By the Book and By the Life

What makes the story exciting is how when you read it, the action, movement, drama and conversation feels alive and engaging.

The problem often comes when we read things the wrong way and instead of getting energised by the life of the story, we get bogged down with the minutiae and invert elements, pervert elements and contort elements so that it is no longer telling the same story. That’s why people can recite aspects of stories and can be very specific about what makes up different parts of it, even to the point of rehearsing key scenes and perspectives, without ever connecting with the real essence of that story.

Followers of Jesus back in the day were known as followers of the Way. That was more than doing things by the book, that was doing things by the life that led them along the way. While we are quick to criticise Pharisees and Sadducees as though they didn’t get it when it came to the word of God, so we are susceptible to being caught up with techniques and mechanics as though those were sanctified instructions etched on tablets of stone. The tragedy being that life in the Spirit allows us to read those words in Scripture and get it for what it says in the way it says n the spirit of it.

The living word came to show us the living way and now we can live by the book and by that life and that life informs us how to understand that book. The two working together not contradicting each other. Learning to live by that life is the difference between tapping into real joy and peace in any given situation and offering empty platitudes as though it’s about having phrases to utter that magics up some resolution.

It’s the challenge of following Jesus for who he reveals Himself to be. Rather than making a sanctuary to the Jesus we like the idea of and leaving ourselves stuck to that and never growing in knowing Him further.

(Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden