Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

Apparently, when Lord Byron, the poet, was living at Trinity College, there was a rule that pet dogs were not allowed to live in dorm rooms. Infuriated, Byron brought a live bear to the dorm as his pet. This technically did not break the law. He found a loophole and exploited it.

Loopholes are interesting. Sometimes we view them as great things because they allow us to get our own way or avoid doing something we don’t want to do. Accountants look for legal loopholes to help their clients pay less tax. If the person they are helping is us, we are thrilled because it leaves us with more money. However, if it were a billionaire, we might decry this by declaring they should pay their fair share, after all, they can afford it. Our view of loopholes is revealing of our thoughts.

Jesus confronted the Pharisees about a loophole they were exploiting. God’s law is clear on honouring your parents. In their culture, this meant providing for parents in their old age. However, the Pharisees allowed people to withhold money from their parents if they were giving that money to God. Jesus was not impressed, telling them that, “for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God” (Matthew 15:6, ESV).

Jesus looks at the heart of the Pharisees and calls them hypocrites. He quotes Isaiah, saying, “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6, ESV).

Today, ponder this: Next time you are confronted with a loophole, weigh your heart and look at your motive. Is it honouring God, or are you justifying your actions because it is technically legal?