(Audio)
The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals.
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers,
who led them out of the land of Egypt,
they followed the other gods of the various nations around them,
and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
Even when we have some base level of faithfulness to the commandments it does not mean our hearts belong to Jesus as much as he would like.
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
What makes us go away from Jesus in sadness? For the young man, even though he kept the commandments, nevertheless his possessions were an idol that kept him from following Jesus. Discipleship would have been a great adventure. Following Jesus would have meant a new level of freedom. The young man must have sensed it. There was a sadness in his heart as he walked away. He knew there was something better that he was simply refusing to choose for himself.
But when the judge died,
they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors,
following other gods in service and worship,
relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
The commandments are like judges that can help guide us when they are present. The law can work in specific and concrete ways. But when the judges die we relapse. When there is something less specific, especially a question of some good we ought to do in a specific circumstance, the judges are absent and we fall back into idolatry. We do what are patterns dictate will make us happy but we walk away sad at the good we do not choose.
Knowing that our hearts tend toward idolatry let us ask Jesus to help us. He promised to give us knew and living hearts (see Ezekiel 36:26). This work is begun in us, but we need it to continue more and more.
Yet he had regard for their affliction
when he heard their cry.
So remember us, today, O Lord, and do not let us go away from you sad.
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