Blinded by Religion
In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus picked two religious leaders, a Priest and a Levite, who did not see or acted as if they did not see the injured man. Some have suggested that they were afraid of becoming “ritually unclean” and be unable to perform their religious duties. Is it possible they were blinded by their focus on Religion, religious rules and duties that they did not “see” the hurt man? Were they so focused on religion that they overlooked the needs of a fellow human being in the name of religion?
Is it possible? Yes! I have seen churches that were so afraid that people who came to them misused what was given to help that getting help almost involved an inquisition. I have been called by a nearby pastor who called complaining that I gave groceries to a family that he had already helped with a $40 bag of groceries. There were six in the family.
God called the Jewish people to be blessed and serve as a blessing to the world. A light to the nations. They became so focused on their religion that they were blinded to their real mission of blessing others.
They divided the world up into US, The People of God who were blessed by God and the Gentiles, who were outside of God’s love. In Jesus’ day there was a third group, Sinners. They were the US but were not as good as US. Their religious focus on themselves blinded them.
Jesus spoke of people who focused on the minutiae of their religion, tithes of their spices, that they forgot the real depths of their relationship to God. ““Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” Luke 11:42 NIV.
They tithed garden herbs, but their focus on that blinded them to “justice and the love of God”. Blinded by religion.
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment he reduced all commandments to two.
1. Love God
2. Love others.
Is it possible that while you have focused on Church, rules, morality, doctrine and other issues that you lost sight of love?
Love of God. Love of others. Sadly, I have known a few people like that. They are not uncommon in certain types of churches.
If anything else other than love, regardless of how good, is the focus of your religion, you may be blinded by religion.
“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Matthew 13:15 NIV