Saturday Lent 4

Some Pharisees from the crowd told Jesus, “Teacher, get your disciples under control!”

But he said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”

Luke 10:39-40 MSG

I love thinking about how these guys/girls (men/women) would have felt as they experienced miracles upon miracles with Jesus. I imagine they got to the top of the mountain, and just as they began the descent, they burst out in praise, laughter, and dancing! I imagine Jesus walking with them smiling and appreciating their excitement. This type of excitement comes from child-like faith. The type that is no easy feat.

The rules of religion can be very helpful when one has no direction and no conscience convictions. Religion is a way we structure our lives to find a better way to live in the present. Religion teaches us discipline,  dedication,  and community. The problem with religion comes when we set in stone the rules for practice instead of using it as an opening for God. In my experience, rules change when I encounter God.

Religion can become a challenge.  It can be enlightening in the beginning, but as soon as we get comfortable with the practices, it has the potential to become a trap. We enter the premises seeking God. The disciplines help open us to God. We grow. We connect. We appreciate the structure and the rhythm, but then, something happens. 

Life twists suddenly.  You are no longer able to practice the disciplines as you once did. You begin to feel disconnected.  You may even feel guilty. Others seem to be doing fine, even thriving, but secretly,  their life has twisted too. They are in a similar place as you, but they dare not share. Shame settles in on both of you and slowly your light dims. You still show up for meetings and events. You still serve in the area that once gave you life, but your heart is barely beating with signs of vitality.

Religion is a structure. It provides a framework for discipline and opportunities for connection, but it can not sustain your life. Religion teaches us how to open ourselves to God. But it can not open us. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

In the scripture above, the Pharisees were “full of religion.” They saw the disciples’ enthusiastic praise and told Jesus to get his disciples under control.

I try to imagine what this scene would have felt like, and when I do, I burst into laughter with the disciples. I remember what it felt like to be a Pharisee. I remember my perfectionistic part who took over most of my encounters after reconnecting with a religious group. I “returned to the Lord” in full Pharisee strength.  I was determined to get it right this time.

I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to fear doing the wrong thing. I know what it feels like to break a rule. I know what it’s like to follow the rules when others seem to have the freedom to follow other rules with no conviction. 

Religion can be an incredible place to experience God, structure your life, and find community, but beware when it becomes a trap. When your practices wane, let that be an opening to God. When you find the rules are confining,  let that be an opening to God. Perhaps certain rules no longer serve you.

Is it ok to seek God in ways that are new to you? Are you being encouraged by your religious group to grow in ways that are specific to you? When trouble comes, can you let that be an opening to God? Even resistance can be an opening to God. 

Jesus said if the disciples kept quiet, the stones would shout out for them. This tells me that God does call forth life in all of us, even those with stony hearts!