IMPOSSIBLE BURDENS

Luke 11:46,52, "Woe also to you who are lawyers!  For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them...For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you have not entered the kingdom yourselves and you hindered those who were trying to enter."


"In these passages Jesus is NOT using the term "lawyers" as we think of lawyers in civil and criminal law, but is referring to the Pharisees who interpreted and expanded the Law of Moses for the people.  Over the years the Pharisees had added interpretations to the rules of Moses'  laws that basically added hardship.  These rules upon rules put such a burden on those who sought to be Godly, that it was impossible to live up to them.  The Pharisees and their rules did not show love, justice, or kindness, only the rod of discipline.


" For me (and here I tell you this item was written by Jerry, my husband), as a disciple of Jesus, I am not to expand or interpret Jesus' words making it hard for people to come to a personal relationship with the risen Lord.  God so loved the world--all the world--that He sent His Son to redeem the world in order that each might have a joyous and celebratory walk with God, but not burdened, but uplifted.  That's my task--to help people to be lifted up.


"Lord God, I thank you for calling me to help set people free from the impossible burdens of trying--on their own--to be "good."  Amen."


Yes, this is still Jerry's aim, as he has a wife who often is troubled over her desire to be "good." I have a complex from my childhood that makes me forget that God is a forgiving God, and does not hold things against me.  In fact, He loves me for wanting to always do what is kind and loving, and forgives me when I miss the mark.  It's important to me that no one should suffer from grief over things you cannot change.  God wouldn't want us to. Remembering, I only need to ask forgiveness for any wrongs done.  Oh, I hope you do not have this same trouble!!  I encourage you to believe Jesus' body and mind have already have already been struck for our sins, yours and mine. He offers us freedom...right now!


Jo INMN