City Life Starter

Written by PJ Thomas

The Word

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Romans 1:21-13

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Matthew 23:23

The moral law tells us the tune we have to play. Our instincts are merely the keys….

The moral law is not any one instinct or set of instincts it is something  which makes a kind of tune, the tune we call goodness or good conduct, by directing our instincts.

The most dangerous thing you can do, is to take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs. There is not one of them  which will not make us into devils if we set it up as an absolute guide.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Chapter 2

Exegesis

 In the first two chapters of Mere Christianity, CS Lewis discusses the the law of right and wrong.

Some people believe there is no ultimate law of right and wrong. Rather, right and wrong is judged by the individual’s personal preference. The law of right and wrong is also described as the moral law of God. In religious circles, the instinct can sometimes lead us to hold up one religious principle or law as the most important element of the Bible because it is the easiest to follow.. This allows us to feel more righteous than those who struggle with what we tend to do with less effort.

In Matthew 23, Jesus, who knew so very well the heart of man, points out an exaggerated example of a Pharisee. During this period, it was common practice to tithe agricultural goods (eg. produce, grain). The man was so scrupulous about his tithing that he tithed down to the tiniest spices. However, he did this at the expense of zeal for the more important matters of God’s moral law. In this verse, the Greek word for “more important” is barytera which can also be interpreted as “weightier.”  This metaphor of the weight of food tithe helps describe the importance of keeping the main things (God’s moral law) as the main thing.  Even his disciples, filled with the holy spirit, at times set up one principle (circumcision) or doctrine (avoiding unclean food) at the expense of what God requires: to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

As C.S. Lewis warns, to do so leads us into ruin. Grace at the expense of truth gives birth to temporary reconciliation based on illusion. Justice without mercy gives birth to a righteousness that condemns us all. Love without respect gives birth to connection undergirded by chaos.

Application

In this politically charged time, sensitive topics like abortion or social inequities can divide us based on our allegiance to a specific principle or idea.  However, when we hold up one of our religious principles above the totality of God’s moral law, it can lead us to justify demonizing our fellow man despite the face we are all made in God’s image. Aligning ourselves with God’s moral law allows us to act with compassion.

Have you set up one principle or doctrine above the totality of God’s moral law?

Prayer

Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)