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"Religion has always been a favorite tool of kings and governments."


A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book, Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series) (p. 80). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

That is an interesting thought.

Charles says, "All you need is a visible institution to embody the beliefs of the people you want to control and the credibility to determine who can be in and who should remain out. If someone believes you hold his or her eternal destiny in your hands, you can make him or her believe almost anything, want almost anything, do almost anything. Some of the world’s greatest evils have been accomplished by people who believed that what they were doing—however horrific or inhuman—was good and right, based on their religion. A classic example is 9/11."


He continues, "In first-century Israel, two primary groups vied for religious control over Israel, which kept them locked in a symbiotic, love-hate relationship with each other. The aristocratic Sadducees occupied the official positions of power, which included authority over Herod’s magnificent temple, Israel’s most visible institution. But their open collaboration with Rome made them very unpopular with the Jewish population, who wanted nothing less than a free nation. The nationalistic Pharisees maintained control over the Jewish masses by becoming conspicuously Jewish. And if obedience to the law of Moses made someone Jewish, they would remain kings of the moral hill at any cost.

"While the Sadducees controlled the temple, they did so at the pleasure of Rome. They needed the religious clout of the Pharisees to control the Jewish people. While the Pharisees were extremely influential with the people, their pugnacious attitude toward Rome and lack of military might kept them from doing much more than chanting slogans. Rome needed the Sadducees to keep Roman interference to a minimum. Of the two things needed to manipulate people—a religious institution and religious authority—neither party had both. So they jealously guarded what they controlled."

He goes on, "To maintain moral superiority—or at least the impression of it—the Pharisees chose to emphasize the portion of God’s law that suited their natural inclinations. For whatever reason, the fourth commandment became their favorite."

He later says, "No one dared to challenge the Pharisees’ exclusive jurisdiction as police, judge, and jury over all matters related to the Sabbath. That is, until Jesus. One sunny afternoon, they observed Him and His disciples gleaning grain as Jewish Scripture allowed (Deuteronomy 23:24–25), but in violation of Pharisaic custom."

Charles says, "In the mind of the Pharisee, the men were laboring on the Sabbath, for 'plucking wheat from its stem is reaping, rubbing the wheat heads between one’s palms is threshing, and blowing away the chaff is winnowing!' Jesus rebuked the self-appointed guardians of morality with three important points.

"First, the Pharisees gave higher priority to the customs of men than the law of God. In their effort to elevate themselves and dominate others, they overlooked the two most important commandments: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Matthew 22:35–40).

"Second, God gave laws to His people to bless them, not to burden them. Every rule either elevates the quality of human life or restores one’s relationship with God after a breach. He makes no extraneous demands and He is never capricious.

"Third, because the Law came from God, it can never be greater than God. 'The LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy' (Exodus 20:11). Jesus’ bold claim, '[I] the Son of Man am the Lord of the Sabbath' was intended to challenge the authority of the Pharisees, who had stolen it from God. In other words, The Sabbath is not yours to control; it is Mine because I am God. Therefore, I am taking it back from you."

Charles then says and reminds us, "Jesus didn’t come to earth to establish a new religion. He came to restore a broken relationship. He came to make the primary, primary again. The secondary activity of obedience to the law of God was always intended to serve the primary activity: to love God and enjoy Him forever. When that is primary, the secondary becomes a labor of love, a joyful, 'easy' burden to bear. This is what Jesus meant when He said, 'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.' Matthew 11:28–30"

This is such an important reminder, isn't it? for us in this day in which we live. Yes, yes! #continuethought






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