Your Faith: Empty Ritual or Joyful Reality?

Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

As we return to greater in-person church, its my prayer that our experience and commitment to being in community in this Jesus-circle, and living in the Jesus way will increase and increase. But such a program would be in danger of just becoming human effort at being more spiritual more discipled, and so as we look a the gospel of Mark we have got to make sure our renewal to in person church is not just a doubling down on religious rules and rituals, but a renewal in the joyful reality of the living person and fellowship and work of Jesus in our midst! And the way that Mark records the first climax of the first 5 conflict stories, these controversy stories, is like Jesus by way of questions. As I mentioned, the first half of the book of Mark, the Galilee ministry marked by Jesus authority and success in ministry and then rising conflict. And in that rising conflict so often people ask Jesus a question, and Jesus responds by another ponderous question designed to lead us to the heart of the joyful news of who He is and what His kingdom is about. And so this morning, even as we return to greater challenge and opportunity of in-person worship and ministry together, would you let Jesus ask you some questions?

These last three controversy stories have one point: We need joyful Jesus not empty ritualistic religion. And they begin not with Jesus question but with a question we need to put on our lips.

A. The Pharisees’ Question, We Too Must Ask

Now it might surprise you that of the four major groups seeking for change in Israel - Jesus would be closest to the Pharisees. Though they were rebuked by Jesus as being white-washed tombs, hypocrites, it was not they alone that had problem of just looking for outward appearances. IN fact Jesus complemented them in a way saying, his disciples righteousness had exceed the Pharisees. That he didn’t come to abolishing the law but fulfill, to restore true inner meaning - so keep it out of love from the heart. In terms of the moral law of God Jesus didn’t relax it but intensified by radical internal keeping by love. And we read that the Pharisees had disciples you need to know not a formal ground, according to Josephus like John the Baptists disciples or the Sadducees. But loser renewal movement mostly lay people like you and me. And here is the key thing they wanted renewal and preparation for God to bring the Golden Age that would come about by a strict adherence to rule keeping of the man-made interpretations and applications of the law. Torah -was God’s written law, Mishnah oral tradition of for their times necessary - but you know what would happen they would think their human application for their times same as God’ revealed law - Jesus elsewhere said they have a fine way of neglecting that heart of God’s law, weightier matter, laying that aside - in order to feel all self-righteous about outwardly keeping the little human rituals they attached to the law. Check all the boxes, I am in, you’re not. Keep the rules to get in, to hasten God’s kingdom! And I am suggesting that you and I as we seek renewal need to have the Pharisees question on our lips this evening. So easy to say renewal will come - if people just follow our interpretation of God’s will for our lives, which may indeed be the fruit of following Jesus more closely, but listen its not the root. Awfully tempting to think - an unbeliever become a Christian if just become moral, start keeping Christian behaviour and have same ritual of coming to church singing some worship songs, bowing head to prayers said. Awfully tempting to think children of covenant -are alright as long as don’t get to crazy in sowing wild oats and keep the traditions - don’t use too bad language and still show up for church, do the classes, have fellowship with other Christian, come into professing membership. And we would ask Jesus - why do your renewed people, your disciples, disciples of Christ first time used like that why aren’t they - doing the agreed upon ma-made rules? And you need to pause there because Jesus-followers are doing something quite opposite. Look at the question: Mark 2:18b

Mark 2:18b ESV

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

This is so important . When we think about an unbeliever coming to now the Lord, the big deal at the heart of things can’t be whether they follow our rules, traditions, spiral way of life, but whether they have come to Jesus. And so too the heart of the matter about our faith , our true religion can't be about the traditions, man made ones, the heart of our faith, the root and then engine that’s driving everything has to be relationships with Jesus. And there are certainly some rituals and law commanded by Jesus but that’s not the heart of how we follow him.

It is kind of like the question the disciples themselves later posed Jesus that showed that kind of Pharisaic spirit: They saw someone casting out demons in your name, and listen to why they tried to stop him, because he was not following us. And then listen to what Jesus says: Mark 9:40 Don’t stop him, issue isn’t if follow you, he won’t speak evil of me, No listen:

Mark 9:40 ESV

For the one who is not against us is for us.

The Issue is not if for you and your way of doing things, but the heart of the issue is is He for me! Why?

And that is where you need to understand that particulars of the Pharisee, question not about whether Jesus is for against fasting. Commanded, Jesus fasted, say his disciples will. It was indeed commanded in the ritual law of the OT, once a year from sun up to sun down on day of atonement - for lamenting and repenting of sin, as Atonement made, nation fasted! Only time commanded by God’s OT law. But that’s not the controversy. The controversy is over the added, over and above, fasting of John the Baptist disciples fasting and of Pharisees fasting. John taught a fasting in light of the coming judgment of God tied to repentance - and the Pharisees taught a voluntary fasting on Mondays and Thursdays - and they did it to be seen by others, dress and even put a whitening powder on faces, walk by fellow citizens going to local Subway - we’re serious about the kingdom coming - and it will come by our serious outward, and sour discipline.

Do you get this they want to make the heart of their renewal and their religion, self-effort. Not just Jewish Pharisees, but distort both the law of God and the gospel of God. If we make the gospel social justice, which is good and necessary goal and implication of law of God, but if we make our doing that or conservative Christian ethicss, our gospel. Do you see our faith is all about us doing? Both ways we become pharisaic to those not doing our program. If we make gospel pietism, or moralism - do you get it all about snubbing others, and self-righteous activism.

And Jesus blows the lid off that kind of religion and he explains with two powerful little pictures why in His Coming we must adopted a completely opposite approach to faith and religion and life!

B. Jesus Explains the Heart & Engine of our Faith as Fellowship

The explanation comes in the mini parable of the wedding feast. And its interesting that Mark pairs this story right after the feasting with Levi and his fellow tax-collector publicans and sinners. That’s where you find the Messiah those who know not the healthy and ain need of the Healer the Messiah. They asks why don’t you do religion and faith by our self-righteous rules. Jesus starkly replies, with Mark saying think now of Jesus feasting amid Levi’s friends: Mark 2:19

Mark 2:19 ESV

And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

Now that probably doesn’t speak to you because we think of a wedding feast as the 3 or four of maybe five hour reception after the wedding ceremony, but day ends party ends. But a Jewish wedding, the couple didn’t go on a honeymoon. The feast happens and the wedding guests are brought to their new home. And the next day comes and guess what - ding-dong we’re here. The friends of the couple, official title the friends of the bride-groom they show up - and whole seven days of rejoicing and feasting together. Now really try to imagine that your brother or sister got married, and they invite you over with a bunch of other honoured guests, and they have a spread that family has been saving up for years - and can you imagine if that was the time you chose to take a vow to the Lord, not to eat. I mean I think fasting is important until the Lord comes again, times of remorse grieving, intense prayer, seeking decisions - before taking a call fasted - weirdest thing to sit a table kids are young and watch them eat. Now imagine you with the Bride and bridge-groom - sit in corner or other room while feasting going on.

That’s what Jesus saying, the answer is as to the difference between a faith and religion that is about fellowship with the Messiah vs. the rule keeping of man. Do you get this? This isn’t about whether - having the law of God or the rituals He commands in His Word are necessary, they are not necessary for salvation, but necessary for walking with God. Today so many people - look at those who out of love and conviction say God tells us to walk this way to worship this way, to rest this way to serve this way - and you know what we’d rather not do it out of laziness, or it crosses our will, or - so we call that legalism. It’s not! Legalism is when we push aside God’s Word, and His Christ, and then put man-made rules at the heart of what we do and why!

But it is the characters in Jesus mini-parable that ought to arrest us the most: Jesus says we can’t live life just keeping ritual s and rules to prepare for God’s kingdom like the Pharisees, not because we just want fellowship with God and He’s one character and we as individuals have been invited to walk with God. No who are the characters in parable? Do you have a bridegroom in your life? Do you know what being a friend to the bridegroom entails? Mark 2:20

Mark 2:20 ESV

The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

And those Jews would be shocked. All over the OT it is not a coming Messiah who is described as a Bridge Groom to Israel - it is God. God the husband to His people. But Israel ruptured that relationship of walking with God like that Hosea 2, Ezekiel 16, Jeremiah 2, Isaiah 54. You know I talked to someone this week experience divorce, abandonment really - and difficulty of fellowship in church and friendship. real mourning. That’s what Jesus is saying, in the OT era, before God has come in person to His people to repair the rupture, to enter new relationship new covenant with us, may have been appropriate to fast and morn and grieve. But now God is right here in your midst. And you and I are invited as the friends of the bridegroom into the feasting and fellowship room with God. How dare you not come to the table and feast with him. Absurd. And in fact when new covenant established, the picture changes we ‘re not just friends of the bride groom, after breach repaired legally and really on the Cross, and yes Bridge Groom gone away for three days, real mourning and fasting, and not physically with us, now; but IN His resurrection, and also now by His Spirit he comes to us - He is really present in His church church spiritually. And so the picture changes not just friends of the bride groom but listen listen Ephesians 5:32 a bride , washing of water and the Word, presented to himself in splendor - holy without blemish -

Do you get that Christ laid down perfect life sacrificially, nothing useless is needed to come into His presence, to earn acceptance, He laid down his life, and now the relationship is all of love , dwelling together with us. That’s what we are to experience in worship, that’s the basis of our daily living.

And Jesus gives us two simple pictures to prove it: Imagine you got a classic antique sail boat and t got sail, but someone smoking carelessly burns a 4” hole in the middle of your sail. And you think I’ve got some new white cloth stitch that in. But the old sail has shrunk with time, and that new patch hasn’t and as its exposed to the sun, that patch is going to shrink pull in old sail and now have a tear a foot long. Jesus says, think of wine skin. Grape juice as it ferments in there C02 is released it bulges. If you put new grape juice in old stretched but hardened leather wine skins - that C02 is going to blow the old sacks up - simply can’t contain that potent - And guess what Mark 2:22

Mark 2:22 ESV

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

And so Jesus is saying, why don’t followers of Jesus fast and do religion of rulers and rituals; because He and His way are brand new potent wine that would blow up that kind of living and that kind of faith and religion. Old wine skins, old religion that doesn’t have the living Messiah and relationship with at the centre - completely incompatible - like a mac program trying to be downloaded and operated on a windows pc. mix like water and oil.

And so by way of application as we seek renewal for in-person church , worship and service together, must make sure attention in our lives not first of all on rules or practice even on our doing - But on what Jesus has done and the fruit of His work and the fellowship calls us into - And if we do that won’t be sour rule and ritual keeping - comparing with other, s get others to - it will be real relationship with Lord of Life - like new potent wine - like banqueting feast, and new circle of Jesus friends and servants, citizens of a heavenly kingdom!

C. Applying the Fellowship-Principle to Your Keeping Sabbath

But then Jesus gets us to see how this gets applied with an important test case. Typical boundary marker, Sabbath Day. Just throw it out because legalism - so don't need law. Put all sorts of man made rules elevate them above - measure each other - smug - throw it out? Shows how he fulfills and restores God’s gift including the Sabbath to us. I want you to see something. That an abuse of something doesn’t justify its its non-use. In Latin - in English Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Jesus has no hesitation throwing out the bathwater here, but he leaves in its place not just do nothing, or decide for yourself what you want to do, but He as the Lord of the Sabbath leaves for us what is at the heart of faith and the reality of true religion. So come with me into the case study of kkeeping relationship with Jesus at the heart of our worship and service and even our Sabbath keeping.

Its a beautiful Sabbath Day, day like the first Sabbath Day when God rested from his work of special creation and instead enjoyed the delight of all He created and fellowship with His people. And there is Jesus yes synagogue worship we’ve seen, but now just walking the fields. Talking fellowshiping, maybe silence. Like in some movie scenes… beautiful ripe fields and just let your hands glance against the lush heads of wheat. And God’s law allowed for one travelling in their need to eat enough to eat. Not stealing. But there are the Pharisees - and for them lawful doesn’t mean what’s in the Torah God’s instruction - but also what’s in the oral tradition, the Mishnah - man made rules. They knew Sabbath was important but they thought the best way to guard and keep it, was to raise up a fence around the park of Sabbath activity, a hundred feet high, - so everyone concerned - what not to do, everyone as a burden careful not to do this or that, sub section 38 , rule 486 - but no one actually positively doing what God invites us to do as a gift.

The Pharisees interpret this not as eating enough for the day, but if so far from house, and in a field, you must be engaged in the commercial activity of not gleaning but harvesting! And they start blowing their whistle and sending out the sabbath observance police.

And wow, look at Jesus’ response. You quote sub section rule 486 of human made rules, but are you even reading and understanding God’s Word. The command to keep Sabbath is a covenant sign, sign of friendship with God. It’s a gift. Do you know the Word. He then quotes a somewhat obscure example. Remember during time period of the high priest Abiathar - David and his band of men on the run, in a time of civil war, they came with their need to the Tabernacle of God - special ritualistic bread had a purpose and place, but the priest of God gave it to them in their need! The provision of food superceded the ritual use and consecration of that bread. David is a piture of me the Messiah. And then Jesus summarizes his teaching on the Sabbath with a remark like at least one other Jewish Rabbi of the first century.

Mark 2:27 ESV

And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

Those who are only concerned about Sabbath as their work to be pure, to keep external rules, when done aren’t I good, God you ought to bless me I am living by works for you. They got Sabbath all wrong and it is a burden of doing for them. Really how and why they keep Sabbath summarizes their whole faith - faith in their religious performance. But just like Bill Clinton said in his campaign It’s about the economy stupid. Jesus is saying its about humanity enjoying the purpose it was made for. The purpose isn’t all the Sabbath regulations - man wasn’t made to fit into the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made to serve and be a gift to being truly human.

Jesus was a Sabbath keeper, but not first of all by being a Sabbath human rule keeper - He is upholding that God gifts us with time - a whole day not to be enslaved to our work, man does not live by bread and working for our bread alone, we are not our work. Man lives for fellowship with God. And the heart of the Sabbath as a sign of God’s covenant with us forever, is that we live for the feast - Sabbath is a feast day - pointing to eternal Sabbath - time to fellowship and rest with God in a special way. Think of what it means to be family, not just a group that does chores and even business again and again 24/7 together. You rest and you have fun, and you sit back an converse and learn and share, fellowship with one another. God does that with us .

And in case we are still not getting it, Mark concludes this controversy section with one last Sabbath Day story. There Jesus is taking a Sabbath day, resting with God’s people and making it holy worshipping and fellowship with God by Word and Spirit. Not doing this alone in their tents, but together in synagogue , literally a gathering place. The term synagogue is of Greek origin ( synagein, “to bring together”) and means “a place of assembly.” The Yiddish word shul (from German Schule, “school”) is also used to refer to the synagogue. But in that assembly their is real human need. Jesus sees this man whose life has become hard because of his withered hand. I picture like a boy with cerebral palsy used special crutches too but on his arms.

And look at the question that Jesus the Lord Of Sabbath, one Mark said has authority over the Sabbath and will restore it to its proper place in His peoples lives. Will you let Jesus ask you this question tonight! This Sabbath is it just for your private comfort, a family day, a I’m exhausted and need to sleep, I’ve stuffed my life so full with work or pleasure - got to squeeze out of this day my stuff. Or I’m going to use it religiously not relationally to show how earnest I am to God. Jesus says, now listen the Kingdom of God has come, God is in your midst in me, and this Sabbath is about my kingdom in your midst. Listen to his question but be careful not to answer before you understand what he's asking you: Mark 3:4

Mark 3:4 ESV

And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

You and I both know the answer he expects and we all know we should give, but if we answer like that our neat and tidy Sabbath Day is going to change in radical and surprising ways. What in this day spent with Jesus by His Word and Spirit with His people - have you done good and benefited and made more human - even been part of the healing of this broken world and we broken people? And what in this day has does harm to others, made less human, broken fellowship with God and His kingdom.

Don’t answer too quickly. This isn’t about whether their are works of necessity like hospitals and nursing homes, like feeding and milking livestock, like housing and feeding travellers that can legitimately be done. That is certainly true. But this is about that heart of how you give the Lord of Sabbath rest - reign and rule, saving and healing authority to reign over your week. Yes Lord, I will rest and cease regular weekly activity - for the kind of peace and rejoicing the singing and praying, and the conversing and learning the schooling in the way of grace. Yes in most practical ways - I will visit and fellowship with your people. It is so interesting that so much of Jesus correction of how we use this day is not just rest, worship, but also in community of God’s people help and care for one another. And so before you give your answer do get the emotional response of Jesus to our resistance to living for the kingdom on the Lord’s really fellowshipping and serving with the Lord the healer of his people. Mark 3:5a

Mark 3:5 ESV

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

There may be times, when you stop your rest even your worshipping to work that physical healing or ministering to real need, pull a car out of the ditch, in another’s life. But let me tell you when we gather for worship- emotinoally do you know the grief in this room for - stuff we’re missing that never happened,for hurts inflicted - even this pandemic those lost loved one, those graduates, people in need - and gathering of God’s people - about all of us coming together, and then in our homes with hospitality inviting others to keep the feast with us - to take real Sabbath rest that promotes life.

I hope I have adequately expressed and begun to scratch the surface of what Jesus intends for our Sabbath keeping and fellowship - its friendship and conversation and learning and being encouraged with God and His people. Its relationship - reality of Christ among us in healing up-building way, not first of all rule following or empty ritual. And so who do you keep Sabbath with - first of all Jesus and with Him his people .. start with those closest, but as Jesus instructed with hospitality - invite others in, both this fellowship of worship but also our meal our relaxing our conversation.