Readings for today: Matthew 9-10, Psalms 85
I love theology. I went to one of the top theological schools in the world to get my degree. I received my doctorate from another top school. I continue to study theology for a living. I am passionate about the subject. Right theology is critically important because what we think about God matters. It matters here on earth as well as in eternity. Wrong theology can be abusive and terrorizing. Right theology can be incredibly freeing and life-giving. And of course, there’s a whole spectrum in between. And that’s why I’ve taken theological stands over the years that placed me at odds at times with the prevailing authorities in the denominations I’ve served.
In today’s reading we see what happens when theology gets in the way. When theological principle becomes more important than ministering to the needs of people. We see what happens when we desire to be right over the desire to be merciful. Jesus is attacked by the scribes for claiming to forgive sins. He is attacked by the Pharisees because of the company he kept. He is even questioned by the disciples of John the Baptist over a lack of fasting. The final insult comes when he is accused of casting out demons by the power of the devil himself. What did Jesus do to merit such treatment? He healed a paralytic. He ate a meal with a tax collector and his friends. He healed a woman with a serious medical issue and raised the dead. Finally, he cast out a demon from a demon-possessed man. One would think the scribes and Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day would rejoice over what Jesus was doing. His miracles were signs of the inbreaking power of the Kingdom of God. But their theology got in the way. They had used their knowledge of the Law and the Prophets to put God in a box and they expected Him to stay there. But God cannot be controlled. He is untamable. He is not safe. He continually breaks through the boundaries we set for Him through our limited understanding which is why we should always approach Him with deep humility.
Sadly, the spirit of Pharisaism is alive and well today. I have seen it and experienced it on any number of occasions. I have been accused over the years of any number of things simply because I don’t believe God can be limited to any human theological “system.” Now don’t get me wrong. I absolutely believe God will never contradict His Word but the Bible is not a systematic theology textbook. The God who reveals Himself through Jesus Christ and in the pages of the different books that make up the Old and New Testament is a wild God who proves over and over again that He simply will not allow us to fence Him in. It’s why Jesus’ words today are so important, “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” If only we could learn how to embrace God’s love as well as God’s law! He would take us to places we’ve never dreamed and do things through us we never thought possible.
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 11-12, Psalms 86