When I mention the word defiance, who is the first person that comes to your mind? Maybe it’s today’s teenager, perhaps it’s a protester either of today or times past. Maybe it’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandella, Ghandi, or even Muhamad Ali. I’m fairly confident to say that Jesus is not someone that came to your mind. Yet as we look at the controversial life of Jesus, there was a defiance that we see. Certainly that is the way the religious leaders of the day saw it. Certainly Jesus said things and did things in such a way that it was defying the religious practices of the day.
Can we even mention the word defiance in the same sentence as Jesus though? Defiance has such a negative connotation and certainly is thought of in terms of rebellion and disobedience. Yet defiance is also a word used when we take a stand against something that needs to change. Nelson Mandella took a defiant stand against Apartheid. Martin Luther King, Jr. took a defiant stand against racial inequality and for civil rights in our own country. What about Jesus? Was he defiant against the religious practices of the day? Can we think of him in these terms? What had happened to the religious makeup of Israel? They had completely lost their heart for God in their pursuit of religious practices. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, rather than be amazed at what had happened, anger burned in them at the violation of a Sabbath law. They considered healing work. They were indignant when the disciples did not go through the ceremonial washing of hands before they ate. Jesus, at that time had strong words for them…
Matthew 15:7-9 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”
Jesus intentionally healed on the Sabbath, it happened on several occasions. In this instance, he was aware of what his disciples were doing and with intention allowed them to do it. These are acts of defiance against the religious practices of the day. Jesus also, with intentionality, turned the tables and drove out all of those who had turned the temple into a market place. All of these were acts of defiance against religion that had become nothing more than hypocrisy.
God is not interested in this kind of religion. He desires a sincere religion that flows from a heart that genuinely loves God. When these same teachers of the law asked Jesus what was the most important command, he responded with this statement…
Matthew 22:35-39 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus defied the acts of men who had defined religion as a set of rules and had forgotten what God cared about most which were the people. He did these acts as an opportunity for the religious leaders to see and respond. Instead they became enemies. Jesus was betrayed and handed over to be crucified by his own people, not by the Romans. Jesus own people did not recognize him. That’s kind of scary, don’t you think? They were so consumed with their own understanding of what mattered to God that they lost sight of what really mattered. The Messiah was in their midst. God had redeemed his people! Their forefathers looked forward to this day and they missed it. I hope we never get so lost in our religious practices that we miss what matters most to God; the redemption of His people.
Have a great week!
Pastor Stan and Polly
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