We often fail to see. We are blind to what really matters. We live in a world of idolatry and yet we do not see the idols.
"Let us go and make an alliance with the Gentiles all around us;
since we separated from them, many evils have come upon us."
Because we live and work so closely with nonbelievers we have no real sense of what is normal for Christians versus what is normal for the world. The world pursues comfort and entertainment. Christians assume this is a normal pursuit. The world flees from demands of the gospel about, for example, using sexuality in accord with God's design. They flee from and demands which challenge and seem to impose. They pay lip service to the commands they like, ones about loving and not judging. This becomes normal not only for them, but for us. We're all guilty of being judgmental while saying we should not. We're all guilty of ignoring the least of our brothers and sisters while saying we should love them. The world's normal is not different for Christians and non-Christians. Or at least not different enough. We are not what we are meant to be! We are meant to be a shining light to the nations. To that end we must resolve in our hearts to follow God rather than the world.
But many in Israel were determined
and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean;
they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean food
or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die.
Since it is easy to come to see the ways of the world as normal we need to ask Jesus to help us see things his way and from his point of view.
"What do you want me to do for you?"
He replied, "Lord, please let me see."
Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."
Jesus very much wants to open our eyes to the truth. He doesn't want us living with our morality based on comparisons with anyone but him and what he tells us is possible. His gospel seems lofty and impossible to the world. Sometimes they approve and sometimes they don't. But for us who know Jesus there is ample grace and truth to follow his ways. It is not lofty or abstract. No command of his is mean or arbitrary. It is beautiful to follow his ways.
Give me life, O Lord, and I will do your commands.
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