Dear friends in Christ, today we will be reflecting on the Gospel of the day (Mark 3: 1-6). Here, Jesus demonstrates and teaches us what true religion is.
Is true religion only observing the Sabbath and neglecting those who are in need because it is Sabbath? Is true religion going to church and cheating your fellow human beings in the market places and your different places of work? Is true religion the inability to confess faith in Jesus? Is true religion opposed to doing good and saving lives? Does true religion embrace evil and error? All of the above is NO!
How many of us sit in the Church, watching and picking out wrong in others so as to accuse them and gossip them? Church is the place of worship dear friends, it is a place of ministering to all with shriveled hands.
Our religion which is a true one is such that affords us the willingness to stand up like the man in our gospel text. Standing up to confess faith in the Lord’s power to save and heal.
True religion is doing good and saving lives. What Jesus did in our gospel text was teach and show that true religion is not rules and regulations, not ceremony and ritual. If a man or a woman has a need, true religion meets that need. Jesus drove the point home by asking two questions as stated in our gospel text.
True religion is righteous anger against error and evil! It is the restoring of men and women to completeness and wholeness. True religion speaks and acts. Jesus spoke, “stretch out your hand.” The man did and Jesus restored the man to completeness. True religion is love and service.
Dear friends, the essence of religion is restoring men and women and making them complete and whole in the name and power of Jesus. True religion is not intrigue nor destructive. Therefore let us pray that our religion will continue to set us free and bring wholeness and completeness to all of us. Amen.
May the Lord bless His words in our hearts through Christ Our Lord.
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