loose

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that in you we find the fulfillment of all things, even the Law and the Prophets.  Help us to understand what that means and to put it into practice in our lives this day.  Amen.

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-20

Journal: Where have you allowed yourself to relax or to get loose?  How do these words speak to that?  What is Jesus calling you to?

Reflection: It is an unfortunate tendency in the life of faith to get loose over time if we are not careful.  We all seem to have a propensity to relax buried deep within us, to let our guards down and allow ourselves to drift lazily off into the grayer areas of belief and practice.  Especially when it comes to the Law.

     Jesus knew this all too well.  As a matter of fact, it is one of the things he warned us about here in Matthew’s gospel.  He reminds us that he didn’t come to abolish (katalyō—to loosen, or tear, down) the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill (plēroō—to make full, or consummate) them.  He came to bring the Law and the Prophets to life, to embody what they taught and said, and to show the fullness of living life according to his word.  After all, he is what both the Law and the Prophets were pointing to. 

     Therefore, he warns us not to relax (lyō—to loosen) one of the commandments, or to teach others to do the same, lest we be seen as least in the kingdom of heaven.  He warns us not to think of the Law and the Prophets as something separate from life with him, but to integrate them into one unified whole with his life and his words.  He is not calling us to the legalism and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, but to the holiness and wholeness of the Spirit; to integrate and embody all of what life with God is about. 

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me not to allow my life to get too loose, but let me hold fast to you and all that you desire for me and from me.  For your glory. Amen.