Trivial Pursuits?

"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures--either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working. Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom." Matthew 5:17-20 (MSG)

Tattoos...leather vests..bandannas...motorcycles...rock 'n roll...

When reading today's verses, I couldn't help but think of this picture I snapped at a Christian biker rally. What? Like you've never been to a biker rally...

I'm not much of a biker, but I think there is a lesson here. We have heard a lot of bad press about the Pharisees and you see them mentioned here as not knowing the first thing about entering the kingdom of heaven. These were some of the most learned and studied religious folks of their time. If they don't measure up, how was the crowd Jesus was speaking to expected to? And I love how Jesus warns the crowd against trivializing God's Law. It's not a matter of knowing the law but a matter of living the true meaning of God's Law.

When reading this, I can't help but wonder in what ways have those of us in the church trivialized the gospel. Is it possible that we're guilty of this? Count on it.

So as we strive to be the gift, may we pray that God works in us to live out the true meaning of the gospel, resisting trivial pursuits, and displaying our sincere love for God and those around us...just as God has loved us.

- David Todd Harmon