priority in His life, as He and His disciples faithfully joined other God-followers in synagogue across Judea.
And that seems like a great place to start for us, as well, to make worship and the reading of scripture greater priorities in our life.
Spring is on its way in my corner of the country (Agricultural Zone 5b). It’s about time to begin planting starter seeds for our summer garden. The seeds - like most life - require extra attention and care in the beginning until their roots and leafs are strong enough to weather the harsher outdoor conditions. Similarly do our spiritual lives require similar care in order to weather the storms of life.
So let’s check in with ourselves:
How is your prayer life these days?
How regularly are you reading your bible?
In the past five Sundays, how many of them did you spend worshipping with other Jesus-followers in a local church? If your attendance percentage was based on your old elementary grading scale (90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C, <60% = F), what grade would your worship attendance receive? And I’m not talking about sitting alone in your home watching worship online, either; I’m talking about actually physically sitting alongside other folks who are also journeying with Jesus. As wonderful as online worship is, it is ultimately a lesser substitute for the real thing. Just as online education and eLearning have their benefits, most teachers will confess the benefits of in-person learning far outweighs those of online. So too is it with worship. Friends, if you have gotten in the habit of worshipping online, I want to specifically challenge you to begin re-connecting with an in-person local church community. You need them and that local church needs you. It’s time. You know it. And, with God’s help, you can do it.
Today is a good day to check in with ourselves, being honest about our current practices. As the first week of Lent concludes, let’s challenge ourselves to take a next step toward Jesus.