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Religious Language

Jesus is not a fan of organized religion and the elite attitudes that go with it. Jesus is in favor of love and compassion. That is His focus and mission. I need to focus on what is important to Jesus. It isn’t about “being religious”. Jesus hates that. Seriously. I know it. I am listening to Jesus.

Jesus is my Master. Jesus owns me. Jesus, as my Master, commands me to love. That is the essence of “the law” and what masquerades as “religion”. Traditional Christian denominations need to take heed. Christians need to pay attention. I must focus on being a disciple and learning from Jesus. I must focus on obedience.

One Sabbath, Jesus was strolling with his disciples through a field of ripe grain. Hungry, the disciples were pulling off the heads of grain and munching on them. Some Pharisees reported them to Jesus: “Your disciples are breaking the Sabbath rules!”

Jesus said, “Really? Didn’t you ever read what David and his companions did when they were hungry, how they entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? And didn’t you ever read in God’s Law that priests carrying out their Temple duties break Sabbath rules all the time and it’s not held against them?

“There is far more at stake here than religion. If you had any idea what this Scripture meant — ‘I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual’ — you wouldn’t be nitpicking like this. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.” | Matthew 12:1-8 (The Message Bible)

Jesus wants me to be a disciple, not a Christian. Jesus never ever uses the word Christian. Jesus didn’t have alter calls at His services.

  • Jesus taught.
  • Jesus called people to be disciples (aka learners).
  • The message is simple. “Accompany (aka follow) Me.”
  • Jesus concludes this mini lesson with the observation that “The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath.”
  • Jesus, as King of God’s Kingdom, is in charge. PERIOD!