Spiritual Loopholes

In reading Matthew 15 this morning, I couldn't help but wonder, "Did the Pharisees think they had discovered a spiritual loophole in fulfilling law of honoring their parents?” I’m sure they did. The law commanded the Israelites to honor their parents which included caring for their parents as they aged. The way around this, according to the Pharisees, was to pledge all they had to God. When this occurred, immediate loophole! They were no longer required to care for their parents! (Or at least that is what they thought!) The interesting thing here is that it was the written Word of God, delivered to Moses, that said, “Honor your father and mother.” The “loophole” that negated this was oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation. This “oral law” began to usurp the written Word of God. The Pharisees held their traditions in higher esteem than they did God’s actual written Word. They created their own loopholes! I can’t help but wonder how many times we try to create our own “spiritual loopholes.” We know what Scripture says, but honestly, it cramps our style. The Word of God encroaches on our freedom. So we begin looking for the way around it. We justify our unholy behavior in the name of “freedom.” We excuse our indiscretions because we think we know better than God (even though we would never say it that way). Isn’t it time to stop living in the loopholes and surrender our lives to Christ? Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Why do we think living in the loopholes will give us anything greater than what Jesus promised? Stop looking for the loopholes and living there when you THINK you’ve found one. Nothing in this world is greater than abundant life Jesus gives when we are dedicated to him.