Save me from my religion!

Reflecting on Mark 7:1-23

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:8)
As a Jesus follower, I need to beware of how my ‘religion’ shapes me.
‘Religion’ is how we think about God, and how we structure our beliefs.
It involves creeds, rituals, behaviours, and ways of seeing the world.
In a general sense, every person (including an atheist) is religious.
That is, they think a certain way about God, and how to relate to God.
The atheists creed is ‘there is no god’.
Their system of morality is ‘do what I think is right’.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were also religious.
They had an established system of beliefs and practices relating to God.
Their creed was ‘there is a God, and God is on our side’.
Their system of morality was ‘do what we say is right’.
Jesus and His disciples were falling outside of their religion.
This is where the problem of religion becomes dangerous.
What do you do with someone whose religion is different from yours?
Religious people tend to believe what they believe strongly.
As a result, those who do NOT hold their beliefs and practices are wrong.

These religious leaders had elevated their ideas to the level of God’s.
And they judged everyone accordingly, even Jesus.
Jesus exposes their trust in their own traditions and rules.
He shows how their religion actually goes against God’s commands.
Their human nature interpreted God’s commands in a self-serving way.
Claiming to obey God, they were actually going against what God says.
Imagine if Jesus challenged you or me for this.
Is it possible that the christian church is guilty of this too?

Actually, I believe all people are guilty of this, including me.
My beliefs and practices are my own thinking, my own interpretation.
How I understand God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. is my own ‘religion’.
This is normal, and unavoidable; we all respond to God uniquely.
The problem is not that we develop our own religious response to God.
The problem is when we elevate our ‘religion’ and impose it on others.
If I want to wash my hands religiously for God, that is my worship.
If I want to rest on Sunday, or pray with my eyes closed…
If I want to dress up for church, or pray through the rosary…
If I want to sing and dance, or kneel in reverent silence…
These are all real expressions of worship, our heart response to God.
But when we judge others for not doing them, we are imposing our traditions.

God’s commands are (1) love God with all your heart, and (2) love your neighbour.
There is nothing here about forcing your religion on others.
There is nothing here about loving your own traditions more than others.
Jesus calls all people, whatever their religion, to love God and people.
Religion calls all people, whatever their religion, to follow its rules.
“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:8)

Think about how many religions there are.
Think about how many variations of the christian religion there are.
Do I honestly think that my version is the only true and good one?
God does not measure the rightness of our creeds and practices.
God measures the heart that is in them.
God considers whether love for God and people is expressed through them.
I can have the greatest creeds and rules of human behaviour.
But if I do not have love, they mean nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)!

My job is not to change other peoples’ religion.
My job is to love God and love people, so they can experience God’s love.
This will lead them to respond to God’s love with their own heart.
In fact, I believe that following God’s commands will change peoples’ religion.
Not because we convert them, but because God’s love changes them.
Love the Muslim and Hindu and Atheist and Christian with the love of Jesus.

Do my religious beliefs and practices express love for God and people?
Am I just holding on to religious traditions, following the human rules?
Am I loving my neighbour, or just judging them for not being religious like me?
The spirit of the world is to love oneself and one’s own point of view.
We are polluted by this worldly spirit when we elevate our traditions over others.
Loving my neighbour is the kind of religion God wants from me:

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I do not want to worship my religion. I want to love and serve God with all my heart, and love my neighbour like You do. Save me from my religion, and set my heart free in God's love.