What’s Your Motivation?

Hot Topic Store: 
http://history.hottopic.com/wp-content/uploads/1996/03/currentstore-1140x700.jpg

Scripture:

Luke 14:1   On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. ² Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. ³ And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” ⁴ But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. ⁵ Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” ⁶ And they could not reply to this.

Observation:

Again we find Jesus with a Pharisee, however, this time it is not in a positive light. This Pharisee intentionally invited Jesus to a sabbath meal so that he could catch him doing something wrong. 

This man who appeared before Jesus was present at the meal. This meant that he could have been a family member or a servant. Dropsy was a kind of illness that caused swelling of the joints and made it painful for someone to be able to participate in the normal activities of life. Today we might imagine this as someone suffering from chronic pain and swollen joints from arthritis or some other form of inflammation. The point is, this person was struggling every single day of their life, and may have been a beloved member of the Pharisee’s household. 

just imagine the scene at the Pharisee’s home. Lawyers and Pharisees have the good seats at the dinner table and are watching closely. They have grown accustomed to the person with dropsy and have no empathy. That’s when Jesus hands them a living illustration of God’s law of compassion. To truly observe the sabbath is to understand the connection between acts of piety and expressing God’s love. There is a distinction between acts of self-indulgence, and those that are necessary to reveal the love of God. The Pharisees have misunderstood God’s intent for the sabbath and Jesus is trying to teach them that observance of the sabbath is to respond out of God’s love. 

Application:

It’s easier to try and enforce a set of rules than it is to get to know the heart of Christ. The reality is that we, just like the Pharisees have had our lists of do’s and don’ts. Sometimes those lists became much more precious to us than understanding the heart of Christ. We thought that we were doing all the right things “for” him, instead of learning to be “like” him. 

Jesus’ love and compassion helped him to see the needs of those around him. To heal on the sabbath was to reveal the love of the Father to the world. God’s people are challenged to be like Christ in this world and this will be seen in the way in which we love and serve others. 

I like to walk at my local mall and lately I’ve noticed quite a crowd around a little shop called “Hot Topic.” They are known for “pop culture and inspired fashion.” Sometimes there’s a line outside, young people awaiting their turn to get in. Those in line have hair of vibrant different colors, many piercings, tattoos and eclectic clothing choices. Some might want to just avoid this crowd altogether but I told my husband that I think it would be the best place for someone who wants to be missional to get a job! What a great opportunity to be in the middle of building relationships with young people who are looking for something that will give them hope, joy and satisfaction. We know that what they buy at “Hot Topic” won’t do that — and neither will the persona that they are creating. It’s as if they are putting on the trappings of a character in a play every day, clinging to some identity which they are shaping, when underneath it all they may be crying out for hope and peace. To be like Christ is to go to them and bring his healing presence, not avoid them because it might look bad if I were seen in their midst. 

So, what’s the motivation behind our actions? Are we willing to step into the messy and follow Jesus, or do we find ourselves overly concerned with our own piety? Compassion is a hallmark of a disciple. If our concern over our own appearance of spirituality is greater than love and compassion for others, then we are motivated by the wrong thing. Genuine love of Christ will result in sabbath practices that come from the heart. It might even send you to work at “Hot Topic.” 

Prayer:

Lord, may love for you be the driving force in my life. Amen.