February 10, 2014

There are a certain amount of “thou shalt nots” in the Bible and these are often the passages that get talked about. In an age where individual freedom is highly prized people can use these negatives to paint a picture of God as the cosmic killjoy, the celestial cop whose main goal is to keep humanity from enjoying themselves. But we all know that there are proper negatives in life that make room for the great positives. You simply have to say no to some things to make room and time for better, more important things. Jesus teaches his fair share of “don’ts.” But this passage reminds us that the “don’ts” have always been there to make room for the “do and enjoys.” Jesus’ teachings were not given to undo the way of goodness that had been laid out before but to make it more complete, richer, fuller. Maybe this is just another way of expressing what Jesus says in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” How might the words of Jesus fill up your life this week?