Was Jesus a Radical?

While it is true that the Jewish leaders of the day thought Jesus' teachings were radical, they were not as radical as people think. Many Old Testament prophets also preached similarly. However, Jesus did create quite a stir wherever he went. Why? Well, Jesus exposed the spirit of the Law rather than the letter of the Law. The Jewish leaders were overly concerned about people breaking the Law of Moses, so over time many self-imposed regulations were placed upon everyone to form a “hedge of protection around the Law.” As usual, although efforts have a good original intent, over time they lose their original purpose. The same was true here. Over time, these man-made, self-imposed, regulations became as binding as the Law itself and even equal in authority. They taught the more observant one was of these laws to the smallest detail, then the more spiritual, the more righteous, one became. Many of the Jewish leaders would tithe not only what the Law required but also tithed from the very spices they obtained. Of course, any time one’s goodness is tied to actions, pride can take hold and make one feel superior to others. Jesus criticized the Jewish leaders for this attitude they had against others. He told them they neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness—the spirit of the law. It was not that they should not do the things they were doing, but they should not neglect the weightier matters of the Law.

However, can we be too critical? Don't we do the same? Aren't we sometimes very legalistic and miss the true spiritual meaning of what we are trying to do? Let's start doing what Jesus did. Let's look at what Scripture is saying in spirit and not just in deed. Jesus raised the Law to a higher plane to show we can only achieve this by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us. This keeps us humble. If we think we are doing well, then we probably are not; we are really relying on ourselves. It is only through Christ that all things are possible. Let's learn this lesson of what Jesus was teaching for ourselves and become all we can be in Him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens