30 August 2015 - unchanging law, unchanging love

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

This morning God invites us to come closer to him with our hearts. The law can degenerate into externals if we let it. It can be just a list of things to keep us busy. But this is not the intention of the law. The law is meant to help us to be close to God.

For what great nation is there
that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us
whenever we call upon him? 
Or what great nation has statutes and decrees
that are as just as this whole law
which I am setting before you today?

But keeping the externals clean is so much easier than actually addressing the state of our hearts. And it is superficially more rewarding. Other people actually notice the externals. The inner workings of our hearts, those things about which God truly cares, are largely invisible to the world.

Even when the works to which we are called by the law are visible to others, "care for orphans and widows in their affliction" we don't do these things because then, if we do, others will see us as good and religious people. Every legitimate good work risks this sort of stain by the world. And that can lead us down a path where the external reward matters more and more and love matters less and less.

We are fickle, but God is unchanging. There is "no alteration or shadow caused by change." If we do not add externals to his law or subtract essentials it will help us to remain close to him. The law is, after all, all about love. It is summarized as love of God and love of neighbor. This, of course, sounds good to read about. But in practice it isn't always glamorous. We risk running after more proximate rewards.

Instead of running, "Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls." God takes the initiative. He gives us his word which is his unchanging law. This law shows us how to live in love. It insists that we be doers and not hearers only. Hearing the law and purifying our kettles and beds and jugs and ritually washing our hands and dishes is a real risk. We think that because we have heard the law and have these boxes checked on our lists that we are in good shape. But where are our hearts? If we humbly welcome this word we remain in the presence of the LORD, undefiled before God and the Father. We do the justice the law prescribes and live in the presence of the LORD.

Whoever does these things
shall never be disturbed.